Printer Friendly Version - They Helped Us. Now We Can Help Them

Mohammad Daad Serweri is working hard to make sure refugees coming here from Afghanistan have a place to live and support from their local communities, while also working through his grief about the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. He still has family members in Afghanistan who are members of the minority Hazara group, persecuted not only for their religion but also sometimes merely because of the way they look. Before coming to the United States, he worked as a translator and interpreter for the U.S. military. He and his wife also were teachers.Photo courtesy of IRIS

During a normal week in the summer, Mohammad Daad Serweri would go to work, his wife Zeinab would attend to her studies and prepare for her new job as a teacher, and they would together juggle the responsibility for their son Feraidoon and daughter Lida. In their spare time, the family might go to the beach near their home in a shoreline town, visit a state park, play volleyball, visit Bishop’s Orchards to pick their own fruit, and Feraidoon, 10, and Lida, 3, would take every opportunity to explore the world on their scooters.

But the week of Sunday, Aug. 15 was anything but a normal week for Serweri, who came to the United States from Afghanistan. Along with the rest of his neighbors, American and Afghans alike, he watched in horror as the Taliban claimed Kabul, after taking most of the rest of the country virtually unopposed. Panicked citizens rushed the airport, some so terrorized by the Taliban that they clung to the wheels of a departing U.S. aircraft, only to fall to their death. Afghan officials fled the country.

U.S. officials said there was no turning back from the country’s decision to leave. A Taliban spokesman said the Taliban would rule wisely, “within the frameworks we have,” as Taliban rank and file were reported as firing on protesters, forcing women to cover themselves, closing girls’ schools, and sending women home from work.

Serweri, who once ran an English language school for boys and girls in Afghanistan and later worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military, says Monday of that week was “the saddest and darkest day” of his life. “Honestly, you can not find one of my community who has not been shedding tears within the last few days. I never thought that...with all of the sacrifices and everything that was built, that within a span of a couple of days it all fell into the hands of a terrorist group,” says Serweri, who added that it was particularly wrenching to talk with his relatives who remain in Afghanistan.

And then it was time for him to get back to work. And that work includes finding homes for people who, like Serwari, risked their lives to work for the United States, people who are already here in Connecticut, and even more who are on their way.

Serweri, a senior case manager at Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven, says the greatest need right now is housing and leads on housing. He’d also like whatever help can be provided convincing reluctant landlords that IRIS refugees are good tenants and that a lease co-signed by IRIS is a reliable option.

And, he asks that people do anything they can to battle misperceptions about refugees, for example, that they carry diseases. In fact, they go through a thorough and extensive vetting process that includes health checks and medical records, and they will be offered COVID vaccines if they are not already vaccinated.

More volunteers and donations to IRIS are also desperately needed. More information about both of those opportunities can be found at the IRIS website, irisct.org.

But, first and foremost among many needs, are those leads for housing. Urgently needed is temporary housing for families, typically with three to five children plus adults, for two weeks or more. The location for this can be flexible.

Also urgently needed is affordable, permanent housing; rent will be paid for this housing. These places must be a three-bedroom apartment for a maximum of $1,500 a month or a two-bedroom apartment for a maximum of $1,300 a month and immediately available and within walking distance to a bus route. This housing must be separate living accommodations, and not within another home.

“Housing is first and foremost of importance for any families coming newly to the United States,” he says. “And there can be quite a few stumbling blocks. First is the lack of housing availability overall. And some landlords, if they don’t know better, they might not want to accept co-signing with IRIS.”

He emphasizes IRIS is entirely reputable and responsible. The organization has an annual budget of more than $3 million and sets aside more than $500,000 each year for client aid.

“How can these people prove credit if they are coming from Afghanistan? How will they prove a paystub? That is why IRIS co-signs. But there are, actually, landlords that shun and avoid that,” Serweri says. “They might think they might not pay rent. But this misperception needs to be amended. Refugees are the most hard-working people you will ever know. They will be loyal tenants and paying rent will be their first, number-one priority. Rent means more to them than buying food for their family. I have heard from my clients, ‘I will eat less, but I must pay my rent.’”

Those who have time to volunteer might be called upon to provide transportation and other responsibilities to help newly arrived refugees. Furniture is sometimes needed. And financial donations not only helps pay rent for newcomers, but also helps with other initial expenses.

