Trainees

Saad Awad is the Production and Training Manager at Beautiful Day. With over 20 years of experience in the food industry, Saad ensures our kitchen runs smoothly and that our adult trainees get the support and skills they need to become self-sufficient.  Originally from Damascus, Syria, Saad always knew he wanted to leave due to the corruption and conflict that plagued life in his home country. Despite the chaos, he had the opportunity to learn English at a school across the street from an upscale French restaurant where he was employed.  Saad's journey to the United States in 2002 wasn't...

Kiza and Floriani are a mother and son who just completed our Refugee Adult Job Training Program. Together, they learned how to work in a commercial kitchen, read and follow recipes, and understand the cultural expectations of working a job in the US. They were extremely hardworking, always on time, and diligent about helping each other practice English. One of six children, Kiza grew up in DR Congo and her happiest memories were of going to school with her friends. In 1999, one year into the Second Congo War (an enormous conflict that killed 5.4M people and displaced 2M), Kiza...

Born in Zulia, Venezuela, Yessenia grew up with her grandmother, who raised 12 children as a single mother. Their home was the center for all family and holiday gatherings. Yessenia had a happy childhood until Maduro illegally claimed the presidency of Venezuela in 2019. Since then, more than 5.4 million Venezuelans have fled the country and Yessenia was one of them.  Yessenia escaped to Columbia and lived there for 7 years. In July of 2024 Yessenia, her husband, and 3 young children were resettled to Providence, RI. She vividly remembers being met by staff from Dorcas International at the airport...

Albert grew up in Munich, Germany. His family, secular Jews, were entrepreneurs making electrical equipment. Albert chafed under rote learning and militarized nationalism, so when his family moved to Italy, he renounced his citizenship. He finished school in Switzerland, where he married, took his first job as a patent clerk, played the violin, and began writing scientific papers. As a scientist, Albert required independent thought and creative expression. This made for a difficult career path. Still, in 1913 he settled in Berlin, accepted citizenship, developed the general theory of relativity, won the Nobel prize, and bought a sailboat for afternoon daydreaming. His 20 years in...

Zayi was born in Western Burundi and moved to Kavumu Refugee Camp in Eastern Burundi when she was only a few years old. Zayi lived there for 7 years with her mother, sister and brother. Her youngest brother was born at the camp. In May 2022, Zayi was resettled to Providence with her family. She enrolled in 9th grade at Central High School, not speaking any English. Zayi worked hard and learned English with the help of her teachers, and lots of reading, studying, and watching movies. Zayi loves Korean and Chinese dramas which she watches with English subtitles. Last...

Born in Homs, Syria, Nagwa went to college and became a dentist. She worked in rural areas before opening her own practice in the city. When the war broke out in 2011, Nagwa moved to the US with her 2 young children.  In Providence, Nagwa started taking ESL classes at CCRI and a friend told her about Beautiful Day’s farmers’ market program. Nagwa enrolled and started selling Beautiful Day’s products at the Aquidneck Growers Market. There, her English quickly improved as she spoke with customers about granola and the job training she was receiving at Beautiful Day.  After 1 ½...