HIAS opened its second Community Center on L.G. Smith Boulevard, above Wendy’s on the Free Zone roundabout, in 2022. The first one was much smaller, on Arendstraat.
The sign on the door simply read: HIAS Welcome the stranger – Protect the refugee.
The organization is now set to open its third, even bigger hub, on Engelandstraat 4, across from Playa Trading, in Eagle.
HIAS, founded in 1881, to assist Jews fleeing the pogroms in Russian and Eastern Europe, has touched many lives through World War I and World War II, helping many displaced persons, in Europe, to resettle in the USA, Canada and South America.
In recent years HIAS has been working around the globe, where needed, in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and because reportedly 7.7M Venezuelans have become displaced, leaving their country due to dire economic, political and social conditions, HIAS opted to open a large center in Aruba, to help that unfortunate, undocumented group, locally and in the region.
HIAS has operated in Aruba since February 2019, and has grown steadily, it now employs at least two dozen staffers, and interns, to keep in touch with a network of Community Mobilizers, and to maintains an office, classrooms, private consultation, conference and meeting rooms, a playroom, accounting, and multifunction spaces, indoor and outdoor.
The Community Center delivers help in areas such as general protection, mitigation of risks to safety, dignity and wellbeing, mental health and psychological assistance, gender based violence prevention and response, economic inclusion, education, health and community-based protection.
The freshly painted, friendly center renders services to about 4,000 registered clients, hoping that if you build it, they will come — with a larger center, more will people will find the courage to join.
The official opening is planned for 2024, and meanwhile director Francesco Volpi, divides his time between Aruba and other reginal centers. HIAS now works in 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, he says, helping forcibly displaced people rebuild their lives. He was even recently recruited to assist when 600 Cameroonians, a country in Central Africa, found themselves stranded with no money, and no resources, in Antigua, in the Eastern Caribbean.
HIAS also introduces its clients to an app that puts employers and refugees together with one goal, to put work-givers and workers together. Along the line of trying to improve life for their clients, HIAS keeps in touch with various government departments hoping that one day, the Ministry of Labor and Dimas will see eye to eye, and iron out legalities to facilitate legal work for their clients. HIAS maintains open communication channels with Justice, Social Affairs, Health, the Police the Immigration services, the officials of the Dutch representation, besides Labor and Integration.
It is obvious that HIAS is doing some of the jobs that out government doesn’t want to do, with funds from the UN and the US State Department. As long as HIAS is providing services to the undocumented, displaced members of our community, the pressure on the government here is naturally, alleviated.
But funding is not forever. Both the UN and the US State Department are trying to slash costs and cut subsides, shift funds from one crisis spot to the other, and HIAS must find creative ways to stretch funds, do with less and still tackle the tough subjects and complicated situations.
We look forward to the grand opening.
