A few months ago, Karen Larsen, communications volunteer at the International Rescue Committee in Denver, spent an afternoon with Assani Kabamba, health program aide.

Two phones ringing. Text messages buzzing. People stopping in to ask quick questions. This is what it looks and sounds like when observing Assani Kabamba in action. He is a health program aide and, without understanding Kiswahili, when he says “sio shida” to one client, you know by his tone that it means “not a problem” and you also know that he can be counted on to help them find a solution.

A revered position in the family

As the first grandson in a large family, Assani was given his grandfather’s name. And while its spelling was changed slightly in the process of fleeing his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it means “good” or “sunshine” or “joy.” You can see that his name is fitting after spending just an hour or two with him. 

Political conflict led to migration

Like others in the eastern Congo during the mid-1990s, Assani was caught in the tribal warfare between the long-time self-appointed President Mabutu and Tutsi rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Like many other refugees, he decided to seek safety in neighboring Tanzania before eventually making his way to Mozambique. After spending 10 years in a Mozambique refugee camp, Assani and his wife received approval to resettle in the U.S. The last time he saw his brother and his family was in 2010 in the Mozambique camp where they remain without a clear understanding of their immigration status or their opportunities to resettle. This, Assani says, weighs heavily on him as he continues to rebuild his life in the U.S.  

A future came with significant challenges

As Assani describes it, his resettlement to Colorado was quite random. After being referred to the U.S. by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and going through the U.S. vetting process, Assani and his wife were approved for resettlement. He had heard of Chicago, New York and California, but he had no idea about Denver or Colorado. When he landed at Denver International Airport (DIA), he was greeted by a caseworker from the African Community Center (ACC) who spoke Kiswahili, his native language. What seemed as random as finding himself in Colorado was that Assani had previously met his new caseworker at the camp in Mozambique. His reaction, Assani explains, was a complete relief. “Okay. We have family now.” 

The adjustment was not easy for Assani and his wife. They felt alone during their first few months in the U.S. and didn’t see anyone who looked like them or spoke their language in their new neighborhood. They had to figure out where to find food they were used to eating back home and learn about the “white stuff” that was falling to the ground during the winter. Eventually, though, Assani says, they found a community of people from the DRC and other African countries, learned about markets that sold the foods they were looking for and got used to the Colorado snow.

Employment was a mixed blessing

Assani understands the challenges newly-arrived clients face finding adequate and relevant employment in the U.S. because he experienced the same difficulties. Before coming to the U.S., he had been a teacher and then a head teacher in the DRC. When UNHCR observed that the police force in the Mozambique refugee camp was not large enough to provide adequate safety and security for its occupants, Assani was given a job as chief of security—though it was for minimal pay. While he might not say it himself, based on stories Assani shares, it is clear he became a spokesperson and advocate for others in the camp and that his responsibilities extended far beyond providing security.

Despite his experience, Assani encountered barriers finding employment in Denver, and learning English was one of them. He quickly discovered that being fluent in multiple languages, including Kiswahili, French and Portuguese, wasn’t proving to be very useful in his new home. And while he attended English language classes for two months, he was unable to continue because his work hours as an entry-level janitor conflicted with the class schedule. “I liked it, and I didn’t like it,” Assani says about his job as a janitor. It was very close to his home, which was a benefit, but it was also far below his capabilities—a definite drawback. His first job, he explains, was a rude awakening. “As an Assani, I did not expect to have a job cleaning in an apartment building for refugees.” At the time, other job opportunities were scarce. Assani applied for a packaging job at Denver International Airport (DIA) but later heard that over 200 people applied for the same job, and only those who had been in the U.S. over five years were hired. 

However, it didn't take long for Assani’s problem-solving, empathy, and people skills to be noticed. His supervisor saw potential in him and promised to help him expand his position if he would stay at least six months. In time, he worked enough hours to earn paid holidays and other benefits and was promoted to a management position as the maintenance assistant. Once again, despite him saying it, his stories illustrate how he went above and beyond and did more for the residents than repair leaky faucets and replace light bulbs. He helped them with everyday problems. Assani ended up staying in that position for three years.

The IRC connection – rooted in helping others

A few years and a few jobs later, Assani was working as a Passenger Boarding Attendant at DIA, transporting passengers by wheelchair and directing passengers to the proper jetways. To some, this might seem like an unremarkable job, but for Assani, it led him to a remarkable connection with the IRC in Denver.

“One night, I was leaving my job at midnight and I saw a man who was not from the U.S. He looked like a refugee. He did not look happy and looked like he had lost something. I said ‘Kiswahili?’ He responded, ‘Kiswahili! I’m a refugee trying to get to Boise, Idaho, but I have lost my bag with my tickets and papers.’ He was crying. I had to help him. We looked for his bag in the restrooms, at the security office, housekeeping, and lost and found. 

No one had seen his bag, and his connecting flight had gone. I took him to United Airlines Customer Service and, fortunately, they were able to locate his record and rebook him for the next day. I bought him food for that night and my supervisor, who was from Ghana, gave him $20. I took him to the proper gate and gave him specific boarding instructions for the flight the next morning, as well as my phone number. After two days, he called and said, ‘Thank you, brother. I am in Boise. I am ok. An agency, the IRC, was there ready to help me when I arrived.’” 

Assani probably responded, “Sio shida, brother.”

Assani explains that seeing that man in need of help was like “something pushing me to the IRC.” When an IRC office was established in Denver in 2016, he was considered for an interpreter position because he spoke more than three languages and had served as an interpreter in the refugee camp. But, Assani had other ideas. He had witnessed people suffering from serious health issues in the refugee camp and realized how important it is for people to have access and be connected to health services. While he understood how important the role of an interpreter is, he wanted to help people directly and, at the same time, build his skills. That’s when he was offered the health program aide position at the Denver office.

What his IRC position offers

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Assani (left) and an IRC coworker celebrating World Refugee Day 2018 at the Colorado State Capitol.

What Assani likes most about his current position is helping people to get the health care they need. He connects them with health providers and helps them to access follow-up care, transports them back and forth to their health screenings, serves as a companion, and sometimes, serves as interpreter during doctor visits. There also is an educational component to his job that he enjoys: helping people navigate the complex healthcare system so that they know how to make an appointment, when to go to the regular doctor and when to seek urgent or emergency care. Assani says that he finds working with clients to help them to understand their insurance benefits and changes in coverage when they start working to be rewarding, and sometimes difficult. 

Assani’s biggest challenge as a health program aide is finding balance. “I want to help; it is in my heart.” Nevertheless, managing client needs within a reasonable time frame each day can seem impossible at times. Families often have a range of issues, beyond health. And because he speaks their language and has helped them in one part of their life, they think, ‘I am going to call Assani.’  And they do—day and night. 

Outside of work, Assani is no different. “I am a serious person.” He says. His wife relies on him for transportation and connection to others. And, he helps people within their community when he can. 

Thinking about the future

One of Assani’s short-term goals is to take on greater responsibilities and become a manager at the IRC. And while Assani is proud to be a U.S. citizen and live in the U.S., a longer-term goal of his is to return home to the DRC to help create a better health care system with tighter coordination between people’s needs and the services humanitarian organizations provide. Back home, and in the camps, he witnessed heart-wrenching situations where desperate people did not receive the medical attention they needed. He wants to change that.

Assani is one of those inspiring individuals for whom the thought “it’s not my job” never occurs. When someone asks for his help, the answer is always, “sio shida.”