On a fall evening last semester, Syed Hashimi sat behind a computer on New Mexico State University’s Las Cruces campus, eager to begin the day’s lesson. He had gathered with a dozen others for a weekly computer skills class developed for refugees living in the United States.
The class was part of a program founded by Rajaa Shindi to improve the lives of refugees in southern New Mexico through education and job training. Shindi, a college assistant professor of information systems at NMSU, started the program in 2022 through a $150,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Hashimi, a former Afghanistan army officer who fled his country more than two years ago following the Taliban uprising, is among a growing number of refugees who have received job training and educational support from Shindi’s program.
“Our program aims to coordinate a strategic effort to improve refugees’ educational outcomes and economic security by deploying family stabilization and integration strategies in collaboration with community partners,” Shindi said.
Hashimi’s journey to the U.S. began on Aug. 14, 2021. At that time, chaos and violence had gripped Afghanistan as the Taliban seized control of the country following the withdrawal of American troops. Desperate to flee, Hashimi secured a visa to America and traveled by military plane to Pakistan and Abu Dhabi before arriving in New Jersey. He eventually made his way to Las Cruces, where he found support through Shindi and other community members.
By then, Shindi and her daughter, Hiba Muhyi, began a coordinated effort to help incoming Afghan refugees like Hashimi with basic needs such as clothing and food. Their project – the NMSU Afghan Refugee Response Project – quickly expanded to offer job training and English classes.
Within a year, Shindi’s work caught the attention of the Kellogg Foundation, which awarded her a one-year grant to continue her work. Working with several collaborators, she developed and administered a series of free English and computer literacy classes to refugees seeking to enter the U.S. workforce. To increase participation among women and families, Shindi’s program provided free child care during the classes.
Her collaborators included the Center for Supply Chain Entrepreneurship in NMSU’s College of Business, NMSU’s Information Technology Services, NMSU’s Admissions Office, Las Cruces Public Schools, Lutheran Family Services and the Southern New Mexico Islamic Center.
By spring 2023, Hashimi began taking English classes and had completed several job-training workshops, hoping to build a life in America. He now has a full-time job at a medical supply company in Las Cruces and remains committed to obtaining a GED and a commercial driver’s license – goals Shindi said are well within his reach.
“All my life, education has been important to me,” he said.
Over the grant period, Hashimi and other participants in the program improved their English proficiency and job skills by about 50%. Shindi said the participants’ success helped the program reach 66% of its employment goal set by the grant.
“Additionally, we collaborated with the Southern New Mexico Islamic Center community to provide more than 30 hot meals to incoming refugees,” she said. “We also provided childcare and other enjoyable events to more than 80 children, positively contributing to their development. The program’s success was further enhanced by sponsoring various cultural events in the community.”
Shindi said the program has changed the lives of many of its participants over a brief period. She pointed to Hashimi, who she said has worked tirelessly to rebuild his life in a new country. He is now focused on helping his family relocate to the U.S. With Shindi’s help, Hashimi’s daughter enrolled in an online GED program, and he hopes she will have a high school diploma by the time she joins him in America.
“The unique thing about him is that he wants to help his family through education,” Shindi said.
Last fall, Shindi received a grant extension to continue the program through 2025. It has now expanded to support other individuals in need, including immigrants. For more information about the program, contact Shindi at rshindi@nmsu.edu.
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Cutline: Rajaa Shindi, a college assistant professor of information systems at New Mexico State University, assists Syed Hashimi during a computer skills class in October 2023. The class was part of a program founded by Shindi to improve the lives of refugees in southern New Mexico through education and job training. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)