Mustafa and his wife--parents of three young children--lived for two years in a refugee camp on the Iraq border. During the Iraq War, Mustafa suffered a severe shoulder injury. When he arrived in the U.S., his case managers at IRIS helped him access good medical care at Yale-New Haven Hospital. But the doctors told him there was nothing they could do to repair his fractured shoulder, which still causes him pain and discomfort.

 

Mustafa, like all refugees, needed a job. It’s tough to find a job in the middle of a recession when you’re a refugee who doesn’t speak English—and even tougher when you have a shoulder injury.

 

But Mustafa—who comes from a long line of healers and worked as a businessman in Iraq selling herbs and spices—showed a fierce determination to work. First he was offered a job at a landscaping company. The IRIS employment team advised him against taking this job because it could further jeopardize his physical health.  But Mustafa took the job anyway.  He worked for two weeks until his shoulder dislocated.

 

Once the pain subsided, he picked up odd jobs, working twelve hours a day for one week at a deli. He wanted to pay his rent and not be a burden to IRIS. He wanted to support his family. But this job too was impossible for his shoulder.

 

At this point Mustafa was unemployed and unable to pay his rent. IRIS, witnessing Mustafa’s determination and aware of his physical handicap, used N2N Lifeline funds to pay one month of the family’s rent.

 

Meanwhile, Mustafa had contacted a parking company. He interviewed successfully and was offered a job doing valet parking—on the condition that he obtain a driver’s license. He took a driver’s course at AAA, got his license, and began working in June. Best of all, his job is easy on his shoulder, meaning he’ll be able to keep it.

 

N2N Lifeline continues to support refugees by preventing them from becoming homeless as they transition into the U.S. workforce. Thank you, N2N for your humanitarian assistance.