From a Dark Night to a Brighter Day

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There is a Persian proverb that says, “After a dark night, we have a bright day.” It’s a simple truth, but one we sometimes need to be reminded of. There is another Persian saying from poet Gulistan Saadi that says, “Human beings are members of one another; when one member is in pain, the others cannot remain at rest.” To put it another way, we are resilient together — as a community.

Marzia is a graduate of the Fall 2025 World Relief Sewing Class hosted in partnership with Hillside Church in Kent. Together with a cohort of seven other Afghan women, she spent six weeks learning the basics of sewing via a series of projects carefully selected to build participants’ skills and confidence. “I really enjoyed [making] the quilt,” Marzia said, smiling as she thought back over the various projects. “It was my favorite part of the class. And the second part was the bag. My daughter still carries it. I was really proud of myself for making it.”

Marzia, like many of the now 125 women who have graduated from this program, greatly improved her sewing skills over the six-week course. And, perhaps even more importantly, being surrounded by a supportive community built up her confidence.

A Journey Toward Confidence

Prior to arriving in the United States, Marzia and her family spent nearly ten years living in Indonesia waiting to be resettled in the U.S. It was a tough season marked by isolation and uncertainty — a dark night. When Marzia’s family finally did arrive in the U.S., there were new challenges. “When we arrived here, it was very difficult,” Marzia said. “We didn’t have vehicles. Everything seemed complicated… Everything was different!” On top of that, Marzia felt like the years waiting in Indonesia had caused her to forget many things, including how to learn. In the end, it was her husband who encouraged her to start studying and try new things.

Learning a new skill was part of Marzia’s motivation for taking the sewing class. “I was interested in sewing, and one of my friends told me that World Relief has a good program for women.” After more than a year on the class waitlist, a spot opened, and Marzia eagerly joined. As the weeks progressed, Marzia’s sewing skills steadily improved with the gentle instruction and encouragement of the teachers and volunteers.

With each new project, Marzia would ask herself, can we do this? Can we make this one? The women were able to complete every project they attempted. “Every project, when I completed it, I was very happy!” Marzia says. “I feel confident… Anything we want to do, we can do!” The achievement and feeling of accomplishment that came with each completed project served as a catapult for confidence that extended far beyond sewing.

Marzia is now pursuing new skills and even bigger dreams. With the encouragement of her husband and daughter, along with her growing confidence, Marzia started college. She is studying to become a medical assistant. Whenever individuals question Marzia’s pursuits, she tells them, “No, we have to learn! We have the ability to learn. Why should we not?”

Toward a Brighter Day

“In class, I felt very comfortable,” said Marzia, reflecting on her time in the sewing course. “In our country, when we are mixed [men and women], we are a little quiet in class. In this class, we were very free.” In the classroom full of women—Afghans and Americans—the women quickly formed bonds. They felt safe to speak their minds freely, try things, fail, and try again. “We had good teachers [in the Sewing Program] and lots of volunteers. I really loved them,” Marzia said. “I miss them, too. They were friendly and nice. It seemed that many months or years we were together.”

When asked if she had any advice for other women in the Afghan community in Western Washington, Marzia quickly responded: “Meet friends!” For Marzia, it is community that has helped her remain resilient. Together, within community, we move forward with confidence into a brighter day.

World Relief Western Washington’s resiliency programs seek to support and multiply the inherent resiliency of refugees and immigrants by building bridges to resources and community. Our work seeks to change the systems that suppress and oppress communities and create vulnerable situations. To learn more about this and all of our resiliency programs, subscribe to our newsletter!

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