Men

Finding a similar job to what I had in Afghanistan was hard for me. I was an engineer in Afghanistan. I applied for some jobs, but I was not able to get a similar job. After a while, I got a certificate in testing concrete. It wasn’t a job that I wanted, but it was in the construction area. In Texas, engineers have to have a license, which is not required in Afghanistan. Now I have to study some different subjects. It was a big challenge for me, but I did not give up. I started again with going to college. First I had to take English classes, after that, I started my college level classes. In 1.5 years, I have more than an associate degree. I am over half way to overcome this big challenge.

I first got to know PLI when I took my wife for an interview at PLI. She began working as a teacher in the childcare program. This was our start. Because I have to drop her and pick her up, there was an opportunity for me too to know PLI too. PLI was very helpful for me. The resources that PLI provided for me and my family was great. I was able to know people at PLI. I was able to make connections and make new friends. I made new connections with both people from my own country and Americans.

It was sad for us to have a new baby here in the US, without our family. One of the happiest moments that my wife had was when PLI had a baby shower for her. It was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. In Afghanistan, when a baby is born, friends and family celebrate together. We had been thinking about this and how we don’t have many relatives. But, PLI provided this to cover those things that we expected. It was more than we expected. It was a very good experience for me.