Local agencies help refugees take advantage of opportunities in America

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Mon, Oct 2, 2017 (2 a.m.)

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Daniela Hristic, a case manager for Migration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, talks to Ziaullah Akhundzadah, a refugee from Afghanistan

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that education was a dream just out of reach for Lydia Mutoniwase. Growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she said a combination of her gender, tribe and the fact there was a civil war going on made it impossible to go to school.

After escaping her country and living for years in a Kenyan refugee camp (followed by a lengthy resettlement application), she is now living in Las Vegas and has one thing on her mind: school.

“I used to pray I wouldn’t wake up,” Mutoniwase said, remembering her life before she left Congo. “Now, I pray to live. I thank God I’m here.”

Her story is similar to many refugees who come to the United States, in that they don’t just want to start a new life in a different city; they want to thrive and work hard to make their dreams come true.

“Refugees are probably the most eager group of people,” said Milan Devetak, the director of resettlement, migration and refugee services at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada.

Like Mutoniwase, many seek educational opportunities along the way, which is often made possible with the help of local organizations.

Thousands of refugees from across the globe are resettled in the United States each year. When they come to Las Vegas, Catholic Charities and the Ethiopian Community Development Council are among the agencies that can help them with the process.

Catholic Charities resettled about 3,000 clients in 2016, each coming not only with an eagerness to start a new life, but also a harrowing story about how they got to Las Vegas.

It’s hard for Mutoniwase to talk about her past without beginning to cry.

“It’s something I try to forget,” she said.

For as long as she could remember, there was constant fighting and no peace.

At 17 years old, she left home and survived for months hiding in the wilderness before eventually escaping the Congo. Living in a Kenyan refugee camp for years, she could only imagine one day escaping her past. After about two years of interviews with the U.S. State Department, she was finally accepted.

Devetak said when clients arrive, the organization spends the next few months helping refugees acquire housing, apply for social service benefits such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and overall adjust to their new environment. It also helps them find employment working with JobConnect and Workforce Connections.

When Mutoniwase came to Catholic Charities in 2016, it helped the now 23-year-old secure a job in the housekeeping department at Primm Valley Resorts, where she was quickly promoted.

“There are a lot of success stories like this where they start entry level somewhere and quickly move up because they are so hard-working,” Devetak said.

Using connections with other resettled refugees, the organization recently helped Mutoniwase get hired at the Hard Rock.

Beyond her job, Mutoniwase also assists Catholic Charities by helping with some translation services for new arrivals who speak Swahili, and gives advice to new refugees who haven’t worked before.

Devetak said some refugees are content with the jobs and opportunities they land, but others, like Mutoniwase, begin seeking more opportunities to obtain bigger and better careers.

Through Catholic Charities’ Targeted Assistance Grant program, clients are able to access training opportunities with the hope of finding better jobs. The grant enables refugees to explore programs such as culinary training, internet technology certifications, accounting courses and medical assistant positions. Working with the nonprofit’s employment unit, the organization can assess each client’s goals and aspirations to determine what program or training might be a good fit for them.

For refugees who already had a career in their home country, the nonprofit is able to help with recertification programs to assist them in becoming eligible to practice their former professions, within reason.

To qualify for the Targeted Assistance Grant program, refugees must be employed at least six months. “We want to make sure they can support themselves and pay their bills,” Devetak said. “Then we look into education.”

They also have to know enough English to be able to complete the program.

“We will administer an English test,” Devetak added. “We aren’t going to send someone for a training in Microsoft if they can’t understand English enough. There are different scores we require for those trainings.”

Devetak said people don’t have to apply for the program right away and can come back to the agency anytime over five years. So far this year, 63 people have received help through the TAG program.

“We have some people who take a year or two to improve their English and then try for the program,” he said.

Catholic Charities has English language programs for its clients and recommends other resources in the community.

Mutoniwase was referred to a high school equivalency course through the Clark County Library District. The Community Adult Learning program helps with basic English and reading — it even has citizenship classes.

Younger arrivals can enroll in school with the Clark County School District — an estimated 400 students are refugees, according to the district.

However, sometimes they aren’t starting school until they’re older, and language barriers and other obstacles might prevent them from graduating on time. Students on the cusp of adulthood often are referred to the Clark County Adult Education program, which provides additional help with English. Participants are given resources to work toward finishing high school later or obtaining their high school equivalence. The pace of the class is determined by what works best for students, and success is measured by competency rather than attendance.

While Catholic Charities helps connect many of its clients to a variety of these resources, Devetak said some refugees go their own route when it comes to enhancing their education or job skills.

Mutoniwase, though, said she doesn’t know where she would be without the nonprofit.

“I don’t have family here,” she said. “(My caseworkers) are like my mother and father. They are helping me along the way.”

Though she said she is adjusting to her work schedule, she continues to go to the library’s program and receives tutoring to improve her English. Once unfathomable, her goal to obtain her GED feels as though it is within reach. And she doesn’t plan to stop there.

“After I get it, I want to go to college,” she said. “I either want to study business or something to do with human rights.”

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