Gii’s CDL program is geared toward refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. It is being seen as a model for the country because it is scalable and readily modifiable for other immigrant groups. Gii obtained Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approval to serve as an online provider for Entry Level Driver Training (Theory) instruction tailored to meet the needs of refugees and other underserved populations. Our partner EnGen is enhancing it by offering a customized ESL for CDL program. One successful graduate, Ramin, echoed the feelings of many when he said, “I love driving. I love being on the road. I feel free.”

Gii signed an MOU with CapMetro, Austin’s transportation system. Graduates of our CDL program will be hired as apprentices with CapMetro, starting at $22/hour. (This is quite a step up from the old immigrant story of starting as a busboy or in another job at the bottom.) They can be earning an income while completing their training.

Gii and its partner organizations have provided services and support to over 250 Afghan refugees, and 60 Ukrainian refugees, among others. Gii has partnered and collaborated with many local organizations, including NAAMC, MCSS, Austin Jews for Refugees, Combined Arms, and SAIVA. These partners provide information and facilitate donations to families based upon their expressed needs. Gii maintains a resource list for incoming families, with contact information for a variety of people and organizations to help secure housing, employment, clothing, computers and more. Although our focus remains on education and job skills training, we recognize that people relieved of worry over basic needs can make the most of educational and training opportunities. One refugee who received clothing, food, and participation in CDL classes, said of Anjum Malik, “What I want…she did that!”

Gii believes that successful integration of immigrant families is a multi-generational endeavor. If we limited our work to getting jobs for parents and left the kids to flounder, we would not fulfill our mission. We want the family to thrive and the next generation to be in line to contribute to their new country as they succeed in their own lives. Hence, the Academic Support and Tutoring Program. The program runs four nights a week from 5 to 8 PM Central time. Eighty-one children are enrolled in the program, with more joining the waitlist every day—currently 103 and counting. We are partnering with World Class Scholars, HOPIN, EnGen, to use their online learning platforms/ ESL/ translation services to help bridge the language gap.

In January of 2022, Gii launched a Women (2) Women Mentorship program where refugee women are paired with established immigrants to provide a network for emotional and practical support. One goal of the program is to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Refugee women receive one-on-one mentoring online or in person. Gii has supplied 82 women with sewing machines and connected them with neighborhood laundry/alteration businesses who contract with them. Currently, these women are averaging $15-$18 per hour for their skilled labor — enough to make the difference between poverty and getting by. Of course, “getting by” isn’t the goal, it is the first step in becoming entrepreneurs.

When Gii first encountered them, many of these women were understandably depressed, having left almost everything familiar behind and lacking the language ability to navigate their new culture. Now, most report finding great satisfaction in their ability to contribute to community and family. One of the women in the program put it this way, “I look forward to going outside. I feel like I’m in a prison. But I am so happy to be learning online because I can stay at home until I learn enough English to be able to go outside and feel safe, like I can handle things.”