Some of you may recall meeting Selemani as a trainee. Selemani graduated in 2021 only to discover that first jobs don’t easily accommodate the schedule of a single parent of four children, two with special needs. He did take part-time work cleaning a church. Meanwhile, we started calling on him for help when short-staffed.
Selemani is a terrific worker and a terrific person: reliable, trustworthy, thorough, considerate, multi-lingual and a gifted trainer with our youth. Eventually, we invited him to enter our market training to work on customer service and to help with fulfillment. His daughter even joined our youth training cohort. Selemani used to be a truck driver in DRC, but in Providence he bikes. As long as it doesn’t conflict with parenting responsibilities, he shows up day or night, rain or shine.
By the time he graduated again last December, we proposed a deal—he would get his drivers’ permit, we would hire him to assist with production and deliveries with a flexible schedule. As of last week, Selemani has a permit and is hired! We don’t exactly have a truck for him to drive, but we do have a van and need someone who is so versatile and dependable.
Now that Selemani has been in the US for 5 years, he is applying for citizenship. His hopes for the future? A full-time job so his children can get a good education. Then a home. For now he’s glad for stable work that provides more stability for his family.
