Empowering Afghan Refugees: A Market Experience & An Inspiring Story
WITH SHER HASSAN
On Sunday, Oct 8, 2023 our Afghan Refugee families came to WHPC to share a story in worship as well as showcase their home made products and sell them to the congregation. The women and children made beautiful bracelets, handbags and more. The men prepared delicious food and blessed us all with their presence. In addition to the beautiful market experience, Sher Hassan (one of the refugees), shared his story in worship. Keep reading to hear his story.
My first glimpse of the United States was in Houston, Texas seven months ago. Two days later I was moving into a new home in Austin with my wife and four children. Now, seven months later I dream of opening up a halal market and buying a home for my family. I’m learning about credit cards and dentists. I have a driver’s license, a car, and a job.
But, even though I have the American dream today, I never wanted it.
I am 33 years old, and I was a Lt Col in the Afghan National Army, working with US Combined Special Forces. Because of that job, I had to take every dream I had for my life and start over.
Before August 16, 2021, I thought my future would include my 30-person family and myself in an Afghanistan that was Taliban-free and peaceful. We had 4 homes on two acres. I had plans to rise up to the rank of General and continue to serve my country. Many many regions of Afghanistan were free from militants and seemed like they would be for a long time.
I could never have imagined a collapse of the government.
At 8 AM that day, my team and I were planning which new recruits for the Army were going to join us. It was a regular day.
By 3 PM the neighboring provinces started falling under Taliban control. In under 9 hours, 15 provinces had fallen. This was a complete surprise.
When I heard the province of Kunar fell, I decided to risk everything to give my family a chance to start over if they needed to.
I snuck out of my military base with my personal vehicle and a pistol and drove the unpaved roads home.
I needed to remove all paper evidence of my work in the government - something the Taliban would search for during raids. I didn’t know if I would get to see my family again and I told them to go to the mountains if things got bad and I wasn’t there.
By the blessing of God, I returned to my base without trouble, even though in one hour the roads had all come under Taliban control.
So many other bases had surrendered, but we refused and made counter threats to the Taliban at our gate. We told them we would rather die fighting than surrender, and that we would use every weapon we had on them.
At the suggestion of our US military advisors, we evacuated to the capitol and drove all night in the dark using our night vision equipment to Kabul Airbase.
We were successful in burning any paper records and moving all 1800 soldiers, but as we arrived in Kabul we learned the city had fallen, the Kabul air base was Taliban-occupied, and the President had left the country.
Still, we kept on. Since the Taliban controlled the Airbase gate, we made our own gate by breaking the walls and successfully invading. Soon, we were told by our US Advisors that evacuating the country to the United States was possible and our immediate families could come with us.
For the next four days, I only slept 2-3 hours. As head of Logistics, I was responsible for all people, food, and water, for close to 15,000 soldiers and their families escaping a terrorist takeover.
On 23-August 2021 at 7 PM, myself and the rest of the leadership team were on the last flight out of Kabul. My wife was 9-months pregnant on that flight.
My wife gave birth to our third child Ibrahim 4 days later in Abu Dhabi, a camp where we stayed for one year, sometimes not being allowed to leave our room for weeks at a time. We have a son who is paralyzed, and when we could finally leave our room I had to carry him by hand up and down 3 flights of stairs.
When the immigration officials asked me where I wanted to go, I said Austin, Texas because I knew people here. I had never been here before, and life here is very different from our life in Afghanistan.
I know the most English from my time working with US Combined Special Forces, but not many others do. The food is different, cultural practices are different, transportation is different.
And remember, we didn’t get a chance to plan for a life here. In an instant we had to decide to start over with what we could and remake our future.
I never wanted to own a business in Afghanistan. I wanted to be a General and serve my country. I never wanted to leave my country.
But now I have dreams of opening up a halal market to pay for my family’s future home and for the visas, passports, and flight costs to evacuate my parents, brothers, and sisters still in Afghanistan. They receive death threats from the Taliban, and I worry for their safety constantly.
These dreams are new to me, but they are driven by a deep desire to protect and provide for my family. I never imagined that I would have to leave my home and start over, but I am grateful for the many blessings I have received and the kindness of strangers like Martha, Mike, Eric, Patty, Isaac, Becky and the rest of the Afghan Refugee Ministry team.
What’s happening now wouldn’t be possible without them and the support of WHPC.
I have a job, a driver’s license, and a vehicle because of this help. They helped me navigate all the paperwork to get Medicaid and food stamps. Even though I could read everything, I didn’t know where or how to apply. When my wife gave birth here, I didn’t know where to go, which hospital to go to for the delivery. I am in 24/7 contact with someone from this team.
Thank you. I believe that our new life is only beginning, and I look forward to what the future holds.
