The civil war in Somalia displaced as many as 12,000 Bantu to refugee camps in Kenya. Brought as slaves during early centuries from Mozambique and Tanzania, the Bantu were targeted and persecuted during the Somali civil war. Rain in a Dry Land documents 18 life-changing months for two Bantu families who journey from the Kakuma Refugee camp to destinations in the U.S. under the auspices of the USRP. Madina, her husband, and their seven children struggle to adjust to the logistics of life in America. The seemingly impossible tasks of daily life, supporting a family, learning a new language, and applying rural skills to an unfamiliar urban lifestyle threaten to overwhelm them. Arbai struggles to raise her children in the Bantu way, but the thrills and freedom implied in the American lifestyle tempt them to stray. Both families seek a balance between a way of life they know and trust and their new place in America. They must reconcile the dreams they had of the land of freedom with the puzzling and difficult life they actually live.  SW