What’s the story: Naghmeh* has been living in the Netherlands for four years as a refugee. In her native Iran, she was a scientist. But since she’s been in Europe, finding a job has been complicated.
Thanks to her volunteer mentor Cristina Berrocal, a UPS marketing supervisor in Brussels, she’s on track to finding meaningful work and a new sense of belonging.
The empowerment journey: The two met via Beauty in Every Life Foundation (BIEL), which provides business skills bootcamps and mentorship programs to migrant women to decrease their risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. The point is to guide participants as they build new lives for themselves.
Two worlds intertwine: Cristina and Naghmeh meet virtually every week and spend time job searching, tailoring job application documents and getting to know each other.
“I want to help because I understand firsthand what it’s like to migrate to a new country and feel a little lost,” says Cristina, who’s originally from Peru. “People just need to be given a chance to succeed.”
Like other UPS mentors, Cristina offers inspiration from the heart, empowering her mentee by imparting tools, know-how, feedback and support. Cristina is also co-chair of the UPS Women’s Leadership Development Business Resource Group (WLD BRG) that seeks to develop soft skills and create community service opportunities, among other objectives.
What is UPS doing: The UPS Foundation fights against human trafficking in India and Nepal through its support of Plan International USA’s PROTECT project. More than 40 million people are exploited through human trafficking each year. UPSers have worked over the last six years creating awareness of the issue in the transportation industry, raising more than $7 million to support the United Way Center to Combat Human Trafficking. Read more in our 2021 Social Impact Report.
Your turn: Want to get involved and put a stop to human trafficking? BIEL is always on the lookout for enthusiastic industry experts to take part in their mentorship program.
* Naghmeh’s last name was left out for privacy.