Pitt group partners with charity to provide employment help to refugees

A Pitt group that helps refugees from war-torn countries now living in the United States… A Pitt group that helps refugees from war-torn countries now living in the United States recently launched a program to match students with refugees to help them find jobs.

Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment is working closely with Catholic Charities to find clients who need assistance through a Refugee Resettlement Initiative.

“We tried to figure out what major issues were facing refugees in Pittsburgh and how Pitt students could alleviate them,” said Molly Ferra, FORGE regional director and a Pitt senior.

Through working with Catholic Charities’ employment specialists, FORGE members discovered that many of the refugees were either overqualified or under-qualified for jobs in the United States.

One Haitian refugee has an engineering degree that doesn’t transfer to the United States.

He’s currently taking classes at CCAC, but finding a job is hard.

“You can’t place him as a janitor,” Ferra said. “He’d be doing a job he’s overqualified for. It’s a lack of purpose.”

One very educated Iraqi woman in her 50s was a math and science teacher in Iraq.

She wants to teach in the United States but doesn’t know how to proceed.

Some of the refugees don’t speak any English, and FORGE members said they’re trying to find people who speak French, Swahili and other rare African languages.

FORGE’s connects these clients with Pitt students in similar fields.

Pitt sophomore Leith Abdullah worked with a client through FORGE who was trying to get his GED.

The client, Muhammad, was from Afghanistan, spoke English and could drive. However, he had trouble understanding concepts the way Americans do, especially in math.

“We would explain it the way we see it, and finally he would see it a different way and say, ‘Like this?'” Abdullah said. “And it was still right.

“It was nice to see him improve,” he said. “He definitely made progress and got better.”

FORGE tries to pair refugees with students who are working in a useful field.

“We’re hoping for Pitt students to use resources they themselves are using to help [the clients] find jobs in their profession,” Ferra said.

“They may not be able to get them certified in their field but at least it’s a step in the right direction.”

One reason it’s important for Catholic Charities to connect with Pitt is that the organization only has two employment specialists, two caseworkers and limited money for resettlement programs.

A lot of the money the organization has goes toward new refugee arrivals.

However, some of the refugees from countries other than just Sudan or Rwanda – the places that tend to come to mind when people hear the word “refugee”- have been here for years.

Burma has seen an increase in political strife in recent years that has resulted in an influx of refugees.

They are also coming from Liberia, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Burundi – the country bordering Rwanda.

Ferra said the nice thing about FORGE’s new initiative is that it works with families and individuals who have been here for years, as well as refugees right off the plane.

“It’s really hard for refugees,” Ferra said. “Not understanding how to turn on the stove or unlock a door … There are so many things that we take as common sense that need to be taught.”

Ferra said FORGE is trying to acculturate the refugees. “It doesn’t mean assimilation – giving up their customs or religion,” Ferra said.

One part of helping the refugees get used to American life is helping them learn to handle their money.

Suzette Venturini, Catholic Charities’ community resource specialist who has been working closely with FORGE, said most refugees are coming straight from refugee camps and have never had to pay rent or buy groceries.

Some are also getting their first paychecks.

“I think it’s true about any group who is resettled – budgeting is a major issue,” Venturini said.

“They’re basically being seduced in this western, very materialistic culture. We see people buying cell phones and vehicles, and then what happens is there may be two parents working in the household but one’s job may be cut, and then they’re not able to pay all their bills.

“The priorities are the rent, the food, the utilities,” Venturini said.

However, Venturini is optimistic about the future of Catholic Charities’ programs and partnership with FORGE.

“It’s not easy,” she said. “These folks have been through hell and high water. If they’re refugees it means they have been persecuted in some way.

“I really believe that as the clients become acclimated to their new surroundings they do really well. I think most of the refugees have a really good work ethic.

“They understand the importance of going to work to support their families.”

“People who have [worked with refugees] so far have really enjoyed it,” Ferra said.