LENEXA, Kan. — Afghanistan has been under Taliban rule for a year and one native living in the Kansas City area hears the stories of survival from friends and family.
“They are counting the days," Abbas Kamwand, who was born in Afghanistan, said. "Which day the last ration of food is going to go out? When is the Taliban going to knock and arrest them and kill them? They are counting the days for the day of their life.”
Kamwand served as a U.S. diplomat in his native country.
He has mixed emotions looking at the awards and certificates of his diplomatic service and what has happened to the country since the Taliban took control.
“It is a joy. I participated in something that was a noble cause," he said. "And the pain is that no matter what I did, it’s all gone.”
Kamwand moved to the U.S. over 30 years ago for a fresh start in life. He advises fellow Afghans forced to restart their lives as refugees to work hard in their new country.
“It’s going to be hard, but if you try hard you will not be disappointed," Kamwand said.
According to the Jewish Vocational Service of Kansas City, 363 Afghans have been resettled in Kansas City.
“They’re working. Their kids are going to school. They’re learning English and figuring out what it means to part of our community here in Kansas City," explained Hilary Cohen Singer, executive director of Jewish Vocational Services of Kansas City.
Singer explained the organization had to move quickly to help refugees fleeing Afghanistan after the government collapsed. She said refugees have adapted quickly to their situation.
"We’ve seen families respond to that and embrace what happened in their life and be up for the challenge of learning all the things that one needs to learn to be successful here in the United States, I think it’s an amazing testament to how strong people are," she said.
Despite the resilience, Singer said one issue Afghanistan refugees continue to face is finding affordable housing.
With the renewed attention on Afghanistan, Kamwand has a message for Americans.
“You have a fallen and forgotten friend in Afghanistan. It is up to you. You are going to remember it, you are going to come back and you are going to find him," he said. "You are going to help him or not. It’s up to you."
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