“Once they are employed, they can pay for themselves,” he says. “But any support we provide them, the main goal is to help them become self-sufficient.”

Refugees with work experience and professional certifications sometimes are not able to find work in their specific field, so they will get a job at a place like Amazon in North Haven or Medtronic, a maker of medical devices. And many of them are entrepreneurial and might open their own businesses like restaurants, he added.

He says help is needed in one more area, and that is helping fact check claims made about refugees that might arise in everyday conversations.

“There is a lot of politically provoked narrative against refugees,” he says. “But the reality is otherwise, and we prove them wrong. To get to the bottom of things, people have to get engaged.”

There are volunteer groups in Connecticut working to help this most recent wave of refugees, says IRIS Executive Director Chris George, including one based in Branford and another in the Connecticut River valley.

These groups will be working with the Afghan refugees who are part of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, for interpreters and others who risked their lives working for the United States government. George says he expects at least 700 of those refugees to come to Connecticut, and possibly more.

“IRIS is the largest refugee resettlement agency in Connecticut, and so we would welcome the majority of those 700,” he says. “Some will come through SIV. And there also will be other Afghans, regular refugees.”

He says there is a growing Afghan community in the state, and that the refugees who have settled here so far seem satisfied with their choice. The SIV refugees usually have at least one person in the household who speaks English, and who has some understanding of American culture, since they have worked with Americans in Afghanistan, often on a military base.

For the women, who might not have English language skills that are as advanced, IRIS has set up a literacy program that allows them to come with their young children, who play with volunteers while the parent learns English.

“We’re hoping we might hear from people who know about an apartment, maybe it’s available below market rate, maybe it’s a carriage house, maybe it’s someone who could welcome a family to that for a year. We’re not asking that it be free. But we’d just love to put these families in a safe and clean apartment with neighbors who welcome them, a place that doesn’t cost a fortune,” he says.

George adds that he loves working with the coalitions that have formed to help welcome refugees and support them as they get settled in the United States.

“They bring people together across various spectrums. Religious. Social. Political. Economic. They roll up their sleeves and work together on this amazing project of welcoming families,” he says. “How often does that happen in the United States? It is so rare and beautiful.”

The tradition of welcoming refugees “is one of the best thing this country does. And, therefore, why should we keep it to ourselves? We need to swing open our doors and involve the community in this great project,” he says, adding that community-based resettlement programs such as this could have the power to change the negativity that some are trying to spread about refugees.

“This is a great American tradition, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. You learn so much about yourself when you welcome someone else. And it builds strong public support for resettlement and it could help protect this tradition from those who want to destroy it,” George says. “[I]f we swing open our doors and involve others, then they can say ‘I helped someone find a job.’ ‘I helped someone find a home.’ ‘I walked a kid to school, and these are the right people, strong people, who come here for the right reasons.’”

Mark Pierce, of the The Valley Stands Up (VSU) in the Connecticut River valley, is among those making preparations for these new neighbors of ours. He, too, says there is a great sense of urgency about these preparations. He says TVSU was formed as a local, non-partisan civic group.

“The goal of TVSU is to do what we can to ensure that all people in our community, including refugees, are treated with respect,” he says.

He says the end goal of the group is to help their refugee family become independent.

“Along the way to that goal, we will welcome them to their new home, orient them to American culture, help them with transportation, employment, healthcare, and education,” Pierce says.

He says there are currently about 17 volunteers in their group working on this. They have established a fiduciary with the help of the First Congregational Church of Essex. They also have met with town officials, have investigated medical service and interviewed potential landlords, collected furniture that is now in storage “kindly provided” by the Clark Group, and are lining up translators fluent in Afghan Persian (Dari), Arabic, and Swahili.

While Wesleyan has been tremendously helpful in providing translators, additional translators are needed, particularly in Dari and Swahili. TVSU is holding a fundraiser in the fall to help provide for the family’s living expenses. Those wishing to contribute can send a personal check made out to First Congregational Church in Essex, “Refugee Project” in the memo line, and mail it to the church at 6 Methodist Hill Road, Essex, CT 06426.

