Driving toward American dream; Zhakatas find home in Aurora

IWS working to fill void of truck drivers with U.S. companies

The Zhakata family moved from Zimbabwe to Aurora in 2023, where father Stephen completed a CDL Academy offered by Aurora-based International Workforce Services. PIctured from left are Emmanuel, Amos, Agnes and Stephen Zakhata.
The Zhakata family moved from Zimbabwe to Aurora in 2023, where father Stephen completed a CDL Academy offered by Aurora-based International Workforce Services. PIctured from left are Emmanuel, Amos, Agnes and Stephen Zakhata.

The lure of a good job, a better education for his children and an opportunity to build a better future convinced Stephen Zhakata to leave his homeland in Africa back in 2018, and seven years later he and his family are proud to call Aurora home. A truck driver by trade, Zhakata had learned about a program that helped international drivers attain the visas and training needed to work and live in A…