Driven by ambition and a desire to contribute to her home country’s development, Persy worked hard to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and began a master’s in the same field. But her life took an unexpected turn. She was forced to flee Zimbabwe and seek safety in Ireland in 2022.
In Ireland, her career path took a detour. After receiving her work permit in Ireland, she worked part-time in two jobs; as a money transfer agent and as a relief healthcare assistant. Persy fought hard to keep the hope that she would land a job in her field of study.
“My worry from observing most people who would come to Ireland seeking asylum, they would maybe end up in healthcare system, kitchen porter. I kind of felt like there’s not much variety. So, I was like, am I also going to be stuck there? I don’t really want to be stuck there, when I went to school, and I studied.”
Regardless, Persy fought hard to keep the hope that she would land a job in her field of study alive. Persy joined Sanctuary Runners which is an initiative that brings refugees, people seeking protection, and Irish residents together through exercise. Through this group, Persy met someone who informed her about the refugee programme delivered by Pfizer in collaboration with the Irish Refugee Council.
Like Persy, many refugees and people seeking protection face significant barriers in having their prior education and professional experience recognised, often resulting in employment in fields unrelated to their prior career paths. The Supporting Refugees in Ireland initiative addresses this challenge by helping participants pursue roles at Pfizer Grange Castle through immersive mentoring and upskilling workshops.
“Those few weeks where you prepare for the internship, she (IRC Employment Officer Mavis Ramazani) came to make sure to give that support, to make sure that we are okay”. Persy excelled in her six-week internship and then moved into the Pfizer graduate programme.
“That’s how I transitioned from doing things that were outside of my educational experience into what would actually make me use my degree”.
Through it all, she never lost sight of her dream. “I am a Christian, so I had faith. I had faith that something would happen. I didn’t know how, but we have to believe and keep going.”
Persy plans to continue her role as a graduate automation engineer, before moving into the role of assistant engineer. She then hopes to take on a managerial role following her advancement in the field.
“I believe there are many people out there who need this (Employment Programme) to be their hope or their steppingstone to get through the door, and they figure their way out in there”.