Southern Sudanese Youth Connection

SOUTHERN SUDANESE YOUTH CONNECTION, INC.
P.O. Box 116
Gallatin, TN  37066

The SSYC, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 1998 by Southern Sudanese and Sudanese Refugees who are living in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.  Our objective is to support all Southern Sudanese or Sudanese Refugees in Middle TN and to support the Sudanese in South Sudan.  Both groups must work together to find a peaceful solution for the problems in South Sudan.  The SSYC, Inc. called 2005 a blessed year for both Southern Sudanese Christians and Northern Sudanese Muslims because it is a year in which our great God blessed all our hearts to love each other and unite as one nation in Sudan.

SSYC, Inc. sponsored a celebration on August 6, 2005 as the leaders of SSYC, Inc., Southern Sudanese children, and all families in Sumner and Davidson Counties came together as one family under God.  The day was spent eating and conversing as the children played in the community center in the Gallatin Shalom Zone.  Everyone at the gathering very much enjoyed the Gallatin Shalom Zone and regards it as a gift from God.  We know that we could not restore the building there without outside support.  The SSYC leaders and all Sudanese Refugee families are telling all groups who support the Gallatin Shalom Zone Community Center that we have many programs to assist our entire community, but we have no place to meet.  Now, we all feel free as God gives us a gift to build ourselves as Christian families at the Community Center.  We ask that God, our Lord, may bless all American pastors, Government workers, organizations, leaders, and any others who are adding their hands to make Gallatin Shalom Zone a reality.  

The Southern Sudanese Youth Connection leaders are currently offering programs for Sudanese Refugees, but now we are hoping that the Gallatin Shalom Zone Community Center will be completed soon so we can expand our services and hold the classes there near to where many Sudanese are living.

Our activities are as follows:

1. Counseling services focusing on the stresses of coming to a new country.
2. Referrals to health care providers and family health care information for preventing disease and ongoing health needs.
3. Links between facilities and their service providers.
4. Accompaniment of refugee families to service providers including health care and other social programs for low-income people.
5. Discussion groups that offer a free exchange of ideas concerning refugees in Middle Tennessee and to help promote a useful life for the Southern Sudanese or Sudanese Refugees in the U.S.
6. Translation and interpretation between families and their service providers or eligibility officials, job interviews, court cases, etc.  Translation would be offered in Nuer, Dinka, Anyuak, Clucuk, Arabic, and any other tribal dialect.  There is not a common language in Sudan and we can serve as translators for each dialect.
7. To help Sudanese Refugees to find affordable housing in the Middle Tennessee area and assist them in filling out paper work related to that.
8. Helping newcomers find jobs and teach them how to drive, how to get registration and any other task of daily living they need assistance with.