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It sure didn’t take Basharat Afzalazada, a 25-year-old business graduate from Afghanistan, long to carve out a successful life for himself in America’s Dairyland.
Just four months after arriving in the Fox Valley, he landed a job at Arla Foods. With a go-getter attitude and a positive outlook, he acclimated quickly to his position as a packaging technician at the company’s cheese plant in Kaukauna.
“I’m working in many different spots and running machines,” he said. “I’m learning everything I can.”
Recently, Basharat took on new responsibilities as a language ambassador at Arla, a perfect fit for someone who speaks Dari, Pashto, English and, recently, a little Spanish. This month, he was named employee of the quarter for exhibiting the company’s core values.
Ready To Work
Basharat arrived in the U.S. with an education, work experience and marketable skills. He honed his resume and began seeking employment with help from World Relief Wisconsin’s economic empowerment staff.
“We work with people who have varying levels of work experience. Many may not have formal job experience or an extensive education, but they all bring remarkable resilience, a strong drive to succeed and a refreshing perspective on life. Their stories highlight how employment enables them to build a better future,” said Nicole Gerow, employment services manager.
“We help with the job search, onboarding and transportation until they can take care of that on their own.”
Nicole recognized that Basharat’s language skills would be a real asset at Arla, a company with which she had been cultivating opportunities for new arrivals in the Fox Valley.
“Basharat is eager to learn,” she said. “He is willing to help others, assist coworkers with language skills and integrate into living and working in Wisconsin.”
Win-Win Partnership
Since the collaboration with World Relief Wisconsin began in November 2024, Arla has hired a dozen refugees including Basharat, primarily for its third shift packaging line.
“Arla is wonderful, welcoming, supportive and open-minded,” Nicole said. “Eight-hour shifts make working there more accessible and inclusive, and they pay enough for their employees to make a livable wage.”
The partnership is an “exciting success” said Julie Scholl, human resources generalist at the plant, which is owned by the multinational Arla Foods Group based in Denmark.
While Arla—the fifth largest dairy company in the world—is committed to building inclusive workspaces, Julie said the diversity of employees “didn’t happen overnight” at the Kaukauna site.
She explained that they’ve worked hard to build the capacity to safely hire, train and support employees who speak a wide range of languages. Knowing how to properly operate machines, wear PPE (personal protective equipment), handle food products and even respond to tornado drills are all essential skills for keeping employees safe.
Arla training partner Idie Chavarria said, “Our new World Relief employees are eager to learn our ways of working …. Language doesn’t stop them from effective communication and it is inspiring, as they are learning English so fast. They complete our third-shift team.”
Remarkable Impact
That pride and enthusiasm continues to spread at Arla.
“Employees hired through our partnership with World Relief have made a remarkable impact on both operations and workplace culture,” said Ammar Al Lami, packaging scheduler and translator.
“They consistently demonstrate a strong work ethic, a high sense of responsibility and a clear understanding of the importance of their roles. Team leaders have praised their punctuality, proactive problem-solving and ability to identify safer and more efficient ways to work.”
For Julie, what’s happening between World Relief and Arla is reflective of her greater worldview. “It’s kind of part of me and how I was raised to treat everyone well,” she said.
Ammar agrees.
“Collaborating with World Relief has been a great reminder that our values extend beyond our work—they shape how we show up for one another and for the world around us,” he said.
As for Basharat, he is thriving in a diverse workplace that encourages continuing education and professional growth. He enjoys learning from his coworkers about their language, culture and favorite foods.
“I want to continue to get experience here. I want to be a supervisor or a manager someday,” he said with a wide grin. “I have great goals.”
Learn more about World Relief Wisconsin’s employment and economic empowerment work.