News
Exciting Updates from Our Service Partner, Metrowest Asylee Family Coalition
June 6, 2023
In April, 2021, Wellesley Village Church was one of seven congregations to welcome the Agbodginou family of Togo, West Africa and to accompany them on their asylum seeking journey. Because of generous financial and volunteer support provided by the churches in the coalition, the family is now thriving and fluent in English.
• This semester Zourfahou attended Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) classes at Mass Bay Community College. She successfully completed all course work and took two state exams. Anthology in Natick, a new assisted living facility, has offered her a job. She is simultaneously working part-time in the bakery department at Stop and Shop.
• Comlanvi is completing his second year of GED classes studying science, social studies, language arts and math. He is working full-time at Stop and Shop where he is a very highly regarded employee.
• They are currently meeting their monthly expenses except for housing and will likely complete that goal when Zourfahou is employed full time.
• Finally, this highly motivated couple is taking the first steps to get their drivers’ licenses, now permitted by state law in MA. The Coalition is seeking the donation of a used car with an automatic transmission.
• Hosni, 5, just finished two transformative years of preschool at Head Start in Framingham, made possible by a team of volunteer drivers. He will attend summer camp at the Metro West Y and kindergarten at Natick’s BenHem Elementary School in the fall.
• Haris who was an infant when the family arrived has been accepted into the Head Start program this September as a three -year- old. He is excited to have his turn at his brother’s school.
All this good news takes place against the backdrop of uncertainty. Legal documents were filed with the federal courts by the coalition’s immigration attorney soon after the family arrival in 2021, but it may be another 2-3 years before their case is heard. This is the state of our immigration system today.
Contact Lisa Weinstock (leweinstock@gmail.com) or Judy Mongiardo (judymongiardo@gmail.com) for more information.