Help Daniel by hiring him, support Friends of Daniel, tell everyone about Daniel

OFFER DANIEL A JOB TODAY!

The Job Search
The Friends of Daniel seek a suitable employer, with a generous spirit, to hire Daniel F. Poawalio, based on Daniel’s degree in Economics and related work history.

The job is what will bring Daniel and his family to the shores of America. In order to work for a U.S. employer, Daniel needs an H-1B (temporary, non-immigrant) work visa. It is not meant for a permanent position, but rather for a foreign national to work in the United States, at the prevailing wage, for a period of three years. April 1, 2005 is the beginning filing date for the H-1B work visa.

HIRE DANIEL: How to get Started
• Review Daniel’s qualifications at Daniel’s Professional Experience.

• Contact Nancy Vorkink with the Friends of Daniel at job@friendsofdaniel.org if you have job openings or contacts, job ideas, or know of job possibilities.

• An employer must hire Daniel based on his college degree, credentials and related work history.

• Daniel must be paid by the prevailing wage as determined by the US Labor Department or another reliable source. In Colorado, this is the Mountain States Employers Council.

• Friends of Daniel will arrange a phone interview between Daniel and prospective employers. We will also supply recommendations.

• The employer must be the person to petition for the H-1B work visa after making the commitment to hire Daniel.

• Since Daniel is currently in Ghana, the Friends of Daniel and the employer will most likely need to work with an immigration law firm specializing in obtaining H-1B work visas.

• April 1, 2005 opens the process of filing for the H-1B work visa with the government agencies involved for the fiscal year beginning October 2005. As many foreign nationals apply for this visa, which has a limited annual acceptance, it is critical to file on or around April 1, 2005.

• Since there is a large amount of paperwork, an immigration firm will prepare the application documents for the visa with the USCIS (United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, www.uscis.gov)

• There are legal fees involved in procuring the H-1B visa. At this time, the exact amount of these fees is uncertain, as it depends on the complexity of the case; total legal fees could amount to as much as $5000 (included is a new “premium processing” fee of $1000, which shortens the visa application process to 2 weeks from 4–6 months). Contact job@friendsofdaniel.org for more information.

• Once the visa application is complete, it is forwarded to the US Consulate in Ghana for approval. Daniel would have an interview there and undergo security and medical checks.

• The Friends of Daniel would be able to work with the employer, if necessary, to assist in getting Daniel settled in his new position.

If hired, Daniel will make a difference in your workplace: his work ethic is excellent; his job motivation is keenly professional and his personal integrity impeccable.

SUPPORT THE FRIENDS OF DANIEL: Invest in one family’s future
The Friends of Daniel will continue to need your financial support throughout the hiring and visa application process. A call for help came from Daniel in 2002, and we responded. We must continue to provide nourishment and basic amenities for the family. (See Daniel’s monthly budget). At the same time, the Friends of Daniel must raise more funds to help the new employer with visa application fees, relocation of the family, and preparations for Daniel to begin work.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT
• You can set up a monthly payment plan of $25 with our treasurer.*

• You can make a one–time contribution of any amount.

• You can purchase strips of authentic Kente cloth at $20. each, including shipping and handling; limited quantity with a possible wait time for orders over ten per customer (See below)

• We seek corporate sponsors to pledge a tax-deductible gift to the Friends of Daniel. You will become a Sponsor of the Friends of Daniel.

*All transactions are handled by Charlie Fiser at charlie@friendsofdaniel.org. At this time we are set up to handle payments by check only. Please indicate your choice of support alternatives with your payment, and make your check out to "Friends of Daniel".

• We need legal assistance with the relocation process. We would welcome local Denver law students on our team.

• Share your hearts by creating a Friends of Daniel support group in your community, business, church, or school. You can give hope as well as money to this educated refugee family in need. Working together, we can make a change for a better world.

ABOUT KENTE CLOTH
Here is a description of strip–woven Kente cloth from the Smithsonian Institution web site:
"The cloth called kente, made by the [Ashanti] peoples of Ghana and the Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo, is the best known of all African textiles. Kente's renown has spread internationally, so that it is now one of the most admired of all fabrics. This strip-woven cloth began in the former Gold Coast of West Africa as festive dress for special occasions—traditionally worn by men as a kind of toga and by women as an upper and lower wrapper. Besides its well-known use as spectacular apparel, kente also appears in many other important forms of regalia among the [Ashanti] and Ewe, including drums, shields, umbrellas, and fans.

Over the past forty years the cloth has been transformed into hats, ties, bags, and many other accessories worn and used on both sides of the Atlantic. Individual kente strips are especially popular in the United States when sewn into liturgical and academic robes or worn as a "stole." Kente patterns have developed a life of their own, appropriated as surface designs for everything from Band-Aids and balloons to beach balls and Bible covers. Kente, for many, bridges two continents, evoking and celebrating a shared cultural heritage."

Purchasing these beautiful strips of fabric both supports the Ghanaian Ashanti weavers who create them, and thanks to Daniel's entrepreneurship, helps Friends of Daniel to support the Poawalio family.