Resilience in Action: Support a Dentist Mission to Serve

My name is Arif Alizada and I am a 33-year-old studying for my DMD degree in the United States as an aspiring general dentist. I currently live with my wife and daughter in the northeast region of the United States.

I was born and raised in Ghazni, Afghanistan, within the Hazara ethnic group. Regardless of the governing body in Afghanistan, Hazaras have been a continuously targeted population. After the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, millions of Hazaras overcame unimaginable adversity trying to pursue their education. Taking grave risks to my life and safety, I started my Bachelor of Dental Surgery in Islamabad, Pakistan. This required me to travel frequently between Islamabad and Ghazni in Afghanistan. Most of my travel routes were under the control of the Taliban and their affiliated terrorists. In August 2019, I was kidnapped and held as a prisoner by the Taliban for 17 days.

With the fall of the Afghan Government in August 2021, I feared for my family’s life. Not only was I already known by and freed from the Taliban, but my family members were also well-known by members of organized criminal groups at Kabul International Airport.

After the fall, my wife and I lived in hiding for several months. We attempted numerous times to flee Afghanistan using my wife’s J1 fellowship visa sponsored by a university in the United States.

With the continuous support of the university’s Scholars at-risk Program, we arrived in the U.S. in December 2021. With the deterioration of women’s rights and the unending oppression of Hazaras in Afghanistan, we have applied for asylum and are currently awaiting the outcome.

I am determined to secure our future in more safe and secure environment. Since gaining work authorization, I've worked tirelessly as a dental assistant. Successfully passing all required board examinations, I took a significant step toward becoming a licensed US dentist earning admission to an accredited DMD program in the states. I am forever thankful for the opportunity that I have been given.

I am currently in the second semester of my first year, and due to my pending asylum application, my FAFSA and private bank loan applications have all been denied. I have faced many obstacles in funding my education and refuse to give up the pursuit of my education to support myself and my family.

I am launching this campaign to cover the remaining costs of my tuition for the program. If need be, I will take a leave of absence in the middle of my two-year program to help try and secure funds so I can continue to reach my goal of being a licensed dentist in the United States.

I must honor my financial obligation to the university to ensure I can return and finish my studies. Your support will help empower me to continue my education and make a meaningful impact on my family’s life and help cover the debt that I have accrued for my study. I hope that when I finish my journey, I will be able to pay it forward and help someone who may be in a situation like mine.

Every donation, big or small, brings me closer to achieving my goal. Thank you for considering my story and contributing to my future. Your generosity will forever change my life.

Paying through me or directly to the school is also an option. Thank you for your support.