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Digital Literacy, Tech Support, and Language Lab
2016-Present
Digital literacy is very important for refugees to get things done, and to learn independently. Our leadership has partnered with local charities to distribute tech, and teach our commuty basics and offer support. Our recent partnership with MATC brought over 20 computers and high-speed internet connectivity in our classrooms. We hope that MATC is able to add instructional support to our growing partnership soon.
Current & Past Projects
Religious Services
2016-Present
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Religious Services are at the core of day-to-day activities at BRCW REC Center / Masjid Al-Taqwa, that include; daily prayer, afterschool programs, birth to death ceremonial services, holiday events, and cross collaboration with local Muslim organizations in the name of charity and broadening communal ties.
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Interpreting, Translating, and Transcribing
2015-Present
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A very large portion of our work involves a variety of settings serving Burmese and Rohingya individuals and families with their immediate needs and beyond. BRCW staff has performed thousands of hours of interpreting as volunteers, and also seeks short, and long-term paid working partnerships.
ICNA Relief
2017-Present
Our long-term partner provides culturally appropriate food donations during religious holidays as well as other donations like backpacks filled with school supplies ahead of the school year. Our partnerships broadened when ICNA became a permanent fixture, establishing an office within the BRCW REC Center and opening its first regularly-stocked food pantry.
Volunteer Health Teams / Student Cohorts
2017-Present
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Volunteer Health Teams include medical professionals and students serving immediate health needs in the Burmese refugee community. Projects include; screening and immunization events, mental health and trauma informed care, creating protocols for citizenship medical waiver, compiling and vetting available Burmese/Rohingya resources and videos and making them available to both medical workers and the pan-Burmese community.​
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ReRite Refugee w/UWM & Marquette Students
2024-Present
A twice weekly after school program pairing students from Universities with Rohingya elementary and middle school students at our community center. This program represents our first successful young adult mentorship and tutoring program. Bringing some of our brightest young minds together in our community centric education model.
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Rohingya (Rohingyalish) Literacy Education Programs
2021-Present
Focused on developing Rohingya writing systems and creating learning materials, our longstanding partnerships with International Literacy and Development (ILAD) and Books Unbound has seen the production of print and video Rohingya language content and materials. These efforts are providing real world use-cases teaching Rohingya that can help save the Rohingya language from extinction.
English & Citizenship Classes
2018-Present
English language acquisition is incredibly important for resettled Burmese refugees. Our English & Citizenship programs feature our own curriculum and programs and we host partner organization to offer classes at BRCW REC Center. Community Center for Immigrants (CCI) currently hosts well-attended basic & intermediate English literacy and citizenship classes in our classrooms.
Sesame Workshop, Rohingya Project
2020-2023
Our partnership began in 2020 after the pandemic onset stifled Sesame’s plans to create Rohingya episodes with their partners abroad. We were able to provide alternative avenue to perform outreach, content testing, cultural advice, and language services resulting in the production of over 140 Rohingya language videos several children's books/workbooks.
Literacy Services of Wisconsin (LSW)
2021-2023
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LSW was our first local ESL partner after we purchased and launched BRCW REC Center in 2021. They provided funding to renovate our classrooms, adding key learning tools and furnishings, creating an excellent atmosphere. LSW leadership also designed and created a pre-literate curriculum for Rohingya and held classes at our center once pandemic restrictions were lifted. We look forward to resuming and building on our working relationship in the future.
Dynamic Education (DynEd)
2015-Present
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Our staff is trained to teach, and train teachers and admins to use DynEd’s comprehensive English Language Software Suite. This powerful courseware can provide supplementary, or even primary ESL instruction to Rohingya families. Appropriate for any age or level, BRCW intends to raise funding to add DynEd to its recently finished language lab.
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COVID-19 Pandemic Response
2020-2022
BRCW responded to the pandemic by creating and sharing timely and important information and broad instructions by creating emergency videos shared on social media. We supported parents and students by offering Zoom classes, 200+ Headset and PC distribution ahead of remote school year, and placed UWM early childhood teachers with Rohingya families for tutoring and supporting kids during this transition.
Wisconsin Department of Health
2021-2023​
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, BRCW was able to secure to perform Immunization Outreach via Health Department grants and continued to do so until 2023 when funding ran out. During these years, we help vaccination events, created messaging and content and performed various forms of outreach to our difficult to reach community. Our efforts led to Anwar being awarded the 2022 Wisconsin Immunization Champion Award.
