His journey began when he hitched a ride on the back of a truck hauling livestock to Uganda. Perched on a narrow crossbar above the animals, Woldeyes braced his feet for balance and endured the bumpy, smelly ride for eight hours.

But those difficulties paled in comparison to the decision he faced when given the chance to emigrate to America.

Under the terms of his visa, Woldeyes’ pregnant wife Almaz could not accompany him. Woldeyes could either stay in Uganda as a refugee, or leave his wife behind for an uncertain future in the U.S.

With his heart in his throat, Woldeyes boarded a plane for Seattle. “I was half-scared and half-hopeful. I didn’t want to leave my wife behind, but I thought there would be opportunities for us in America,” he says.

Airport Jobs and partners provide support

Upon his arrival, the International Rescue Committee helped Woldeyes land a part-time job at a local hotel and provided financial support to help him gain self-sufficiency.

At the Airport Jobs office, Woldeyes’ personality quickly made it clear he was eager and able to go to work. However, he faced two major hurdles to employment: he had no driver’s license, and while his English skills were good, he lacked knowledge of airport-specific words related to employment there. He also had a stammer that made it difficult for him to communicate effectively in interviews.

Woldeyes had passed the written portion of the driving test on his own. Sensing a good ‘test case’ in Woldeyes, Neighborhood House provided him resources for driving lessons, and a short time later, he was legal to drive. South Seattle Community College helped Woldeyes refine the English skills he needed to pass his security badge test. And the final piece of Woldeyes’ employment puzzle fell into place thanks to the strong relationships Airport Jobs has built with employers.

Once his interview was scheduled, Airport Jobs staff contacted the employer in advance to share their experiences with Woldeyes, and to tell them how to help him relax. Everything came together: the day after Woldeyes received his license, he landed a job as a cabin cleaner with AirServ.

Job is foundation for future success

After more than a year of hard work (and overtime) Woldeyes finally saved enough money to bring his wife Almaz and daughter Sosina to Seattle.

Airport Jobs worked with Almaz to help her find a job with DAL Global, also as a cabin cleaner. Six months later Woldeyes’ nephew Bekalu arrived, thanks to a lucky draw in the immigration lottery. Bekalu found work right away with ABM Janitorial through Airport Jobs, and now has a second job as well. He is saving money and hopes to obtain a degree in Economics.

Woldeyes’ tenacity and positive attitude continue to pay off. He recently took a big step up by landing a new job with Menzies Aviation. Afework, Almaz, and Bekalu work a total of five jobs between them while caring for Sosina, now two years old. Woldeyes is optimistic about his future. “My new hope is to solve my stuttering issues. If I can improve that, I can do anything - I have the heart and ambition to get what I want.”

A special fund has been set up at IRC to pay for therapy to help Afework overcome his stuttering. You can help by sending a tax-deductible donation to: International Rescue Committee-Afework Fund, 318 First Ave. S., Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104