“They’re essential”: Austin nonprofit hands out 60 computers to refugees
KXAN - Austin, TX
by Sam Stark
March 17, 2023
“Ramin Mohmand came to Austin from Afghanistan nearly six years ago. He said he was happy to end up in Central Texas but assimilating into his new home came with some challenges.
‘There are difficulties when you come [for the] first time from a different country as a refugee,’ Mohmand said. ‘You don’t have bank history, you don’t have a work history, you don’t have a housing record.’
‘It’s very hard to find housing, it’s really hard to find a job on your own because you don’t know how this job application will work,’ he said. ‘It’s very difficult.’
The Global Impact Initiative, an Austin Non-Profit established in 2020, tries to make adjusting to life in the States easier for refugees. Friday, the initiative handed out 60 computers to refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Venezuela.
‘[Computers] are no longer a luxury; they are a necessity,’ said Anjum Malik, Executive Director of the Global Impact Initiative. ‘Whether it’s for children’s tutoring, whether it’s for the husbands to find jobs, for the wives to learn [English] – a whole lot of reasons,’ she said.
Malik said her organization relies on donations to help refugees – who come mostly from Afghanistan – integrate into life in Austin. Dell Technologies donated the 60 computers the nonprofit dispersed Friday.”
(includes video)
