By Jose T. Garza III
By the mid-2000s, Baghdad, Iraq could no longer be home for Ayad Kaisi.
Due to his work as an interpreter for U.S. military forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom – the conflict that led to the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein – he was a potential target for Iraqi forces looking to exact vengeance on U.S. allies.
Kaisi found a path to a new and safe start in life with the help of the International Organization for Migration – a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering the safe migration of vulnerable individuals throughout the world. He applied and was approved for migration assistance with the aid of a sponsorship from a military chaplain who was a San Antonio resident. At the recommendation of the chaplain and through the IOM program, Kaisi relocated to San Antonio in 2010.
“Leaving a country (like Iraq) is not a choice,” Kaisi said. “It’s not like immigrating from Sweden to America, where you have time to sell a house, figure out what you are going to take with you, and know when to arrive. Being a refugee is a different story.”
In 2012 – two years after moving to San Antonio – Kaisi was approved as a participant of Opporturtunity Home San Antonio’s Public Housing program. He has lived at a Northwest Side-based complex since that time.
Kaisi has made the most of his new beginnings, recently graduating from a Chrome Essentials class hosted by the Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), Senior Planet San Antonio organization. He and each of his classmates received a free refurbished laptop as a result of their graduation from the class. Two years ago, OATS partnered with Opportunity Home to bring its digital literacy classes to Opportunity Home’s Public Housing properties that exclusively house senior residents and residents with disabilities. Through those classes, residents learn technology skills they can use to thrive in their daily lives with regards to applying for employment, participating in telehealth appointments, and learning emergency preparedness tips in the event of a weather emergency. They can also use those newfound skills to connect with loved ones virtually.
Kaisi learned essential, basic digital literacy skills such as using Zoom to attend meetings, navigating social media, and sending emails. Those skills, he said, can help him thrive as a volunteer in the local chapter of the Altrusa International Foundation. Altrusa empowers global volunteers to make a difference in their communities through service and fundraising efforts.
Prior to taking the Chrome class, Kaisi said his computer skills were limited, as technology access was minimal in Iraq.
Kaisi credited his instructor and classmates for helping him navigate the classes.
“It is up to you to decide how you want to use a computer or internet,” Kaisi said. “You can use it to be productive or for wasting time.”
Seeing residents such as Kaisi learn new digital skills provides Andrea Alaniz, Opportunity Home San Antonio digital inclusion coordinator, with “pure joy.”
“I feel a sense of pride as I see our senior residents and residents with disabilities gain technology skills they either didn’t have or didn’t have enough confidence to use,” she said. “Knowing I played a role in setting the stage for their growth and helping them gain independence and confidence in digital spaces makes me feel I contributed to supporting their personal goals.”
Computer skills are not all that Kaisi has gained since becoming an Opportunity Home Public Housing participant.
He has made new friends in his community who have helped him navigate through life in a new country, sometimes giving him rides to places he needs to go and offering him homemade dishes. Kaisi repays the favor by accompanying neighbors to doctor’s appointments and giving them a ride home from the appointments.
The friendships Kaisi has built in his community have given him confidence that he made the right decision to migrate to the United States.
“When I started living in Public Housing, for me and my situation, it fit exactly what I needed,” he said. “I have no family here, but I found a family. My neighbors are my everything. There is no chance to live better than here in this community.”
Kaisi aims to give back to his community through his work with Altrusa in the future.
“For these past few years, I have found a purpose in my life,” he said. “I want to give back through them what I have received.”