International Rescue Committee
Sabira Madady
Friend,

My name is Sabira... and I wanted to reach out to you because I know that you are a generous supporter of the IRC and refugees from Afghanistan like myself. Thank you for supporting the IRC and refugees like me.

People always ask me how I made the decision to leave Afghanistan. It was hard. I was especially worried about leaving my mother behind. But it was my mother who insisted that my sister and I find a way to leave Afghanistan. She wanted a better future for us.

I belong to the Hazara community — an ethnic group in Afghanistan. Historically, Hazaras have not been considered beautiful and have been systematically persecuted because of our ethnicity and religion. Just a couple of weeks ago there was a suicide bombing in the Hazara part of Kabul that killed 53 people and injured 120 — mostly girls and young women.

Being a woman in Afghanistan is hard. Being a Hazara woman is even harder.

My mother wanted me to escape the prejudice she’d experienced her entire life so she urged us to try to leave the country, since we had the opportunity. The trip to the airport was harrowing and something I try not to think about. I was a bus leader for 23 young women, and at one point it felt like we might live... or we might die. But finally, me and my classmates — there were 148 of us — were able to get on a plane.

When we boarded the plane I actually didn't know where it was taking us — just that it was taking us out of Afghanistan. After stopovers in Saudi Arabia and Spain, we ultimately arrived in the United States.

We spent our first 3 ½ months on a military base, and IRC staff helped us navigate the paperwork that would let us live in the U.S. After leaving the military base, I came to Arizona State University (ASU) as part of a co-sponsorship program between the ASU and the IRC. I'm working towards a second bachelor's degree — this time in medical studies. I might even double major in photography. One day I hope to become an occupational therapist for people with special needs.

On the flight to Phoenix, I met Melanie, a Community Engagement and Advocacy Manager from the IRC. She was so supportive. I asked her how I could volunteer, and she introduced me to the IRC in Arizona's advocacy projects, which works directly with refugees and immigrants like myself to advocate for laws, policies, and programs that lead to justice and opportunity for our communities.

So far I've been able to speak at meetings with government officials from the City of Phoenix, which have led to more funds being directed to IRC Arizona to help Afghan refugees.

I am one of 63 women from Afghanistan that are co-sponsored by the IRC and ASU. We met in Afghanistan, and now we are together in Arizona. It's hard to believe where we are now. Through it all, it's been so reassuring to know that the IRC team is there to help us, whenever we need it.

I wanted to write an email to you, an extraordinarily dedicated supporter, and thank you personally. I feel so much gratitude when I think about how the IRC has supported me and actually given me a platform to advocate for people from Afghanistan and other refugees. I know that their work is possible because of you. You are someone who has shown up in a big way to help the people of Afghanistan and so many others who are facing crises.

There's so much I want to tell you about what I've experienced and how the IRC helps, but I'll have to save that for another time. For now — I just want to say thank you for being a part of the IRC community. Your incredibly generous support touches real lives, like mine. You are making a difference.

Best,

Sabira Madady

P.S. My story is one of many stories of those that have left Afghanistan within the past year. I encourage you to learn how your support has impacted so many others like mine. Read about my classmates Arifa, Zahra, and Hadisa here. » [link removed]
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