Our History

The Somali Bantu Association of America (SBAOA) is a nonprofit organization created in 2009 as a resource for refugee families seeking to adjust to their new lives in the United States; the Somali Bantu Association of America educates, serves, and organizes cultural and life-skill training programs in an effort to promote self-sufficiency among the individuals and families comprising not only the Somali Bantu community but all East African refugees in and around City Heights including Somalis, Congolese, Burundian, Ugandan, Sudanese and other immigrants. Our clients include men and women, children, and seniors, and our services are free. Last year, we served over 10,000 plus refugees in our community.

SBAOA has provided a variety of services to disadvantaged and underserved asylees, refugees, and immigrants in the San Diego Area, including assistance with translation, ESL, citizenship support, employment, housing, health and sanitation, and parent and populations, youth populations for 11 years, SBAOA has provided case management services to these populations in San Diego, assisted eligible beneficiaries in identifying and applying for state benefits, support in accessing and navigating the public benefits and health care systems by providing translation support and accompanying them to appointments.

Last year, we served over 30,000 refugees in our community. Many of our refugees walked from Somalia to Kenya before being resettled in the San Diego area of the United States. They traveled approximately 10,000 miles to live here. Each mile is approximately 2,000 steps. 2,000 steps multiplied by 10,000 miles equals 20 million steps. And to truly learn how to live here requires many steps in their journeys. Therefore, we aim to raise one dollar per step to assist the members of the SBAOA community in adapting to life in America.