By Lyna Ninkham, Employment Specialist
I first met Mussa “Moses” Mwenda in Summer 2019 when the Canopy team was discussing what it would look like to implement a High School Employment Program. I had joined Canopy NWA as their Employment Specialist prior in March 2019 and had quickly learned that the three main barriers for an adult refugee to gain employment in the U.S. are:
- Transportation
- Childcare
- English Proficiency
But high school students are not adults and I knew that you couldn’t approach employment to a high school student the same as you would with an adult. They don’t have childcare needs because they’re children themselves, and the children of refugee families pick up English rather quickly — often times much more quickly than their parents!
However, one of those challenges is still very relevant for high school students who want to pursue a job. Often, the biggest barrier of employment for a high school student that has successfully integrated in their schools and community is transportation.
One of the most impressive things that I first noticed about Moses was his persistence, determination, and motivation to get a job. He had lived in NWA for a couple of years by the time I had the chance to meet him. His English was amazing, along with his posture of respect towards others around him. He was an example not only to younger kids that looked up to him, but his peers as well.
…And who wouldn’t want to get a driver’s license by the time they turned 16?!
His interest in obtaining employment slowly shifted to obtaining a Driver’s License. It naturally made sense to shift the learning focus to transportation as many of the families came from households where parents were working full-time with limited time to obtain a license for themselves. Our wonderful intern that summer worked with the high school students to help them understand the complex rules of the road and take them to take their driver’s permit test.
Moses was diligent in attending sessions throughout the summer, even going to the library to practice on the computers there to ensure he was well-prepared.
And guess what? HE PASSED!
Not only once, but TWICE! What do I mean by twice?
When he passed the first time, his identification card expired just a few weeks later and along with it, his driver’s permit. So he had to wait for his Green Card to arrive and retake the test again. But just a few weeks ago, he sent me a text saying:
Yes. He spelled my name wrong, but that did not matter. He now has his Green Card, his Driver’s License, and soon he will have a job; he has sent in an application to a local fast food chain!
As we’ve launched our new Integration Unit for the community, I’ve had multiple high school students who have approached me to help them find employment. Their motives vary from wanting to help generate extra income for their family to buying a new pair of shoes for themselves. No matter what the motive, their determination and resilience is what excites us with our Long Welcome plan of thriving together.
The sky’s the limit for Moses and the other 86 children that have resettled through Canopy, who now have the freedom to dream and to thrive in Northwest Arkansas!
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If you’re interested in becoming a mentor to Canopy’s high school students, please connect with our Volunteer Coordinator, Danielle Bennett at danielle.bennett@canopynwa.org!
Are you an employer or an employee that is interested in being involved in hiring those in the refugee community? Please connect with our Employment Specialist, Lyna Ninkham at lyna.ninkham@canopynwa.org!
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