Aurora will soon host English class at nonprofit helping African immigrants

AURORA, Colo. — The City of Aurora will soon host an English class at an Aurora nonprofit that's doing what it can to help asylum seekers from Africa.

Last week, the African Leadership Group told Denver7 it was overwhelmed and stressed that any help from the city would make a difference.

"After the story was aired, Ricardo reached out and wanted to meet and discuss ways that we can partner and collaborate and this is how we were able to reconnect," said Papa Dia, founder and executive director of the African Leadership Group.

Dia on Monday sat down with Ricardo Gambetta, the city's manager of international and immigrant affairs, to discuss the needs of the city's growing African community.

"We were able to find some way that we can collaborate and partner," said Dia.

JJamilatou Sy, 43, was pregnant with her now 4-month-old daughter when they arrived in Colorado from Senegal. Dia said many people like Sy are coming to the area seeking asylum. However, there's only so much his nonprofit can to do help while they wait for work permits and other federal assistance.

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The City of Aurora already offers English classes to the community. Gambetta said it will be adding more classes throughout the city, including a class at the African Leadership Group.

"We are going to support these classes with materials and some small funding from our office like the way we do with other sites," said Gambetta.

Gambetta said the city provides several resources and is encouraging the African community to take advantage of them.

"Our police department, our fire department, the parks department, they already have programs in place in the sport, recreation, civic engagement, and want to make sure students from African community can also access those programs," said Gambetta.

Dia said he wasn't aware of many of the city's programs until now.

"I just found out about the citizenship classes, the entrepreneurship," Dia said. "I did ask Ricardo for a way, also, to bring the community to introduce them to the city, city hall. Because for us, it's very important for us to be civically engaged and a role-model citizen."

"I'm very relieved we were able to reconnect and support the community members we serve," Gambetta said.