Team 5 "Life of a Burmese Refugee"

Your name is Ku Ku. You are a refugee from the country of Burma. You and your family are from the Karen state of Burma which predominantly identifies as Muslim including yourself. The radical Buddhists have complete military rule over the country and have been committing genocide against all Muslims that live in Burma. You have witnessed many of your companions from back home be murdered or forced into Bangladesh leaving their home behind. You and your family are one of the lucky ones to have finally made it to the United States after long legal processes. You have two children and a pregnant wife that you must care for. The government pays for your rent ($670) and aides you $150 per month for groceries for the first two months. You have brought almost nothing to America except your most intimate posessions. You are located in one of the most crime ridden areas of Milwaukee, but you are still beyond grateful to have the oppurtunity to start a new life with religious and humanitarian freedoms. Within the next two months your must find a job, send your kids to school, learn basic english, use public transportation for you will not have a vehicle, and navigate your way through American life. The goal of the game is to achieve self sufficiency by the time you stop recieving aid. If you do not, you and your family will be sent back to Burma. Begin by choosing to pay your first month's rent or groceries. [[Pay Rent]] [[Buy Groceries]]

You have now paid your rent of $670 and have a home for the next month. You will be aided with 1 more month's worth of rent before you must pay for this yourself. Now it's time to buy groceries for your family. [[buy Groceries]]

You are at the local grocery store and have the option to try and save some of your grocery money for other things. Do you chose more expensive healthy foods or less expensive unhealthy foods? [[$100- boxed dinners, rice]] [[$150- chicken, vegetables, bread]]

You have bought the cheapest option for groceries. You now have an additional $50 dollars to spend, but before you must pay your first month's rent. [[pay the rent]]

You have used your full amount of money spent on groceries and now you must pay your rent [[pay rent]]

The Wisconsin International Institution gives you free classes every Friday but that is not nearly enough to become sufficient in the language. Learning English is one of the most important steps to becoming assimilated into American society. Due to your progressed level of English you now feel more comfortable in searching and interviewing for a job. You read a "Help Needed" sign outside of a food mart and decide to walk in. They schedule an interview for the following day. During the interview you explain your situation and they are impressed with your dedication to becoming assimilated. Your improved English allows you to start working as a cashier. Your wage is $9.25 an hour and your shifts are Monday through Friday 8am-4pm. The bus route you must take for this job is Route 33, but first you must enroll your kids into school. Your Muslim faith is very important to you and there are a few Islamic private schools which tuition is $700 per child. Public schooling is free, but does not include religious teachings and the quality of education is lower. Which school will you choose? [[Private School]] [[public school]]

Congratulations! You have paid your first month rent and have a home for the next month. You will be aided in next month's rent as well, but thereafter you must find a job to pay for yourself. You now need to focus on enrolling your children into school. Your Muslim faith is very important to you and there are a few Islamic private schools which tuition is $700 per child. Public schooling is free, but does not include religious teachings and the quality of education is lower. Which school will you choose? [[Private School]] [[Public School]]

You have paid for your rent with the money given to you by the government. You will be aided for next month's rent as well but thereafter you must find a job to pay yourself. With the $50 dollars leftover from groceries you have a choice on what to spend it on. What will you choose? [[Pay for additional English classes]] [[Go to the movies with your family]]

Movie night was a dissapointment because you could not understand any of the plot. You have used all of the money you saved from buying cheaper grocery items and now it is time for you to pay your rent with the money assisted to you. [[pay rent]]

You have enrolled your children into the private Islamic school by using your rent money, grocery money, and selling all of the few possessions that you had. You must find a job immediately to be able to make up the money you spent on your children's private education. A fellow Burmese refugee tells you about a construction operation that will hire anyone regardless of experience or ability to speak the English language. This construction company takes on extremely dangerous assignments though. Your neighbor who runs an illegal enterprise also offers you a few jobs for you to run for some quick cash. Which will oppurtunity will you take? [[Illegal activity]] [[Construction]]

You have enrolled your children to a Milwaukee public school within walking distance for convenience sake. After your children get home from their first day of school, you get an unexpected knock on your door by two young adults. You are frightened because you have never had any visitors before and these people do not look like you. Will you decide to let them in or wait until they go away? [[let them in]] [[keep door closed]]

During the end of your shift it begins to become dark outside. You are exhausted from a 12 hour day and miss a step while climbing down from a ladder. You come crashing down breaking your back in the process. The company does not give you composition and instead fires you due to your inability to work as you were hired unofficially. You require medical attention, but you already are in debt from your children's tuition bill. By the time your rent is due, you have no money and become evicted from your home. Your journey to Self sufficiency has failed and you and your family is sent back to Burma.

After running a few jobs for your neighbor you wake up one night to sirens. You look outside the window and 5 police officers are breaking into your neighbors house after attaining a search warrant. Your neighbor is arrested and confesses all of his workers in hopes the judge will sentence him shorter jail time. Breaking the law is effective for immediate deportation and you and your family are sent back to Burma.

