Somali-speaking Avivo participants learn English to help with job hunt

Somali immigrants have a tough problem they need to solve as soon as they move to Minnesota: they need to earn a living for their families.

“Our goal is to get people into short-term training … Get people the English to be able to advance their career and start moving toward self-sufficiency.”

Getting a job is tough with limited English-speaking skills. That’s where Cora and Rahmo, Avivo’s ESL-teaching team, come in. They meet weekly with 15-20 Somali-speaking individuals, both men and women, to help them learn English with a job or career focus.

“Our goal is to get people into short-term training,” says Cora. “Get people the English to be able to advance their career and start moving toward self-sufficiency.”

“Seeing small victories along the way is really, really, amazing.”

Students’ English-speaking skills grow quickly, which helps them build the confidence to apply for jobs.

“Seeing small victories along the way is really, really, amazing.”