What We Do
Life is especially hard for immigrants and refugee women. Women often rely on their family for social networking and without it they can feel very isolated. The women might work two jobs, have children, limited language skills, experience anxiety about the new culture, and or just not know who to turn to for help or where to go to meet people.
Refugee & Immigrant Women's Association (RIWA) offers resources to women struggling with the tough issues facing immigrant and refugee women. RIWA brings to the community rich multicultural resources and the diverse knowledge the international population has to offer. With on-going educational and recreational events, leaders and volunteers of RIWA have worked to impact women in ways that promote leadership and self-sufficiency.
Classes on finances, women’s health, home basics, and careers have been offered in sessions that meet the needs of the many different cultures of women living in this community. RIWA leadership looks forward, knowing that a continued presence is needed to assist the women and families arriving each day.
RIWA was founded in 1998 through the combined efforts of two refugee women living in Sioux Falls and the support of Junior League of Sioux Falls. They attended an international conference of the Refugee Women’s Network and were so inspired by the vision of the conference participants that they decided to start an organization in Sioux Falls. A common mission brought RIWA to the YWCA in 2004. Since its inception, RIWA has committed to on-going educational and recreational events to benefit refugee and immigrant women, in addition to the Sioux Falls community.
RIWA Mission Statement
To empower refugee and immigrant women to overcome obstacles in their new land, to become self-reliant as leaders in their community, to recognize that they can learn the American culture and retain their own culture.
RIWA’s three focus areas:
- Recreation - Celebrate and retain native cultures: arts, cooking, crafts, dance, field trips, fitness, holiday celebrations, sewing, wellness
- Community Involvement - Outreach, fundraising and service to the community: Board members in various organizations, community awareness, Festival of Cultures, fundraisers, speakers bureau, World Refugee Day
- Education - Orientation and socialization programs to assimilate and adapt to american culture, conference participation, financial literacy, health, awareness, job readiness, leadership training, seminars, and workshops
