Spotlights
Meet some of the refugees whose lives have been changed by our donors’ and partners’ generosity.
F.A.
F.A. is an Iraqi refugee resettled in Utah. In his native country, he was ostracized because of a facial deformity, and not allowed to attend school or to work.
F.A. came to the United States as an adult. A not-for-profit gave him his first job, in their donations facility. They also provided English lessons and counseling, which helped F.A. to develop self-confidence and begin to dream of a career doing something he enjoys—cooking.
F.A. did not have transportation to get to a new job, so Rides for Refugees provided him with a car. The car enabled F.A. to fulfill his dream of working in the culinary industry and becoming financially self-sustaining.
“Having a car will change my life,” F.A. told us when he received the car. “I will have so many more opportunities. I won’t just be a refugee, I will be like everyone else.”
Resettled in Utah
Mr. A. had a government job in Afghanistan, so the family had to flee for safety when the Taliban resumed control of the country. The family is now resettled in Indiana as permanent legal residents. Their car from Rides for Refugees enabled Mr. A. to get to work reliably, and allowed Mrs. A. to get her drivers license and run errands, take the children places, and enjoy a freedom and independence she would not have in Afghanistan. “You did a lot for my family. . . It’s like magic. I still can’t believe,” she told us.
Resettled in IndianaThe A. Family
Tee is an attorney and women’s rights activist who also worked as a midwife. She and her family attempted to flee Afghanistan together when Kabul fell to the Taliban, but Tee and her sister were separated from their parents and siblings and were the only ones to make it out of the country.
Now that Tee and her sister, a college student, are permanently resettled in Virginia, Tee’s goal is to work in medical offices and save up enough to repeat law school in the United States so she can again practice as an attorney. Her car from Rides for Refugees helped her find gainful employment that will help her fulfill her ambitions.
Resettled in VirginiaTee
Dr. N.
Dr. N. is an Afghan refugee who completed medical school in Pakistan while awaiting her visa and transport to the United States. When Rides for Refugees met her, Dr. N. was permanently resettled in Virginia and studying to take her medical resident licensing exam so she could start a residency. Fluent in four languages, including Korean (which she learned because she loves K-pop music), Dr. N. was full of optimism for the future, despite being the only member of her family who made it to the United States.
“This earth, this life, cannot be an accident—someone is watching over us. So, whatever is happening in my life, I never feel alone.”
Resettled in Virginia
The Dr. A. Family
Dr. A. had a successful medical practice in Afghanistan. He and his wife and children had to flee Afghanistan because of religious persecution when the Taliban assumed control of the country. The family has had to start their lives over, without the earnings and material possessions of the life they left behind when they were forced to flee. They are resettled in California as permanent legal residents, where Dr. A. and his children are using their new vehicle to get to work and school and rebuild financially.
Resettled in California