Columbus, Ohio – 19-Oct, 2022: Approximately 150,000 refugee and non-refugee Somalis live across the US. Out of these, over 75,000 of them are based in different parts of Ohio. For this reason, Ohio is considered the center for the Somali refugee community. This community has people of all ages, but its most prominent and promising segment is the Somali youth.
Somali Community Link is a non-profit organization in Ohio that works to facilitate the rehabilitation process of the Somali community in the state. Its focus remains on providing this community with all the tools they need to be active and contributing members of society.
The organization's wide range of services includes legal advisory, education funding, housing help, and employment facilitation. One of the most important features of their education and employment service is their Youth Initiative. This program focuses on providing Somali youth with all the skills they need to become better integrated into American society.
Talking about the Youth Initiative, a representative at Somali Community Link stated, “We want to build the confidence of the Somali youth and help them gain an identity for themselves in the US. This program is focused on increasing their self-esteem while giving them the confidence they need to grow and prosper. Our aim is to reduce and even eliminate all the barriers that stand in the way of their success. This includes psychological, cultural, and language barriers that often cause them to lag behind their peers.”
In addition to the Youth Initiative, Somali Community Link also organizes a Summer Youth Employment Program focused on helping teens find jobs in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education and Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation (COWIC).
Ultimately, the goal of the organization is to make sure that the Somali youth develops multicultural friendships and relationships so they can be better integrated into society. They also organize soccer games to build community spirit among the youth, reduce crime rates, and ensure that teens of different backgrounds fit well with each other. Currently, the organization is running on donations, collaborations, and volunteers.

About the Company

The Somali Community Link's purpose is to provide the Somali community with resettling services in Columbus, Ohio. They offer help with the housing and education of the refugees and have helped the Somali community start their own businesses to have a stable income. On their website, they also provide the latest news from Somalia to keep people updated on their home country’s situation.