Afghans Rising Initiative

Mission

Our mission is to aid in the transition to American life for displaced Afghan families.

Project

Local resettlement start over support and advocacy for refugees living in the greater Philadelphia region.

Background

In 2021, the rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has resulted in many displaced families that have fled to the US under the most extreme conditions. Many have risked their lives and the lives of their families as well as accepted risks of separation, retaliation, illness and injury to flee the only country they called home to start life anew in the US. Many families as well as individuals entered the US for the first time through the Philadelphia airport holding only what they could scramble to pack as they ran. They came tired, hungry, and scared with many traveling for 10-14 days until their final destination. Some children arrived with cuts and scratches, other refugees had bullet injuries, some families had been ripped apart. They were welcomed here with warm arms. On arrival at the airport, children played soccer with servicemen, they repeatedly kissed their donated stuffies. Women and men asked for tea and the look of relief was evident. But they will need so much more. This is an unprecedented time for both these new refugees and the cities that took them in.

As humanitarian parolees, these families may not benefit from services offered to traditional US refugees, receiving less financial support and only a limited range of medical and resettlement services. We would like to help this funding gap and give these Afghans a safe, successful, start over and ensure a better transition to live out their own American dream.