San Diego is home to a diverse community of refugees and immigrants. This provides a welcoming environment and a social network. Community support is available to new refugees through community-based organizations and religious institutions, as well as through programs provided in the community programs. The Alliance  for  African  Assistance  is well known and respected in the area for its   refugee  programs. The Alliance for African Assistance has an established and respected resettlement program that supports a diverse community of refugees and immigrants in San Diego.  Our location provides social networks and neighborhood support from community-based organizations and religious institutions.

                                             Resettlement Process

The goal of the resettlement program is to help refugees establish their new homes in the United States and begin a course of adjustment  to life in the U.S. Also to help new refugees make a successful transition to life in San Diego area as quickly as possible. Refugees in San Diego area are primarily sponsored by a relative or friend. Before  refugees arrive their sponsor is counseled on the responsibility of being a sponsor and what to expect during the experience.

Case manager gives the refugee an orientation to life in the United States and develops a resettlement plan with the refugee.  From 1996, Resettlement Department has resettled 1350 refugee and enrolled in our programs 378 asylees. The clients were from  Somalia, Sudan, Congo,  Zimbawe,  Uganda,  Ethiopia, Liberia, Eritriea, Vietnam, Iran, Kosovo, Bosnia Iraq and Russia.           

                                             Case Management

Case managers provide each refugee with a comprehensive orientation and resettlement plan upon arrival in San Diego. In the first month, refugees usually complete the following:

                                      * Social security card application.

                                      * Driver’s license or Identification

                                      * Telephone services.

                                      * Children enrolled in school.

                                      * Medical health screening

Our case managers ensure that services are provided to eligible clients in an effective and timely manner.   The goal of our case managers is to provide services that are appropriate to the needs of each unique refugee and that contribute to their early employment. AAA provides provision of core services namely reception upon arrival, provision  of  safe,   decent,  and   affordable  housing,   basic   necessities,   rental    money,  transportation,  local  identification  cards,   post   arrival,  health   screening  enrollment   to  schools  for 

children  and  to  ESL classes  for adults who do not speak English,  employment and home visits were adequately and timely completed in all cases. We have noted that most employable refugees require pre-employment training in order to meet the requirement of the local job market. For instance, majority of refugees at work age do not know English, or cannot read or write, and have no transferable skills or prior work experience. To remove these  employment barriers, we  provide Job  readiness training/ orientation  and     refer  the  refugees   in    this   category   to    ESL  class.    Further  more,   companies    providing employment opportunities  to refugees  are  difficult  to access  by public transportation.  To overcome the transportation challenge,   AAA sought collaboration with the American Red Cross for provision of transportation service to new refugees for a period of three to four months.

• Reception upon arrival at the airport.
• Housing that is safe, adequate, and affordable.
• Furniture and appliances. 
• Money for rental and living expenses.
• Transportation Services.
• Local identification card.
• Medical health screening after arriving.
• Children enrolled in school and English Second Language (ESL)
• Overall basic Integration and cultural training

Most employable refugees require pre-employment training in order to meet the requirement of the local job market. Often, refugees do not know English, or cannot read or write, and have no transferable skills or prior work experience.  To remove these employment barriers, we provide Job readiness training, computer literacy courses, various orientations, Translation and Interpretation, employment services, and English Second Language (ESL) classes.

                     Transportation

Transportation for new arrivals in San Diego can be a considerable obstacle to overcome.  To deal with the transportation challenge, the Alliance has established collaboration with the American Red Cross for transportation services to new refugees for a period of three-to-four months.  This assistance is intended to help new refugees with transportation to work and other essential medical, business, and integration services and appointments.  Refugees are encouraged to  develop  carpooling,  public   transportation   and  other  transportation prior to

the transportation assistance being phased out. Alliance has two 15-passenger vans and one 6-passenger SUV that are used to transport clients to their work. We have provided transportation to Hydronautics in San Marcos, Barona Casino in Lakeside, Sony Electronics in Rancho Bernardo, and many other locations where our clients are employed.  These locations were either outside the bus transit routes or had buses that stopped running too earlier.

Services offered to refugees by the Alliance for African Assistance are well coordinated with other social service agencies. To enhance coordination, agencies meet regularly.  A list of the many organizations we partner with is available by clicking the Partners link located on the navigation screen to your left

Health services are provided to all newly arriving refugees.  A health service provider conducts a health screening within three days of each refugee’s arrival. Priority is given to refugees with conditions that might impact public health or require immediate treatment.  Alliance also has a new medical clinic opening in San Diego to help refugees and low-income people with much needed medical assistance and services.  Each client is assisted in pursuing medical insurance and meeting their unique medical needs. 

All refugees are given a comprehensive cultural and program orientation. They are informed about housing, employment, United States and California laws, and the various programs offered by the Alliance.  The orientation is designed to help new arrivals understand more about the American way of life. It's important  for  immigrants   and  refugees  to have  an  accurate

expectation of the American experience and what assistance they can anticipate from the Alliance.  The Alliance for African Assistance collaborates with the Family Strengthening and Health & Nutrition Departments.  This program is responsible for translating in relevant languages, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES a Guidebook for Refugees and providing the orientation video WELCOME GUIDE TO RESETTLEMENT.  Copies are provided to all new clients.

As a continuing effort to employ clients, the Alliance persists in developing good business relationships with employers in our community.  This important accord with employers allows refugees to achieve self-sufficiency and establish themselves in the community.

A wide-ranging computer program instituted in 1999 continues to provide assistance to refugees looking to develop competencies in computer operations or cultivate careers in Information Technology. Clients and their school-aged children able to read and write are enrolled in our computer literacy classes held at our on-site computer lab. Students who complete their training satisfactorily receive professional certifications. The Computer Technologies Coordinator, Class Instructor, The Resettlement Department, and the computer repair training program, has giving away computers to refugee families. To date, over 75 families have received free computers.

Employers benefit from taking advantage of Alliance’s job-retention and advancement program.  Our employment staff continues to visit clients at their place of work to see if they need further assistance with their jobs.  By helping employers guide our clients, we encourage job retention and promotion to better-paying positions.  The Alliance for African Assistance holds employment workshops during cultural orientations and for clients to network with future employers. Training includes: writing resumes and cover-letters, filling out job applications, dressing for success, learning the geography and mapping of greater San Diego, the importance of follow-ups and thank you letters, promotions and retention, how to ask for a raise, the importance of attaining benefits from employers, and many other essential topics.  Alliance also provides clients transportation to employment workshops held by the county, universities, staffing agencies, and other nonprofits

The Alliance participates in the federally funded Matching Grant Program, an initiative to help new refugees in the San Diego area achieve early self-sufficiency. This program’s goal is to help refugees attain economic self sufficiency within four months after arrival in the United States without accessing public assistance.  The goal is for refugees to earn an income at a level that enables a family unit to support itself without receipt of cash assistance.

For more information about the programs and services  , please contact Chief Operating Officer or Director of Resettlement  Department  Gezim Jimmy Dervishi  by phone at  (619) 286-9052,  ext. 229 or       gm@alliance-for-africa.org