Greetings friends and family,

 

I'm asking for your help supporting three resilient and inspiring Afghan refugees ~ Friend #1 (23), Friend #2, (24) and Friend #3, (29) as they learn English, find jobs and navigate their new life in the US. (I've blocked names and faces to safeguard the ladies' identity).

 

Last August, when the Taliban reasserted control over Afghanistan, the three young women were forced to flee for their safety. They left behind family, ongoing education, and jobs in teaching, community mobilization and women's economic empowerment. As community activists supporting women's rights, the women were natural targets for the Taliban. In September, the trio arrived in the US on a Humanitarian Parole Visa with support from IRC.

 

I met the ladies in November 2021 at a job fair for professional refugee job seekers organized by the non-profit, One Journey. It was immediately apparent that the friends were in desperate need of a caring community to help them acclimate to a new life in the DMV.

 

Two of the sisters received their work authorizations just before the Christmas holidays. They are still actively searching for jobs that can accommodate their basic (but quickly improving) English skills. Friend #3's work authorization has vanished into a bureaucratic black hole at the Organization for International Migration in DC. We are assured the work authorization will be reissued soon.

 

This month, the ladies' 90-day government assistance for new refugee arrivals will be exhausted. They now face a mountain of bills: DC-area rents ($1300/month), food bills ($800/month), phone ($100/month), laptop/internet for job searches ($500 x 2), transport, non-covered healthcare costs, English language learning materials and more.

 

These incredible young women need cash assistance to cover basic needs until they pull in their first paycheck. A network of local friends (Molly Bauch, Deana Barakat, Lyric Winik, Wendy Schaetzel, Lenette Golding, Christina Bruegger and Ashley Gibbs) provide ongoing English practice, job search support, driving lessons and more to help the ladies get culturally acclimated.

 

All funds raised will be used to cover the expenses outlined above. Rent will be paid directly to the leasing agency beginning February 1st. A basic laptop will be purchased, TOEFL books for all will be purchased directly. Money raised for food, transport, phone and internet bills will be split among the ladies in monthly installments until raised funds are dispersed.

 

With your cash assistance and the mentorship of the friends above, our three Afghan friends will be gainfully employed and financially self-sufficient by April 1, 2022. Please join us in giving the ladies a chance to thrive here in the US. Every dollar helps. ~Angie Stene