Musa’s life began in Somalia, but war forced his family to flee to a refugee camp in Kenya in 1992. Growing up in the camp, he faced countless challenges, from scarcity to uncertainty. Yet, Musa’s spirit remained unbroken, beginning what would become his life-long mantra “Life is up to you.”  Today, as a valued team member in Peckham’s Custodial Services business line, Musa’s story is one of resilience, growth, and the transformative support of Peckham, a Lansing-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering people with disabilities and barriers to employment, including refugees like him.

Musa arrived in the United States in 2004, speaking broken English, with little more than determination. Conversing with a translator in his native Somali tongue, Musa made it clear that he didn’t come to America to live off U.S. taxpayers. “I’m not going to sit around,” he said, instead insisting on finding work. That drive led him to a custodial job in downtown Lansing, where his familiarity with similar work he’d performed in Kenya gave him a foundation. But it was Peckham that helped him build a future.

When Musa joined Peckham’s Custodial Services team, one of its five business lines, he found more than a job. “Peckham is a place to help you achieve whatever you want,” he says. Peckham offered training to refine his skills, from cleaning techniques to workplace leadership. Musa quickly rose to the role of Crew Leader by 2008, ensuring buildings sparkled and his team worked as one. “My responsibility is mak(ing) sure the building is clean, no complain(ts),” he explains. If a team member struggled, Musa was there, leading by example: “If you need help, let me know. I will help you out.”

Life wasn’t without setbacks. In 2009, a disagreement with a supervisor led Musa to quit, and he bounced between temp jobs, cleaning schools and buildings. “This is not going to work for me,” he realized, needing stability to support his wife and children. In 2015, he returned to Peckham, drawn by the company’s interest in his growth. Beyond custodial work, Peckham supported his education, helping him attend Lansing Community College to improve his reading and writing while accommodating his work schedule. This included paying him for an hour’s time spent studying when his work overlapped his schooling.

Peckham’s resources extended further. Musa joined their iLead program, taking leadership classes to sharpen his skills. He learned to craft a resume and watched training videos, soaking up knowledge. “If you are a good learner, they have a lot of videos you can learn,” he says. These tools helped him overcome language barriers, proving that “whether you speak English or you don’t, it’s up to you.”

Today, Musa thrives, ensuring Peckham’s custodial contracts shine while mentoring his team. His story embodies Peckham’s ethos: barriers don’t define potential. “If you are lazy, your life is going to be lazy. If you are active, your life is going to be active,” he says. For Musa, Peckham wasn’t just a job—it was a community that believed in his dreams, showing him that life, indeed, is up to you.