Our journey

Where it started

Adama arrived in the United States as a young African immigrant with dreams for his family. His path was full of challenges: he needed work, healthcare for his one-year-old child, and a way through a system where language was a barrier. He often had to ask strangers to help him communicate.

He knew he was not the only one facing these hurdles. Adama and his family opened their home to five other newcomer families, helping them with housing, transportation, health insurance and food.

From a calling to an organization

That experience grew into a vision: an organization offering culturally sensitive, linguistically appropriate support in employment, health and social services — especially for children and youth in immigrant and refugee communities. Drawing on his background as a social worker, Adama worked with Nebraska community organizations to make that vision real. In 2019, African Immigrant Family Services was born.

In the early days, AIFS ran on Adama’s own resources. His home was the office and his car was the lifeline for families in need. He was on call day and night, helping families access programs like Medicaid, food assistance and WIC, enrolling children in school and guiding parents through the process.

Growing with the community

As the community’s needs grew, so did AIFS. Today our programs reach immigrant and refugee families across Nebraska — and we continue to grow so that every family has the support it needs to thrive.