Rebecca Deng

Title: YU@W Participant

Biography:

Rebecca Atet Deng, studying Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, graduating in 2019

I arrived in Canada 12 years ago under refugee status but become Canadian citizen.I want to be part of the YouthUnited@Winnipeg summer program because my goal is to work for impoverished refugee youths and women who does not have the available resources to empower themselves. I have been involved with the issues of human rights, empowerment and community development for several years and the program will help break barriers that immigrant women and youths encounter on a daily basis.

I want to widen my knowledge and network and to learn the strategies that will help develop different skills to myself as also towards others. it will be good for me work within my community and inner city of Winnipeg.

I would like to share some of the challenges immigrants faced when they arrived, how integration and the wellbeing of the community especially the women and the youth. Social distress is one of the main factors within immigrant communities, especially in the families, many who were living in refugee camps. These families have difficulties dealing with some of their needs. Some children arrived in Canada and never attended school in their homeland or in the refugee camps due to the war. Also, my journey and life experience as a former war survivor will it make easier for me to relate to the issues affected by youth and women of various background especially first nations and minorities.