2026 - Q2 Newsletter
- Umoja Abq
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
Welcome to Our Q2 Newsletter
Welcome, friends of Umoja Abq! It’s been a very busy three months here, and we have a lot of updates that we’re thrilled to share with you.
Before we dive in, a quick question for you: are you signed up for our mailing list yet? This quarterly newsletter is one of the main ways we communicate with supporters like you, and so having an up-to-date mailing list is really important. Already signed up? Thanks so much! Haven’t signed up yet? Click the button below! OK - has everyone reading this clicked the button? Then it looks like we’re ready to go!
Spring Class Graduation
Our April and May classes recently graduated. Over a dozen participants across our DRIVE, Financial Literacy, and new pilot Computer Literacy classes graduated. Congratulations!
This is just the start for the participants though - our DRIVE program participants will move on from studying for the written test to taking it and practice for the driving portion of the test; our Financial Literacy graduates will open their savings accounts and take part in matching deposits for the next year, up to $60 per quarter; and our Computer Literacy graduates took part in extra computer labs that our teacher, Sooraj, offered (more on that, next!)
Our Tuesday and Thursday English Literacy classes also wrapped up for the Summer and will start back up in the Fall. This group of extremely hard-working individuals show up once to twice a week for two hours to practice improving their English literacy. Our English instructor Debbie and tutor Shavaughn show up every session and have built a great relationship with the individuals who come. Thanks to all the volunteers as well who have supported over the past few months!
Program Spotlight: Computer Literacy
We want to take a moment to put a spotlight on our newest program: Computer Literacy! Our Computer Literacy teacher, Sooraj Bhatia, reached out to us at the beginning of the year with a vision to empower the refugee community through a course on computer fundamentals. Here is a broad picture of what this program covers:
Week 1: Computer Basics: Introductions, turning on/off devices, mouse & keyboard basics, File navigation and management
Week 2: Internet Navigation 1: Introduction to the internet (What is a Web Browser?) Filling forms, passwords & password resets, recognizing scams and safe browsing,
Week 3: Internet Navigation 2: Using search engines, maps, finding local services
Week 4: Email Skills: Creating email accounts, email address basics, sending/receiving messages, attachments, password resets
Week 5: Jobs & Communication: Basic resume concepts, templates, job searching, how to find the Workforce Connection website, how to search schools online, introduction to video calls
Week 6: Finding Knowledge: Best practices when it comes to searching for information online, discerning good sources from bad sources
Week 7: Review & Practice/Final Typing Test: Reinforcing skills, answering questions, recap of the journey
The reactions from the class participants have been great. Amani shares that she has been doing well in class and feels like she’s learning valuable skills. Fellow class participant Nyaluk feels the same. Whether participants have some experience already, or are starting from square one, they’re able to work through activities to help them go to the next level, obtaining practical real-world skills.
Kudos to the graduates for all the hard work they put in! Thank you to DiverseIT for the donations of computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, and webcams. And thank you so much to Sooraj for envisioning this program and making it a reality - programs like this are a way we can offer tools to the refugee community here in Albuquerque so they can be set up to succeed. We’re excited about the future of this program!
Umoja Abq at World Refugee Day
Umoja Abq was at World Refugee Day, celebrating the impact refugees have, and enjoying some fantastic food and performances. Our very own Meghann Dallin was part of the planning committee, several members of our community prepared food, and Chantal spoke! Thanks to everyone who took part.
Client Impact: Nyamahoro's Story
To protect our client’s privacy, we’ve changed her name to Nyamahoro - all other details remain unchanged.
Nyamahoro, a single mother who grew up in refugee camps in Uganda, arrived in the United States three years ago. She attended Umoja Abq’s English literacy classes and obtained her driver’s license through our DRIVE program. She was part of the first cohort of the Financial Literacy class, learning how to budget, save, and navigate the U.S. financial system.
Using the skills she gained, Nyamahoro developed a savings plan and built enough savings for a down payment through a Habitat for Humanity homeownership opportunity.
Now, Nyamahoro is a homeowner and continues to save for her family's future. Financial literacy education empowers individuals to build financial stability, achieve their goals, and create lasting opportunities for future generations!
We need supporters like you to be a part of stories like Nyamahoro’s. Consider a one-time or recurring donation so that we can continue offering this kind of holistic programming to empower refugee and immigrant women and their families.
Community Listening Session with UNMH
Umoja Abq recently partnered with UNM Hospital to conduct a listening session with the refugee community on their experience with the maternity process in the U.S. healthcare system. As you can imagine, this is a deeply personal experience. However, the community showed up and shared with the team at UNMH for two hours!
The team felt they had gotten some great information and will be planning on how to take action on it. We’re incredibly thankful to both our partners at UNMH for seeking to understand the refugee experience as it relates to maternal healthcare, as well as to our community for being willing to be open about their experiences.
Small Business Training with the Black Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico
We had the opportunity to partner with the Black Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico to conduct a small business training for the African refugee community. You can find a full event recap with pictures by following this link.
Over 40 participants came for this training led by business leaders and entrepreneurs. We’re very grateful to the Black Chamber of Commerce for their work in putting together this program, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for those in our community working to start small businesses!
Grant Awards
We are dependent on individual donors and a network of smaller, non-federal grantors to be able to do the work that we do. We want to take a moment and celebrate the organizations that have recently supported us!
Santa Fe Community Foundation
Empower! Black Futures Community Fund
Thank you to all those involved supporting us, whether financially, volunteering, or helping get the word out. You are an important part of this work!
Looking Ahead
Our core programs are taking a summer vacation, and we’ll start back up in August. Instead, we have a variety of activities going on in our Women’s Health program, such as safe sleep classes for mothers with babies, and self-defense classes.
We’re also working on planning the annual refugee health fair that will take place in October and applying for several potential grants that would allow us to continue and expand our work of empowering refugee women.
Get Involved
Thank you for your support! If you’re looking for additional ways to get involved, you could:
But the most important thing you can do is to keep being who you are - someone who cares about the refugee and immigrant community and acts to empower them with the tools they need to succeed. We'll talk to you soon!
