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Amira* arrived in Chicagoland with a sense of great relief after she and her family fled Afghanistan. “When we first arrived in the U.S., I felt very good and happy. I was so relieved to have made it to the U.S. because we left the war in our country, and we are safe here.” However, after the initial relief of arriving safely, Amira began to feel isolated and alone in her new city. “It was so hard for me at first; it was very difficult. I kept thinking, ‘How will I speak with people? I could never do that.’ In the beginning, I couldn’t even write my name or speak; I didn’t know anything.”
Through the support of donors and community partners, Amira received a sewing machine and joined an Afghan women’s group that focused on cultural orientation, English language learning, and basic sewing skills. The group met at a local church partner. The sewing machine became a lifeline for Amira as her husband worked and her children were enrolled in school. “I did something for myself at home. I made clothes for myself and my children, and other household items, but mostly I sewed clothes for my children.”
The Afghan women’s group provided Amira with the safe space she needed for connection and learning, which helped kindle her confidence, find community, and spark her creativity. Amira shared, “It helped a lot! The class encouraged me to work harder. Before that, I was always thinking and stressed at home. I
didn’t have the courage—I was afraid to talk to people and to go outside. I always thought I would never learn, that I would never understand. I was so discouraged. After I attended the class and saw my classmates, it helped me so much! I learned a lot of things, and it gave me more courage to keep learning! I can learn! I can understand my address and my name! It was helpful to practice speaking English with church volunteers. At home, we were isolated and didn’t have anyone to speak English with.”
World Relief staff member, Shola Yawari reflects, “When I first met Amira, she didn’t have confidence. She was nervous and very shy; she wouldn’t talk. Since joining the group, she started to share, and now, whenever she knows the answer, she speaks up. She even proudly wrote her name on the board in her beautiful handwriting. She was so happy and full of joy in the group! As her teacher, I noticed her eagerness to learn and show me how much she had learned. If I taught the class how to sew pillowcases, Amira would go home, add something extra to the pillowcase, and come back the next day to ask me, ‘Is it okay? Is this good?’ She would work and create something new all by herself. From the fabric donated to World Relief, Amira sewed beautiful dresses for her children. She also helped other Afghan women alter their clothes. She made new friends in the class. Amira is a very smart, creative, and ambitious woman.”
Because of your support, Amira is no longer isolated and alone. She has a community of women that have broken through the isolation – some like her with a similar story and some who grew up in the U.S. that are now her friends and neighbors. Thank you for being a part of her journey and creating lasting change in her life.
*Name Changed for Privacy