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 and them saying, “let’s go to YOUR house.” Yessenia became very emotional as she realized that on her first day in the US, she already had more than she ever did in Columbia.
Enrolling in Beautiful Day’s job training program, Yessenia loved meeting other newly arrived refugees from all over the world. She learned important job skills such as punctuality, being ready for work before clocking in, and not using your phone while on the job. A talented seamstress and hard-worker, Yessenia quickly found a full-time job at Tita’s Tailors & Cleaners in Cranston doing alterations.
Yessenia chose this dramatic photo of the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge, that connects her home state of Maracaibo to the rest of the country, lit up with the colors of the Venezuelan flag. She is proud of her Venezuelan heritage and ready to start a new life in Rhode Island.
