Meet Our Team
Diaspora Women Arise is made up of immigrant and displaced women, each with her own unique journey, as well as individuals who are deeply committed to serving the immigrant community. We bring a diverse range of experiences, perspectives, and skills to our work, united by a shared passion for empowering immigrant women and their families. Guided by compassion and a trauma-informed approach, we strive to provide services that are not only effective but also sensitive to the needs and challenges faced by our clients.
Executive Director/Founder
Teresa Dangwa (Pastor Tee), the heart and soul behind Diaspora Women Arise, is an immigrant whose personal journey has shaped her deep commitment to serving other women in similar situations. Having endured the trauma of human trafficking, abuse, and the struggle to navigate life without legal stability, she is passionate about ensuring that no woman faces the same hardships. With a vision rooted in faith, she founded this organization to empower immigrant women and their families by helping them secure legal status and integrate into society with dignity, safety, and hope. Her lived experience drives the compassionate, Christ-centered approach that guides all of the Diaspora Women Arise's work.
Immigration Attorney
Licensed to practice law in Missouri, Heather Ashby is deeply passionate about helping immigrant women navigate their legal journeys. With a career spanning over a decade, Heather brings a wealth of experience from various legal and professional fields. She served as a Government Attorney for 8 years, covering roles in prosecution, legal advising, and legislative counsel, followed by 3 years as a Human Rights Attorney in Zimbabwe.
In addition to her legal career, Heather spent 19 years in the financial services sector, working in business operations, consumer lending, and risk management. She has also transitioned into IT, where she has led projects focused on business strategy, customer service, and legal issues in operations, lending, compliance, and credit underwriting.
With a well-rounded approach to problem-solving, Heather applies her diverse skill set to provide practical, strategic legal guidance. Her goal is to serve clients with compassion and insight, using her multi-disciplinary experience to address their unique challenges from both a legal and socio-economic perspective.
Graphic Designer/Marketing Coordinator
Vivian Makaita Taruvinga is a highly skilled graphic designer and marketing coordinator with 15 years of experience in the graphic design and advertising industry. She brings a wide range of expertise, including graphic design, branding, preparing artwork for production, and developing creative campaigns and promotions. Vivian has worked with numerous companies, taking on diverse responsibilities such as designing materials, ensuring quality control, meeting with clients, directing artwork, and managing social media channels.
Vivian is also experienced in formulating and executing marketing strategies to boost business success. Known for her creativity, strong organizational skills, and enthusiasm, she strives to deliver high-quality designs while establishing a clear and compelling creative vision for the company and its brands across various platforms. She is passionate about helping clients overcome creative blocks and achieve their marketing goals with impactful visual communication.
Case Manager/Social Worker
Diaspora Women Arise is seeking a compassionate, dedicated, and proactive individual to join our team as a Case Manager/Social Worker. This role will be pivotal in helping immigrant women and their families navigate the challenges of legal, social, and community integration. While the position is not yet filled, we are looking for someone with a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable populations, especially immigrant women.
Ideal Candidate Characteristics:
- Empathetic and Compassionate: You should have a deep understanding of the struggles immigrant women face, with a compassionate approach to supporting them through difficult circumstances.
- Culturally Sensitive: Experience working with diverse populations, particularly African immigrants, and a strong respect for different cultural backgrounds.
- Excellent Communication Skills: The ability to listen actively, communicate clearly, and build trust with clients, colleagues, and external partners.
- Solution-Oriented: A proactive problem-solver who can navigate complex situations and find creative solutions to help clients achieve their goals.
- Organized and Detail-Oriented: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple cases and ensure that each client receives the attention and support they need.
- Experience in Social Services or Case Management: While experience in social work or case management is preferred, we value a genuine passion for service and a willingness to learn and grow in this field.
- Commitment to Our Mission: An understanding of and alignment with our Christ-centered mission to empower immigrant women and families to achieve legal stability and integration into society.
- Bilingual Skills (Preferred): Proficiency in languages spoken by African immigrant communities is a plus.
If you are passionate about helping immigrant women build stable, fulfilling lives and are looking to make a lasting impact in your community, we would love to hear from you.
© 2024 | diaspora women arise | Valhalla, NY 10595 | DWA is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 88-4266582
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