The two young adults are your mentors sent from the Wisconsin International Institution. Due to your limited English speaking capability, when the Institution was telling you about these people that are coming to help you, it was not communicated effectively which caused the unawareness of their appearance. Luckily, you took the chance and the two mentors have helped you in learning English, cooking, bus routes, paying bills, using technology, and other American concepts that are foreign to you. After taking you to the library and teaching you how to use a computer, you are now able to search for jobs using the internet. One job that you qualify for is dishwashing at the local deli. To get there, you must take bus route 43. Another job that you meet their qualifications for is janitorial services for a power plant. To get to the plant, you must take bus route 45. Which job will you choose? [[Dishwashing]] [[Janitor]]

You've neglected the strangers knocking at your door. You are feeling hopeless in your search for your job as your communication skills are too poor to effectively land an oppurtunity. Your second month of rent is now due and you are very worried about how you are going to pay for the following rent. You must also pay for food for your family. With the government assistance choose to pay for your necessities. [[pay for month's rent and food]]

Congratulations! You have been hired by Denny's Deli. Your shift is Monday-Friday 12pm-8pm. You get paid $9.00 per hour which will give you $1440 per month. Now it is time to pay for your month two rent and groceries with the welfare check given to you. [[buy month two rent and groceries]]

Congratulations! You have been hired as a Janitor. Your shift is Monday-Friday 12pm-8pm. You get paid $9.00 per hour which will give you $1440 per month. Now it is time to pay for your month two rent and groceries with the welfare check given to you. [[pay for month's rent and groceries]]

This was the last government assistance you will recieve for groceries and rent. Now you must support your family by yourself. Luckily you have a job! Your first day is today and you are on the bus. Which route will you get off the bus at? [[Route 45]] [[Route 43]] [[Route 44]]

You have mastered the public bus system and got to work on time! An exciting new challenge has now arose in your life. Your wife has undergone labor and your new child has been born! With this brings even more responsibilities. Luckily, you found a steady paying job to pay for all of the expenses a new born child brings. Baby clothes, food, diapers, and other supplies will need to be bought. Your mentors will help you finding all of these items at a bargain price by taking you to thrift stores such as Goodwill and Value Village. The following day they appear at your doorstep to take you shopping. [[Go with mentors to discount stores]]

You have taken the wrong bus route and were late to work. Your boss is not pleased that you were late to work on the first day but has decided to give you another chance. If you are late again you will lose your job. Your next shift you are on the bus again and have to make the decision of which stop to get off at. Which one will you choose? [[Route 43]] [[route 44]]

You have chosen the wrong bus route and was late for the 2nd consecutive work day. Your boss cannot trust you and has fired you from your job. You try to get the other job as a janitorial worker but the position has already been filled. While frantically looking for a new occupation, your wife undergoes labor and your new child has been born. All of the additional responsibilities and expenses that comes with a new born child has become unmanageable. By the time you find a new job, month three rent is due and you are unable to pay. You and your family is evicted from your home and your quest of self sufficiency has ended in failure. You are deported back to your home country of Burma. [[Ready to Begin your New Life in the United States?]]

You have chosen the wrong bus route and was late for the 2nd consecutive work day. Your boss cannot trust you and has fired you from your job. You try to get the other job as a dishwashwer but the position has already been filled. By the time you find a new job, month three rent is due and you are unable to pay. You have failed your quest of self sufficiency and get deported back to Burma. [[Ready to Begin your New Life in the United States?]]

You are at the local grocery store and have the option to try and save some of your grocery money for other things. Do you chose more expensive healthy foods or less expensive unhealthy foods? [[$100- Boxed dinners, rice]] [[$150- Chicken, vegetables, bread]]

You have supplied your house with groceries and paid your rent for the month. You will be aided for next month's necessities as well but thereafter you must find a job to pay yourself. With the $50 dollars leftover from groceries you have a choice on what to spend it on. What will you choose? [[Pay for additional English classes]] [[Go to the movies with your family]]

Congratulations! You have enrolled your children into a Milwaukee public school withing walking distance for convenience sake. Now it is time for the first day of your new job. You are on the bus headed to the food mart and now you must decide which route to get off on. Which route will you take? [[Route 32]] [[Route 33]] [[Route 34]]

Congratulations, you have mastered the public transportation system! You had a successful first day of work and your boss is impressed by your work ethic. Now it is time to pay for your second month of rent and groceries with the money that is given to you. Remember that this is the last month which you will be given assistance for these necessities. [[Pay for second month's rent and groceries]]

