DeCare Employees – Khalid’s Story

DeCare has been one of the founding members of the Open Doors Initiative and has been involved in a number of initiatives to provide opportunities into the workplace including employment opportunities and educational seminars for those people most in need in Irish society.

One such successful initiative has been the collaboration between DeCare Dental and the direct provision centre in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. The centre accommodates refugees and asylum seekers from over 16 different countries. DeCare organised an Oral Health seminar at the Direct provision centre where dental nurse and health promotion specialist, Noeleen Lowry educated the large group on the importance of good oral health and the links with overall health and quality of life.

The HR manager mentored an Afghani refugee through the Open Doors program. He is a qualified dentist from Kabul who fled his country with his wife and 2 children once the Taliban took over. He applied for refugee status and international protection in Ireland to escape persecution in Afghanistan. DeCare have now hired him into the business.

Khalid’s Story

I am Khalid Azim, I am originally from Afghanistan where I was working as a fully qualified dentist, my wife and I were offered refugee status by the Irish Government in October 2021 due to our humanitarian work with NGOs supporting the health and rights of woman and children. My wife Dr Sorya Ghafoor, who is a Gynecological Surgeon is also in Ireland with our two sons. We live in Dublin.

Since I arrived in Ireland in October, I have been part of the open doors initiative. This has really helped me to understand and integrate into Irish life, open doors provide opportunities, education, mentorship, and employment for marginalised.

I plan to rebuild my career and ultimately requalify as a dentist in Ireland. I realise this will take a number of years but thanks from the open doors initiative that they make a mentorship program, and they introduce me a mentor. Her name is Petraea, she is such a amazing women and very kind, finally I find a job in a big dental insurance company DeCare Dental as a data entry, I am very proud to work in DeCare, and DeCare is my second family in Ireland  the stuff are very friendly and my manager Rosaleen, she is a strong women I enjoy working with her.

I believe with my dental training, experience in working as a quality assurance officer of a COVID hospital and more experience in different works, I will be a strong asset to DeCare.