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Dear Friend,
When 17-year-old Zahir fled Afghanistan, he left his parents and his community behind, with no guarantee that he would ever see them again. After a long and tortuous journey across the world, he arrived in the United States where he enrolled in a high school in Michigan. Through his local soccer league, Zahir found a new family of support. When his teammates discovered he couldn’t eat local food due to his cultural practices, they went the extra mile to learn and prepare his own cuisine so he was nourished before soccer practice. Eventually, Zahir was able to reunite with his parents, but the support and care he received from his local community while he waited was vital for his success.
Afghan children evacuated alone from Kabul were one of our largest demographics served in the past year, and so many of them echo what Zahir says: “Before I had a lot of dreams, to do a lot of things. But now, my only dream is to be with my family together, that’s it.”
Zahir’s story is inspirational in the ways that community came together around an unaccompanied immigrant child fleeing from war to ensure he felt the comforts and joys of his new home so that he could thrive. As many of us find ourselves surrounded by the warmth and comfort of our loved ones this holiday season, we want to continue to offer this sense of community and warmth to the children we serve to ensure their success. Donate today. Your gift can make a difference in creating more happy endings like Zahir’s.
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