You have chosen the wrong bus route and was late for the 2nd consecutive work day. Your boss cannot trust you and has fired you from your job. After the depressing bus ride home, you receive a knock on your door from the two mentors that were sent from the Wisconsin International Institution. These two people are here to help with any needs that you have. They will help you with learning English, cooking, paying bills, using technology, and introducing you to Milwaukee's activities. You explain to them the difficulty you are having with the bus system and how you recently got fired from your job because of it. They take you to the library and teach you how to search for job oppurtunities through the internet. One job that you qualify for is dishwashing at the local deli. To get there, you must take bus route 43. Another job that you meet their qualifications for is janitorial services for a power plant. To get to the plant, you must take bus route 45. Which job will you choose? [[Dishwashing]] [[Janitor]]

An exciting new challenge has arose in your life. Your wife has undergone labor and your new child has been born! With this brings even more responsibilities. Luckily, you found a steady paying job to pay for all of the expenses a new born child brings. Baby clothes, food, diapers, and other supplies will need to be bought. While at your English classes at the Wisconsin International Intstitution you are effectively told that you will be recieving two mentors from the University of Milwaukee to help you with getting baby supplies from surrounding thrift stores such as Goodwill and Value Village. The mentors will also help with any other difficulties such as using technology, paying the bills, cooking, reading to your children, even more additional language lessons, and introducing you to Milwaukee's activities. The additional English classes are definitely helping as you are feeling more comfortable communicating in English each day. The following day your mentors appear at your doorstep and take you to buy all of your babies needs. [[Go with mentors to discount stores]]

You have bought a stroller, diapers, baby food, baby clothes, and a bottle all at a reasonable price through the help of your mentors and bargain shopping. Within the next month you are never late to work and collect all your paychecks. Your two children enrolled at the public school are learning English at a rapid rate and have found a group of friends to help them navigate through some of the hardships of being the new kid at school. Your infant child is healthy and exploring life as well. Your oldest child has caught the flu from a virus circling around her school though. You should take her to the doctor, but you realize that the doctor costs money. Will you hope she gets better without medication or will you take her to get antibiotics? [[Visit the doctor's office]] [[Hope she heals over time]]

Congratulations! You have paid for all of your bills and food independently and have achieved self sufficiency. Your child is feeling much better after a week of taking the antibiotics too. As you can see, there are many challenging options you must decide upon to reach independent living as a refugee, but your motivated self has made a life for your family in the United States. You and your family are well on your way of becoming American citizens! [[Ready to Begin your New Life in the United States?]]

The same two young adults come knocking on your door two days later. You are still confused by their appearance but there must be a reason to why they came back. Will you decide to let them in this time? [[let them in]] [[ignore them again]]

You have decided again to not let these unknown people into your home. The race to finding a job is becoming more heightened as you need to find an income immediately. A fellow Burmese refugee tells you about a construction job that requires no experience and communication skills, but the operation takes on extremely dangerous assignments. Your neighbor who runs an illegal enterprise also offers you a few jobs for you to run for some quick cash. Which will oppurtunity will you take? [[construction]] [[Illegal activity]]

During the end of your shift it begins to become dark outside. You are exhausted from a 12 hour day and miss a step while climbing down from a ladder. You come crashing down breaking your back in the process. The company does not give you composition and instead fires you due to your inability to work as you were hired unofficially. You require immediate medical attention which you pay for with the check you recieve for rent and food. You are unable to find another job due to your injury and the medical bills are unmanageable. Once the following rent is due you cannot pay and your family is evicted from your home. You have failed on your quest to self sufficiency and are deported back to your home country of Burma. [[Ready to Begin your New Life in the United States?]]

You go to the doctor's office and wait over an hour for assistance but you and your child finally see a doctor. Your child has influenza which the prescribed antibiotics are necessary for her to be cured. The antibiotics cost $200 dollars which forces you to pick up weekend shifts at your job. You are now working around 60 hours a week while your wife is taking care of a sick child and an infant, but nonetheless you are motivated to become self sufficient and continue your excellent work. Regardless of the communication barrier, a new born child, long weeks of work, a completely different culture, and unfortunate sicknesses, you are able to pay independently for your third month's rent and groceries for your family. [[Pay for month three rent]]

The once little virus has gotten worse and multiple more symptoms begin to arise. Your child has an extremely high fever, nausea, and a sharp pain in her stomach. During a sleepless night of trying to manage your childs pain, it becomes unbareable for her and she must be admitted to the hospital. You have no car and she needs attention immediately so calling an ambulance is the only option. Once you have reached the hospital and the doctor has begun running tests he informs you that she has severe pneumonia and her liver has begun to fail. This requires her to stay overnight in the hospital for the whole week as she is too ill to return home. You once were on the way to becoming self sufficient and paying for your third month of rent independently, but now you have used all your money to pay for medical bills. The money you had saved is still not nearly enough and you are forced into medical bankruptcy. They allow your child time to heal but afterwards you are evicted from your home and deported back to your home country of Burma. Your quest of self sufficiency has come to end in failure. [[Ready to Begin your New Life in the United States?]]