![]() He said he’d “worried too much” about moving to South Bend “because you don’t know anybody.” He asked The Tribune not to fully identify him for fear of reprisal from his native country. They landed at a Texas Army base and lived there for almost four months, lodged in a noisy tent for 100 people, with partitions for rooms but, gratefully, with soldiers who “treated us humbly, treated us with good manners and a positive attitude.”Īleemi is his last name, a very common one in Afghanistan. The country’s U.S.-backed government was rapidly collapsing to the Taliban, triggering a chaotic evacuation as thousands tried to flee a future under harsh and restrictive rule.Īleemi and his family joined hordes of people for three days to see if they could board a flight out of the country. ![]() In November, the URC and Catholic Charities - both of whom already had refugee resettlement programs - formed a Refugee Steering Committee with the city of South Bend, La Casa de Amistad and other partners to coordinate help for the Afghans.Īleemi closed the door on his home in a city in Afghanistan in August, carrying just one bag for himself, his wife and their three young kids, and abandoning things like the white dress that his 4-year-old daughter still asks if she’ll see again.Īs for his car, he said, “I left it on the road.” We find them to be very friendly and thankful to be here and respectful of our laws.” “They are extremely happy to be in America. In Fort Wayne, Catholic Charities has already received about 90 Afghans. Two of those families arrived in the past week, one with seven people, the other with nine.Ĭatholic Charities Interim CEO Dan Florin hopes to bring two of the English-speaking Afghans from Fort Wayne to South Bend for a day or two, to help situate the upcoming arrivals and make them feel comfortable. Each family will be sponsored by a Catholic parish. ![]() The URC anticipates three more Afghans will arrive, reaching the 35 total people that the organization agreed to sponsor.Īnother round of about 30 people, or four families, is expected to arrive in the coming month, sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The mosque at the Islamic Society of Michiana, where Sheikh attends, has been involved with all of the arrivals, URC Executive Director John Pinter said, from providing culturally appropriate food to providing translators. The groups procure welcome packages, transportation, food, clothes, furniture, towels and other household items. Joseph County has lined up to welcome and settle the Afghans in the county. Sheikh is among 100 or so volunteers from several houses of faith and a few ad-hoc groups that the United Religious Community of St. Leaving many possessions, the refugees arrived in South Bend with just some small bags of goods.
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