Many languages, few interpreters
One caseload can include Dari, Pashto, Swahili and Ukrainian speakers. Agency interpreters are stretched thin, and volunteer interpreters have jobs and families of their own.
For caseworkers, sponsors & volunteers
Welcome calls that land. In Dari, Ukrainian, Arabic.
Refugee resettlement runs on phone calls: a ride to the clinic, a school enrollment date, a landlord who needs the spare key back. intelecho lets caseworkers, private sponsors and volunteers call a family's phone and talk through a live translated call, so the message gets through even when the volunteer interpreter is at work. It covers Afghan, Ukrainian, Congolese, Syrian and Venezuelan families, among many others, in 46 languages.
- 46 languages
- No app for either side
- Free 5-minute demo calls
100,034
Refugees resettled in the U.S. in fiscal 2024, the most since FY 1994
Source: Migration Policy Institute, using State Department data (2026)~240,000
Ukrainians who arrived through the Uniting for Ukraine program
Source: Migration Policy Institute (2026)~76,000
Afghan evacuees granted humanitarian parole after the August 2021 withdrawal
Source: Migration Policy Institute (2026)The challenge
Where the conversation gets stuck
Small logistics, big consequences
A misunderstood appointment time or a missed document deadline can cost a family a day's pay or a benefit. Most of these are two-minute calls that only need a shared language.
Smaller teams, same families
The FY 2026 refugee ceiling was set at 7,500, the lowest in the program's history, and many agencies have cut staff. Families who arrived in recent years still need help with rent, school and work, now from fewer caseworkers and more volunteers.
Calls you can make today
Real situations, handled by phone
Appointments and rides
A caseworker calls an Afghan mother in Dari to confirm her son's school vaccination appointment and that a volunteer driver will pick them up at 9:15.
Job interview prep
An employment specialist calls a Congolese father in Swahili with the warehouse interview time and address, and reminds him to bring his employment authorization card.
Sponsor check-in
A sponsor calls a Ukrainian family in Ukrainian, or Russian if they prefer, to ask how the new apartment is going and whether the landlord fixed the heat.
School enrollment
A volunteer calls a Syrian father in Arabic to explain which documents the school district needs and what hours the enrollment office is open.
What it sounds like
A sample call, English ⇄ Ukrainian
Each person speaks naturally in their own language. intelecho translates every turn so each side hears the other in a clear AI voice.
Languages that come up most
- Dari
- Pashto
- Ukrainian
- Russian
- Swahili
- French
- Arabic
- Spanish
Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Venezuela were the top refugee origins in FY 2025 (MPI), and about 240,000 Ukrainians came through Uniting for Ukraine. Somali, Burmese, Persian (Farsi), Amharic and Haitian Creole are supported too; Tigrinya, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Lingala, Karen and Oromo are not yet.
Translating both waysEnglish ⇄ Ukrainian
Sponsor · EnglishHi Olena, it's Sarah from the sponsor team. The clinic called: your son's vaccination is set for Tuesday at 10 a.m.Ukrainian mother hears: Добрий день, Олено, це Сара з групи спонсорів. Мені телефонували з клініки: щеплення вашого сина призначили на вівторок о 10-й ранку.
Ukrainian mother · УкраїнськаДякую! Але я працюю до обіду. Чи можна перенести на другу половину дня?You hear: Thank you! But I work until lunchtime. Could it be moved to the afternoon?
Sponsor · EnglishI'll ask. If they have 2 p.m., I can drive you both.Ukrainian mother hears: Я запитаю. Якщо в них є вільний час о 14:00, я можу відвезти вас обох.
Ukrainian mother · УкраїнськаЦе було б чудово. Дуже вам дякую.You hear: That would be wonderful. Thank you so much.
How it works
Three steps from this page to a translated call
- 01
Check the case file
Confirm the family's preferred language and a U.S. phone number. Some Afghan families prefer Pashto over Dari, and some Ukrainians prefer Russian. Add your name so the introduction says who is calling.
- 02
Let intelecho dial
Your phone rings first, then the family's. They hear a short explanation in their own language that this is a translated call from you, which helps with families wary of unknown numbers.
- 03
Cover one task per call
Date, time, place, what to bring. Ask them to repeat the key detail back. If the topic needs more than five minutes, schedule time with a qualified interpreter instead.
Get it right
Tips for smoother calls
- Families may not pick up unknown numbers. Send a quick text through your usual channel saying you'll call from a new number in a few minutes.
- Drop program acronyms like R&P, ORR, EAD or SNAP. Say "your work permit card" or "food assistance."
- Give addresses slowly with a landmark: "the clinic next to the big grocery store on Main Street."
- Ask about language with every new household. Dari and Persian (Farsi) are close but not the same, and many Congolese families are more comfortable in Swahili than French.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I call a family's relatives overseas?
No. Both numbers have to be U.S. or Canadian. intelecho is for calls with families after they arrive, not with relatives still in Afghanistan, Ukraine or a refugee camp.
Which refugee languages are supported?
Dari, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Swahili, French, Spanish, Somali, Burmese, Haitian Creole and Amharic, among 46 in all. Tigrinya, Kinyarwanda, Karen and Oromo aren't supported yet, so plan on a human interpreter for those families.
Can it replace our volunteer interpreters?
No. It's a free demo for short, practical calls, and AI translation can make mistakes. Volunteer and professional interpreters still matter for anything sensitive, long or legal. intelecho can take routine reminders off their plate.
Our Ukrainian families came on parole, not as refugees. Can we still use it?
Yes. Many Ukrainian families who arrived through Uniting for Ukraine hold humanitarian parole rather than refugee status, but that makes no difference to the call. Pick Ukrainian or Russian based on what the family prefers.
Is it safe to discuss case details?
intelecho doesn't record calls or store transcripts. Twilio connects the phone numbers and OpenAI translates the audio. Follow your agency's confidentiality rules, and save immigration case details, medical history and trauma for conversations with qualified interpreters.
Make your first translated call
Enter your number and theirs, pick both languages, and pick up when we ring you. It takes about a minute to set up.
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