A new life began for Madiha and her family on May 30, 2023. Her days in her home country of Sudan could no longer continue—civil war and famine threatened their lives and forced them to flee as refugees. Their survival journey brought them from Northeast Africa to Northeast Ohio, in the city of Akron.
Like many newly arrived refugee families, they faced numerous hardships upon resettling: trauma recovery, language barriers, among many others. A pervasive challenge was limited access to transportation; without a car, Madiha had difficulty attending crucial appointments, seeking employment, and fully integrating into her new community.
She was, in short, painfully limited in opportunities to make this community a better home.
Fortunately, she made new friends at a community event who encouraged her to look into opening an Individual Development Account (IDA), a program that empowered and educated individuals in financial literacy to open savings accounts and reach short-term savings goals.
That’s when Madiha realized: this could be the answer to her most pressing struggles. The Refugee IDA program could be the key to owning a vehicle and opening countless doors.
Immediately, Madiha and her husband connected with one of ASIA’s Sustainability Services case managers, who guided them through the RIDA program. Through the program, they received training in:
- Financial literacy
- Auto ownership
- Budgeting and saving
The RIDA program also gave them the means to build and accelerate their savings account.
With consistent participation, commitment, and support from the IDA program, Madiha and her husband successfully reached their goal of purchasing a car. Because of this, both parents now have steady work and income that helps them forego public benefits and support their family.
RIDA is a program through the Office of Refugee Resettlement that has empowered many refugees who live in poverty and want to save up for a house, car, or secondary education.
The ORR has announced the termination of this program in September of 2026. Programs like RIDA are life-changing for refugees who come to the United States after losing almost everything.
Learn more about ASIA's Sustainability Services programs.