In the war-torn nation of Afghanistan, Pathan’s story is one of courage, sacrifice, and hope. Born in 1987 in Eastern Afghanistan, Pathan grew up in Kabul and faced the hardships of a struggling economy. After graduating from high school in 2002, he immediately joined the workforce to support his large family. Despite the challenges, Pathan had a thirst for knowledge and had been proficient in English since his teenage years. In fact, he even taught English to other students while he was still in school.
In 2006, Pathan learned about the opportunity to work as a translator for the US coalition forces. For three years, Pathan worked closely with the US military as a cultural advisor and interpreter, primarily at the Eastern Afghanistan and Bagram Airfield (the largest airfield in Afghanistan) under American control. During those 3 years, he built strong bonds of friendship, including one with an American named Justin.
Having saved a substantial amount of money, Pathan made the difficult decision to leave his translating job, and his American friends, and focus on furthering his education. He enrolled in a private university in Kabul and pursued a bachelor’s in business administration. Simultaneously, he worked as an administrator at the Japanese Embassy, a position he held for five years.
In 2009, Pathan met his future wife, a woman whose beauty and grace captivated him. After initial introductions, their families agreed to the union, and they were married in 2011. Pathan completed his bachelor’s degree in 2013 and began working at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 2015. His dedication and academic achievements led to a prestigious scholarship to pursue a Master’s in HR in India, where he stayed from 2017 to 2019.
Upon returning to Afghanistan, Pathan faced the harsh reality of a corrupt and difficult job market. He applied to numerous international organizations and eventually secured a position at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as an HR officer at the beginning of 2020, where he quickly received a promotion.
Throughout his journey, Pathan maintained a close friendship with Justin, his American supervisor from the military. During Justin’s next deployment, Pathan made the dangerous journey to visit Justin where they talked about their families, children, and lives – like two old friends do. Over the years, Justin had repeatedly encouraged him to apply for the SIV program, emphasizing the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Pathan, however, remained resolute, believing that he should stay in Kabul, “because if all the good people leave, then there is nobody left to do the right thing”.
Since marrying in 2011, Pathan and his wife had 4 children – 3 girls and a boy. When the Taliban took control of Kabul, his youngest daughter was only 14 months old.
In early 2021, the situation in Afghanistan took a grim turn. The Taliban gained significant ground, capturing cities and villages across the country. In June, Justin sent Pathan a message, urging him to apply for the SIV program once more. Realizing the severity of the situation, Pathan applied, but he didn’t have all the information needed to escape immediately – SIV requires many documents, including letters of recommendation from US military members. Justin said, “I will send everything. Just do it.”
Pathan also lacked passports for his wife and children. He applied regardless and rushed to obtain passports. They were processed quickly, but just before Kabul collapsed, one child’s passport was still missing. Pathan went to the passport office, and they told him to come back tomorrow… Kabul fell to the Taliban the next day.
The day the Taliban took control was one of chaos and uncertainty. Pathan’s office instructed him and his colleagues to scan everything to thumb drives, destroy all sensitive documents, and leave immediately. They were in grave danger because they were working for an international agency, and it wouldn’t be well received by the Taliban. The women fled first, and the men finished the work. Pathan sent an aid with a stack of money to go to the passport department and plead for his daughter’s passport… the assistant was able to get the passport and return just in time.
Due to the chaos, he and his colleagues had to walk home. Pathan’s office was 40 minutes away from the family home where the entire extended family lived together – standard practice in Afghanistan. On their way, they witnessed a prison break – everyone was fleeing.
It was 2 a.m. in Kabul and Pathan stood on his family’s rooftop and saw it happen, he watched as the Taliban invaded the city. He called Justin in tears about what had happened to his country and pleaded for help to escape. Justin promised him he’d do everything he could.
Some American armies were still at the airport, desperately trying to evacuate as many Afghan allies as possible. Justin, determined to help Pathan and his family, made numerous calls to try and get Pathan and his family on the evacuee list. Meanwhile, the world watched in anguish as Afghan allies crowded onto planes and filled the airport, hoping for a chance at safety.
With Justin’s cue, Pathan instructed his wife and children to pack whatever belongings they could fit into backpacks. He also told his parents to gather and burn any items that could link them to Pathan. Heartbroken, they had to leave behind cherished memories, including the video of Pathan’s wedding and his degrees. With his brother and cousin driving them, they made their way to the airport, joining thousands of others seeking escape.
Justin connected with Cindy, a high-ranking officer in Florida, who managed to get their names on a list for evacuation. He directed Pathan to go to another gate, away from the overwhelming crowd. There, Pathan was to approach the gatekeepers and provide a password given by Cindy. However, as he reached the gate and shouted the code, an officer fired a shot. Fearing for his life, Pathan realized he had to retreat to protect his family. He was told to hide on the outskirts of town and the army would send for them. They watched all night as others were picked up by trucks, but theirs didn’t come.
Disheartened and out of options, they returned home to Pathan’s parents, who were shocked to see them. Just as they settled back, Cindy contacted Pathan with a new plan. She instructed him to go to a different side of the airport and provided another password for the US military members guarding the perimeter. With renewed hope, Pathan followed her instructions: return to the airport – then trudge through a waste-filled ditch that functioned as a makeshift sewer system and connect with a guard.
