OCT 20 2022
Hamida’s Story
Wardak Province, Afghanistan
After the collapse of the government in Afghanistan, Hamida was one of the many professional women who were sequestered in their homes by the Taliban, unable to leave unless accompanied by a male relative. Hamida, unmarried at the time, was the sole bread winner for her family–her mother and younger sister Arezo–who lived with her. It was during this dark time that Hamida began to consider the unthinkable prospect of leaving her home country. A decision she had hoped she would never have to make.
Hamida was no stranger to fear and risk, the non-government organization that she worked for, Tashabos Education Organization, had been receiving threats for two years prior to the collapse. Hamida, along with her colleagues, had secretly been moving their headquarters from place to place, trying to keep from being located. Tashabos which literally translates to entrepreneurship in English had been a well-established organization for over fourteen years in Afghanistan, working with high schools to educate students, many of them young women, to become entrepreneurs who would go on to start businesses and help grow Afghanistan’s economy. Hamida was especially passionate about the work she did with the young women, who went on to develop successful business with the skills they learned from Tashabos. One of her students, for example, started a successful crib mattress factory and even employed twenty of her female classmates. Another, began a factory that made pickles and jams that were sold regionally.
Hamida and her sister were able to flee as refugees with the help of the United States government, but at the last minute, her mother was not admitted passage and Hamida and her sister, at their mother’s command, had to leave without her. This was the single most difficult moment of her life.
Here, Hamida and her sister have been able to secure jobs with the University of Arkansas and send money back to their mother who has recently fallen ill. Though it has been extremely tough to show up in a new country with nothing but a small bag of belongings, they have been welcomed and supported by Canopy and by their coworkers. Like many refugees, Hamida suffers from anxiety about the future of her home country and she worries about the family, which besides her mother, includes her two married sisters and their families, which she and Arezo had to leave behind in Afghanistan.
Hamida hopes above all that someday she will be able to reunite with her family and that Afghanistan can recover from this bleak period of its history.
– Written by Hamida, Malath, and Lesha
Art of Welcome Gallery
Artist and Canopy Case Manager, Malath Alnorosi, will be displaying portraiture and stories of Hamida and many others who have proudly shared their stories for the Art of Weclome Gallery.
Join us for a curated art gallery displaying pieces from local refugee and immigrant artists from various cultures and backgrounds. This gallery is a celebration of our diverse and welcoming community here in Northwest Arkansas. At the event, you are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a stunning collection of art in celebration of our new neighbors.
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