Hachi’s Story

Hachi is a refugee and single father of seven children. He escaped from Djibouti and immigrated to America, arriving in Washington in 2016. Hachi says he is thankful for the opportunities the United States has given him and his family.

Soon after arriving in Washington, Hachi realized he needed a stronger support network to help take care of his kids.

“We moved to Minneapolis because I had some old friends from back home who lived here,” says Hachi.

His family’s time in Minneapolis started with a stay at Mary’s Place, a shelter that provided Hachi’s family with a two-bedroom apartment. This allowed him to get comfortable in a new city and get to know the area.

“Avivo was able to initially give me a plan, which has led me to find work, and keep work.”

Simple things were tough at first. English was new to him, and he needed to learn where to find important places, like where to shop, and how to get to there.

He also knew that to find work and be self-sufficient he’d need to learn English and get a driver’s license. That’s when he came to Avivo. He needed a job, but in order to do that he needed to learn at least basic English.

He started working with a case manager and enrolled in Avivo’s ESL program for Somali speakers. “Avivo was able to initially give me a plan, which has led me to find work, and keep work,” says Hachi. “I’m fortunate to have had that much support from Avivo.”

“I’m fortunate to have had that much support from Avivo.”

Hachi now works at a Somali restaurant. He’s proud of his accomplishments and proud of how his children have progressed as well. They’ve been successful in school, and the family challenges each other to learn English better, to everyone’s benefit.

Now Hachi says it’s his turn to give back to the community that helped him succeed. “I’m very happy… Now I’d like to return the favor to those who have less than I have right now.”