Wading through the filth, Pathan reached the gate, desperately hoping the US guards wouldn’t mistake him for a threat. He felt immediately threatened and was terrified the US guards would shoot him. He called Justin, saying he couldn’t do it. Justin angrily responded, “If you stay Taliban will kill you, be brave, and get closer to the soldiers because they might shoot your leg or arm. But they won’t kill you. I’ve done all I can. It’s your turn – don’t call me again”. Pathan went back to get his 4-year-old son and carried him through the sewage to the gate. He held him on his shoulders as he approached the guard at the edge of the ditch yelling, “Don’t shoot, please don’t shoot my son”!
A compassionate black soldier approached the sewer and asked for proof of identity. Pathan called Justin in a panic, who vouched for him and pleaded with the guards to let them through.
“You have 10 minutes”, the officers told Pathan. He left his son with the officer and called his brother and cousin to bring the family to the ditch side. Pathan hurried back and forth through the sewage, carrying each of his young children to the safety of the army officers. Exhausted and covered in filth, he finally returned for his wife, but she insisted on walking through the sewage herself, displaying her own bravery and resilience. With Cindy’s help, their names were on the evacuation list, and on August 24, 2021, they flew to Qatar, where they stayed for four nights alongside 20,000 others.
The day after they left, on August 25, hundreds of people, including US military personnel, lost their lives in the same sewage-filled ditch and gate where Pathan and his family entered the airport. On August 29, Pathan and his family arrived in Washington, DC, grateful and relieved to have reached the United States. Pathan was still in the clothes they fled in, but he didn’t care. He and his family were safe.
Upon their arrival, they were taken to a welcome camp near the airport in DC, where they received clothing, showers, hygiene products, and ample food. Pathan picked some jeans and a white T-shirt. Though they had a bed, Pathan struggled to sleep – unable to cope with the last few days and having flashbacks of wading through the waste.
They were then taken to Blackstone in Virginia, a military base acting as a refugee camp. Early on, the government requested all evacuees rank their preferred destinations. Most people were choosing Virginia or California, but Pathan surprised the enrollment officer by selecting Kansas, a state that most others had never heard of. While many of those resettled in Kansas or Missouri were sent there because their preferred rankings were at capacity, Pathan’s choice was motivated by his desire to be closer to Justin, the friend who had helped him throughout their journey.
Although Afghan evacuees had the option to leave with relatives or connections in the US, Pathan decided to wait and go through the official resettlement process to ensure the best outcome for his family. Justin offered to come and get them, but Pathan wanted to follow the proper procedures. They waited 67 days.
While at Blackstone, makeshift rooms were created by using sheets between beds. They had one bed and plenty of blankets for cots. Soon, local groups donated thousands of toys to the camp, and his children received many toys of their own. When they left the camp, Pathan allowed each of his kids to choose one toy to bring with them on the plane, but they were distraught about leaving behind the toys they had become attached to during their stay.
After a canceled flight in mid-October, finally, on November 3, they arrived in Kansas. Justin warmly welcomed them at the airport and took them to the extended-stay hotel where their resettlement agency had arranged rooms for them. The next day, Justin returned with his own family to take Pathan and his children and wife out for their first seated breakfast in America. Finally, after 15 years of friendship and staying in touch, their wives and children had the opportunity to meet each other in person.
Justin wasted no time sharing Pathan’s story with all his friends. The community rallied around Pathan and his family, providing overwhelming support and hospitality. Justin’s church family and friends in Kansas City embraced them, going above and beyond to assist. They even collected enough money to contribute to a down payment for a safe family car. The local school district informed the police station about Pathan and his family, and the police officers visited their home with gifts and to introduce themselves and express their happiness that they were now part of the community.
On November 10, Justin and Pathan attended an event to celebrate our Afghan and Iraqi friends who served alongside our military. That night, Pathan met Della Lamb’s Executive Director, Ryan Hudnall, and other team members. Della Lamb called on Pathan in January to ask him to help translate at the hotel where clients were staying until homes were identified. He happily agreed to volunteer his time and talents. Pathan was offered a full-time role at Della in February 2022, and he is now serving in a management role on the Refugee Services team.
Pathan’s wife, who knew little to no English upon arriving, attends free English classes to learn the language. Their older daughters have made great progress in school and now speak English fluently, sometimes even correcting their father’s pronunciation. Their son will start kindergarten in the fall and has already begun picking up the language. All the children enjoy going to the park and interacting with other kids, all making new friends in their new home.
In Afghanistan, girls are only able to attend school until the 6th grade, but now Pathan’s daughters can pursue higher education without fear. Pathan’s father instilled in him the importance of education for both boys and girls, and he is continuing that legacy with his own children.
Pathan expresses deep gratitude for Justin, who not only helped them escape but also guided them through the process of adapting to their new city. Not all our Afghan neighbors have had the strong support system that Pathan’s family has had, but each one of them is resilient and working their way to self-sufficiency.
Their future in their new country is still unknown. Pathan is constantly stressed about his SIV status and wondering if they need to instead seek asylum – 2 processes that can’t be done simultaneously. It’s frightening for all our Afghan allies who are seemingly stuck in limbo.
More than 18 months after arriving, Congress has failed to create a path to legal permanent residency. Temporary immigration status, known as “humanitarian parole,” is set to expire for most evacuees this summer. This is why we can’t forget about our new neighbors. The Afghan Adjustment Act will provide them peace and security in the new country they worked so hard to get to.
Here at Della Lamb, Pathan and his team continue to welcome, aid, find employment, and serve refugees from across the world. Families are being reunited and human resiliency continues to triumph over chaos.
On behalf of Pathan, Della Lamb, and all our new neighbors from across the globe, thank you for creating a welcoming Kansas City. Your support makes this happen. You can donate here and learn how you can partner with our new neighbors at www.dellalamb.org/cosponsorship/