Years ago, Tapiwa Minduno came to the United States as a visitor and didn’t plan to stay here longer than a few months. He changed his mind after a short time because he realized that the political situation in his home country of Zimbabwe was worsening. The reign of President Mugabe was violating human rights, full of corruption and causing severe economic problems. Tapiwa filed for asylum and then applied for his family to come to Minnesota. He waited and waited, and finally received word that his wife Vilena & their children would be traveling to the United States in December of 2006!
Upon arrival, Vilena was excited to be in America & with her husband again. She was quickly contacted by Asylee Case Manager Williametta Saydee to help her transition to life in America. The two began meeting, and Williametta informed her about the services she could offer through MCC. Vilena already spoke excellent English, had a great work history and was set up well to flourish in the U.S.
Together, they began working to integrate her family into society. Looking back at her time with Refugee Services, Vilena stated that she “didn’t know where to start, but (Refugee Services) helped me.” They first looked at the essentials. Due to the harsh winter conditions, the family needed clothing badly, but also required household appliances and bedding. Williametta worked to provide them with appointments and transportation to pick up what they needed, and also referred them to some different resources available through Refugee Services. Vilena attended Extended Cultural Orientation, began taking computer classes at MCC and worked with Employment Counselor Mike Zaslofsky to find a suitable job for her.
Mike and Vilena started searching job sites, filling out applications and working on her resume. It will often take a number of months for asylees or refugees to find work in Minnesota because they have to overcome all kinds of issues when moving to a new country. But with Vilena’s abilities and Mike’s assistance, she was able to land a full-time job in less than 60 days! Vilena was hired as a Guest Services Agent at a hotel in February of 2007. She continues to work there today and hopes to go back to school to further her education.
The rest of the Minduno family is also getting along very well. Tapiwa is working for a finance company. Their son is attending college and going to school part-time, and their daughter is starting high school this fall. * The name of this client has been changed for the sake of privacy |
