Reunifying the Fahimi Family in the United States

Hello, we are “Team Fahimi”! We've created this GoFundMe to help our dear friend and colleague, Sediqa, welcome her immediate family members to the United States. Team Fahimi is a Welcome Corps Private Sponsor Group sponsored 6 members of the Fahimi family and brought them to safety in the United States.

Introducing the Fahimis (pictured is youngest sister, Aylar)

Our friend Sediqa and her two younger sisters - Mursal (in college) and Zahra (in high school) - were able to escape Afghanistan in August 2021 as Taliban forces took control of the country. While their evacuation was a blessing, the 3+ years of separation from their parents Mohammad Yasin and Hajar Bibi, siblings Sharif, Murtaza (freshman in high school), and Aylar (3rd grade), and cousin Hussain Ali, was extremely challenging for the family.

Why the Fahimis Seek Safety in the United States

The Fahimi family was not safe in Afghanistan because of the Taliban's ethnic and religious persecution of Hazara and Shi'a Muslims. In addition, their individual activities were targets for the Taliban: collaborating with western NGOs, participating in women's rights activism and public journalism - the Taliban does not permit girls to attend school beyond sixth grade, and women are excluded from most professions. They crossed the border into Pakistan in the spring of 2022. Sediqa has been working tirelessly to resettle her family in a safe country while they face the constant threat of being deported from Pakistan back to Afghanistan.

The opportunity for private sponsorship

The sponsorship program was authorized by U.S. law, and the Fahimis are here with legal immigrant status. As Sediqa's colleagues at Welcome.US, we are honored to be the Fahimi's Private Sponsor Group and to help reunite the family.

Our Fundraising Goal

The Welcome Corps program criteria required us to fundraise to cover the immediate needs of the Fahimi family upon their arrival in the United States. These initial needs include housing, food, clothing, furniture, and transportation - as they get settled and secure employment to sustain themselves. While the family has been here for a few months, they still need some support until they become self-sufficient. The adults are working hard to find jobs and learn English. However, businesses are not hiring much at this time of year, and transportation has been a challenge in their job search. Despite these difficulties, the Fahimi family and the team remain dedicated to achieving self-sufficiency as soon as possible. We are grateful for donations that help bridge the gap, easing the family's transition to fully covering their monthly expenses while they work to secure employment.

100% of the received funds will be spent on supporting the living expenses during their transition to independence in our community. We anticipate that most of it will go toward housing-related costs.