The Purpose of this GoFundMe Effort – Helping an Afghani Refugee Family. Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, this refugee family legally arrived in the US in January 2025 under the official U.S. State Department admissions program for Afghani refugees, after living in Germany for three years. An Orange County resettlement agency was assigned by the State Department to oversee the resettlement of the family. However, the agency was able to provide only an initial installment of the standard State Department financial support because all funds under that program were cut off by the Trump Administration. This GoFundMe effort is intended to cover the resulting financial gap by providing sufficient assistance to obtain a used car for the family and to supplement their income for the next four to six months while they get settled.
The Family’s Background. The father was an anesthesiologist in Kabul, where he served for 15 years as the head of the Anesthesia and Recovery Department at a major hospital. He hopes to find work in that field here in California, and eventually to take the necessary medical boards and obtain an anesthesiology residency to requalify as a doctor. The mother earned a B.A. in business administration from a private university in Kabul. She worked in human resource management for several NGOs and governmental entities in Afghanistan, and as a volunteer with NGOs while the family lived in Germany. They have two sons, ages 13 and 10.
The Family’s Current Situation and Needs. The family has made some important progress since they arrived in January: they found an apartment, obtained basic furnishings and household goods through donations, and enrolled the boys in school. Because the parents are authorized to be employed under the terms of the U.S. State Department admissions program, the mother was able to find an entry-level job with a medical device manufacturer. However, her commuting costs will absorb most of her take-home pay until they have a car. The father has been applying for various jobs, but his search has been hampered by a lack of transportation. He has obtained his California driver’s license but the family urgently needs a car, as well as continuing rent and other financial assistance, until he obtains regular employment at a sufficient wage to enable them to meet their basic needs.
