Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) hosted a pop-up clinic in our space at 150 Sargent Drive, targeting the backlog of required health exams for refugee children’s school enrollment. Health coordinators Shafiullah Faizee and Rona Rohbar, both with personal experiences as refugees, led the clinic. With support from Fair Haven Community Health Care volunteers, they cleared the backlog for 21 children.
“I enjoy seeing these families, and they’re courageous loving families looking for a safe life for their children,” Lori Wallach, FHCHC refugee clinic nurse coordinator, said. “They’ll sacrifice anything to do to get here and to keep their children safe. The children are so resilient, and they’re, they’re a joy to work with.”
The event underscores the ongoing need for healthcare collaboration to support refugee resettlement in Connecticut, highlighting both coordinators’ journeys from refugee to community supporters.
To read more about the refugee clinic, visit NBC Connecticut to read their coverage of the clinic here.