“At this point we are thankfully fully staffed, but because the project is a long one, we can anticipate the need for additional volunteers in the future,” Pierce says, noting that these volunteers will be joining a great group. “Our group is very diverse, bringing together volunteers with backgrounds in teaching, ESOL (English to speakers of other languages), social work, medicine, mental health, accounting, architecture, quality control, insurance, and a retired submariner!”

He adds, “moving is difficult; moving to a new country and culture is harder still, and becoming a refugee through no fault of your own is traumatic,” he says. “About half of all refugees are children. We have so much to offer, and it is important to do our part to help with an attitude of respect, and to act. We approach this knowing there will be many surprises. Life happens and we need to approach each situation with flexibility. We welcome the support of the community.”

Laura Noe of Branford, who is working with a group that includes the Rev. Joe Purdue of the First Congregational Church of Branford, says she feels privileged to work with IRIS on this.

“We live in a beautiful, safe community and I believe it is my moral responsibility to help others when I can,” she says. “It takes a village, so the saying goes.”

“We will need people to step up and take leadership roles,” she says. “Joe and I are overseeing the entire resettlement project, and we will need people who can research healthcare, education, and make it happen for the families.”

“We will need volunteers to help move donated items into their home. We will be applying for an emergent loan from the Branford Community Foundation as well.”

She says this effort to help others is a personal one for her. She has a relative who was homeless for 25 years.

“We are fourth-generation, white, middle-class Americans,” Noe says. “It took an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to lift him up and out of homelessness. I was part of that effort, along with social services, LEOs [law enforcement agencies], hospitals, and the general public.”

She says he is now housed, has a full-time job, is reconnected with family and friends, “is happy and well-loved.”

“That’s what can happen when we collaborate, work together to help our most vulnerable,” she says.

Current estimates say about 20 percent of the people in the world today are displaced.

“We need to do something as that is totally unacceptable. We need to make family and community the center of life again, and when we do, we all thrive and flourish,” Noe says. “We all belong. Everyone matters..I believe in helping others. Refugees are forced into leaving. It is chaotic, scary, often life-threatening. We live in a community with so much privilege, comfort, and convenience. It is time to extend that to people in need...recognizing suffering is the beginning of healing. These are people, we are people. We heal in connection.”

“The common denominator is people who care, have big hearts, high levels of empathy, and who walk their talk,” she says. “We know the people arriving will be dealing with a lot. Culture change. Processing trauma. We want to help create a supportive, loving nest here in Branford.”

• To find out how you can help the group in Branford, contact Laura Noe at noemarketing@yahoo.com or by calling 203-500-9495.

• To find out how you can help the Group The Valley Stands Up, contact Mark Pierce at mpierce118@comcast.net.

• To find out how to help IRIS, visitirisct.org/, call 203-562 – 2095 or email info@irisct.org.

Editor’s Note: This article was corrected on Sept. 1 to say that the translators working with The Valley Stands Up are from Wesleyan. Also, additional contact information was added for the groups working with the people coming from Afghanistan.

A Taliban fighter sits on the back of vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16. AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

In this photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, civilians prepare to board a plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 18. Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla/U.S. Marine Corps via AP

In this photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, a boy is processed through an evacuee control checkpoint during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 18.Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla/U.S. Marine Corps via AP

Refugees are given a complete medical and health check and those who are not vaccinated are offered vaccines, including for COVID. Once here, local volunteers and IRIS make sure they have access to medical care. Photo courtesy of IRIS

Nooria had to leave Afghanistan because her family was targeted due to her husband’s work with U.S. forces. With the support of a community co-sponsorship group, Nooria’s husband found a job quickly. Though Nooria understands some English, she has trouble speaking it and so she is attending English classes. Photo courtesy of IRIS

Hewad came to the United States after he was threatened with assassination for working with U.S. troops and using radio broadcast to reach illiterate population living in isolated areas, promoting education for women and building resistance to the Taliban. Hewad hired female Afghan DJs and Islamic scholars to promote the messages. One of those scholars was killed by a bomb. Now that Hewad is here in the United States he is grateful for a day at the playground, at the beach, or playing soccer. He is proud of the progress his children are making. They learned English quickly. “They’re more fluent than me. We’re optimistic for a good future.” Photo courtesy of IRIS