Hanan Refugee Relief
2019-2023​
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BRCW and Hanan's Milwaukee chapter were formed in the same year (2016), having grown up together we valued a general partnership in charitable & religious support programs, primarily helping our community with food and school supply donations.
Milwaukee Public, Charter, and Private Schools
2020-Present
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Schools are often the most consistent place Rohingya receive services. Our efforts began during the pandemic when we made a how-to video for MPS Chromebook distribution for Rohingya. We work with several MPS schools, where we speak to staff, share resources and provide other support as needed.
2020 US Census
2020
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Our very first grant award came in the form of a mini grant from Hmong American Women's Association and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. We performed Census outreach in traditional ways the pandemic onset changed how we could operate. We changed course and created how-to and informational videos and remote outreach in attempts to count our Rohingya in Milwaukee.​
Rohingya Backgrounder
2022-2023
Our working partnership with Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE) & International Rescue Committee (IRC) began in late 2022 when our staff accepted a writing consultancy to compose the ‘Rohingya Backgrounder’. The project was completed in May, 2023, the short and long versions are available to view or download.
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Global Initiatives & Academia
2016-Present
At BRCW we engage with students and researchers interested in collaborating with us. These projects vary in scope and size, but share the common trait of raising awareness of, and including the necessary planning and critical thought to address aspects of Rohingya culture.
Genocide in Context; Protecting Genocide Survivors Through Refugee Resettlement
2021-2022
We joined Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum & the Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC) for virtual workshops Comparing Rohingya Genocide with the Holocaust and Rwanda. We also collaborated on 'Protecting Victims of Genocide through Resettlement' panel discussion.
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Human Rights Reporting and Legal Framework
2017-Present
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Human Rights Violations Reporting and Legal Framework Support with our friends at the International Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) - a UNHCR program of international legal professionals that conduct rights abuse reporting for Rohingya. We support this work as it is among the largest scale and most credible evidence collection mechanism and legal framework working towards Rohingya genocide redress.
Public Speaking
2016-Present​
​BRCW responds to calls for service and opportunities to speak about Rohingya and refugee affairs. Our leadership has presented in many places of worship, government, and academic institutions since beginning our work in 2016.
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Milwaukee County Sheriff, Milwaukee Police, FBI, and Milwaukee County Court
2018-Present​
We value having good relationships with the local legal and justice system. We've worked with MPD Community Liaison Officers and hosted DV presentations with interpreted AMA's. We've presented at the MKE Sheriffs cadet training facility, and they helped us perform CPTED audit of our center. MKE FBI has invited us to attend civil rights events. We have worked with the court helping navigate sensitive cases.
AAPI Coalition Of Wisconsin
202o-Present​
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In May 2020, BRCW joined AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin as one of the founding organization members, and joined its working teams. Born out of the rise in Anti-Asian hate in the early pandemic onset, AAPI Coalition set out to combat hatred and promote AAPI unity and cross collaboration across the State. As executive committee contributors, our members focused on writing and editing, mission and digital media.
Burmese Muslim Networking Conference
2018-Present
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BRCW participated and presented at the Inaugural Burmese Muslim Networking Conference and participated in following conferences as well. This conference links Burmese Muslim communities across the United States with representatives coming from over two dozen states nationally. Our friends in Fort Wayne Indiana hosted the first Conference, and now own and operate the largest Burmese Community Center in the United States.
Catholic Charities
2018-Present
Catholic Charities among our oldest friends in Milwaukee, Catholic Charities has been a cornerstone aid agency in Milwaukee for generations. BRCW leadership has participated in their Refugee Community Advisory Board (RCAB) over a period of years. We also commend their agency in creating excellent Rohingya and Burmese language informational content, which we have added to our youtube playlists for our Burmese community to access.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice AAJC
2018-2019
Our partnership with AAJC began when we performed 2020 Census outreach work via mini-grant funding. We continued our relationship with regular contact and exploring ways for our organizations to work together. We contributed to their Digital Literacy Convening, where we explored the digital divide in the Rohingya community. Some of this work has been published: the "Rohingya and the Digital Divide"
Welcoming Week
2018-2021
YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee was among the first local charitable organizations to partner with BRCW on a multi-pronged "Welcoming Week" program that included publicity, a winter clothing drive, and collaboration with our volunteers to create the first pan community event. Our first large food donation event eclipsed 2,500lbs of goods, over 100 winter jackets among other winter gear and physical donations.