2024 saw ACS expanding its program offerings, forming new and exciting partnerships, and laying the groundwork for future growth. In the following paragraphs we’ll review some of our accomplishments and hear reflections from our team members on what was most memorable for them.
Programming
Mental Health
Our Women’s Circle commenced its 2nd year of exciting programming and kicked off with a sewing class that was attended by 29 women. This class was made more accessible by offering childcare for 27 children. Program days had a joyful, energetic atmosphere with kids playing or painting with tempera while women worked on their projects or sought feedback from the instructor. In June we hosted swimming classes at the U of M that were in such high demand we decided to host another run of them in November & December. Attendance over the three rounds came to 67 women, with 14 children participating in separate activities while their moms swam laps. “It was great to see women enjoying the programs and connecting with one another.” Zahra Wahidy recalled “Many women in our community are isolated from friends and family, and these programs offer relief from that.”
Our men’s circle was also active this year, and started out with a welcome party to give men in the community an opportunity to visit the office, meet facilitators and get to know each other! Men met for chess club in the first half of the year and volleyball during the second. Teens also participated in their own mental health circle which featured psychoeducation, cricket games, and swimming classes.
One of our most exciting new offerings this year were efforts to foster children’s literacy and connection to their ancestral language through our Youth Mental Health Program. In June we introduced Dari and Pashto classes for children from 5-10 years old. The first round of classes was attended by 45 students. Our second round of classes offered Dari and Pashto classes for the children while their mothers received lessons in English and was attended by 43 children and 12 mothers. In tandem with the course, participants took part in group mental health education in partnership with Center for Victims of Torture. Our mental health team also curated a collection of more than 3,000 childrens and young adult books for community members to take home and organized a book giveaway in July with the Free Book Buggy.
Healthcare Navigation
Atefa Tavasoli, ACS’ Healthcare Navigator looks back on 2024 as a “dynamic blend of challenges and accomplishments” she enjoyed connecting with colleagues from across the country during the “North American Refugee Health Conference (NARHC), where we were inspired by the stories of resilience and dedication shared by attendees.” But her favorite moment of the year was when she was able to assist a client in “overcoming over $30,000 in medical bills, alleviating a significant burden.”
Case Management
Our case managers were kept busy this year, working with over 400 clients on a wide variety of issues. Acquiring Drivers licenses continued to be of high importance to the community, and our team was able to help 99 clients get scheduled for their drivers permit tests, 40 of whom passed. Anwar Jamili continued to host drivers permit classes remotely, with over 150 people from Minnesota participating over the course of the year. Naser Mohammadi recalls working with clients on “complicated issues” including things like helping people find appropriate legal counsel for civil and immigration cases. Sara Quraishi felt proud of a client who, struggling with her mental health earlier in the year, decided to give the Women’s Circle a try. She shared later that it helped her feel better and that she was glad to have ACS’ support.
Education Mentors
In 2024 we continued to support our young community members in reaching their educational goals and navigating the challenges of the educational system. We have assisted over 30 college graduates in evaluating college credits acquired outside the U.S. so they can continue their education or get jobs in their chosen field. FAFSA continues to be available to Afghans who arrived in Sep 2021 – Sep 2023 and ACS has supported the application process for many of our community members to get discounted and even free college tuition. Our team supported over 100 students and worked closely with 4 schools in both Minneapolis and St. Paul districts.
Radio Show and Newsletter
In March, ACS partnered with Sahan Journal and Center for Victims of Torture to launch an expanded version of New Home, a weekly column written by Hussain Haidari for Afghans living in the U.S. In July, ACS brought on Afghanistan based journalist and poet Rahim Rostayee as a guest writer. “We hired an Afghan journalist who had no income due to Taliban restrictions. [They are…] bringing the essential topics from inside Afghanistan to our readers in MN.” says Hussain Haidari. Since joining New Home, Rahim has written about the restrictive laws imposed against the Afghan people by the Taliban and is currently writing a series of in depth articles featuring the various ethnic groups residing in Afghanistan and their histories. New Home currently has 1,072 subscribers.
On March 8th, we celebrated International Women’s day with a women’s party at our office and a special radio segment on KFAI Community Radio featuring interviews with Afghan women leaders. These included Zahra Nazari, director of the Afghanistan Chapter of Women in Tech, and Sumaya Ayar, a teacher and director of the Elham Educational Center. This was the introduction of what would become our weekly radio program Avaz, which has been airing every Sunday since October of 2024. Avaz features weekly interviews with Afghans from all walks of life discussing topics that are important to them and is hosted by Atefa Tavasoli.
Events
The community gatherings we organize play a significant role in our work and serve multiple functions, including preserving cultural traditions, providing an accessible social outlet for community members, and educating the public on the art and culture of Afghanistan.
ACS hosted a variety of events this year, many of which honored important religious and cultural holidays like Eid, Nowruz, and Shab e Yalda. Our three biggest events were Eid al Fitr and Eid Qurban, which drew 300 and 400 attendees respectively, and our 2nd Annual Anniversary Arts Festival, which was attended by 400 people!
We also organized a series of art workshops that were open to the public. Participants could learn traditional Afghan dance steps, hear a lecture about Farsi Poetry, learn the fundamentals of the Rubab, or learn how to build and glaze their own ceramic artworks.
Our collaborations with local and national organizations, artists, and educators made it possible to offer memorable and enriching experiences to the public, something we look forward to continuing in 2025.
The Immediate Future
We are truly grateful to our growing community for their continued trust and support, and will carry many memories, relationships, and lessons with us as we move forward.
While we have overcome many challenges this year, some of our greatest challenges lay directly ahead. The President elect and incoming administration have expressed a clear anti-immigrant stance and intention to enact policies that -if put into place- would violate the legal and human rights of millions of people now living in the U.S.
While we don’t know exactly what is going to happen, we do know that it will be more important than ever to take a strong stand alongside immigrants, support their efforts to pursue their dreams and defend their place in our society. We hope that you will stand with us.