Ahmad knew it wouldn’t be safe to stay in Afghanistan after America withdrew its forces in 2021. Leading up to the withdrawal, his employer – the U.S. Embassy – had sent everyone home with pay and told them to await further instructions.
At first, he diligently checked WhatsApp for information. He and his colleagues were anxiously awaiting evacuation details – their connection to the U.S. would put them and their families at risk under the new Taliban-led government.
But nearly a month had passed since he was sent home from work, and still no word.
Finally, Ahmad received a text from a coworker friend who urged him to check his phone. He was to leave right away.
“I didn’t have enough time to say goodbye,” he recalled of the late night he spent packing a single backpack and hugging his mother, realizing he didn’t know when he would see her again. “I never imagined I’m going to be apart from my family. It’s not easy for me.”
In his twenties, Ahmad was now forced to part for the first time with the woman who had raised him and his siblings alone. Ahmad’s father had died when he was only nine. Ahmad speaks with a deep respect and love for his mother, a teacher who rose to school administrator on her quest to support her family. That is, until the new government forced her and other women to “retire” without pay.
“My mom, she did a lot for us. She sacrificed her life.”
After leaving his family home, he spent the next four days waiting in the airport, drinking too-hot bottled water that had been sitting in the sun, and eating emergency food rations. Finally, he flew to America where he would live with an uncle in California – his only family member in the States.
At first, Ahmad worked as a server in a restaurant while attending classes to improve his English. But he wanted more.
Ahmad’s grandfather, uncle and other family members on his mother’s side encouraged him to pursue a serious career that would give him “peace of heart and mind.”
“That is what my grandfather told me. He was always telling me to trust myself and help people.”
Inspired by this encouragement, Ahmad realized he wanted to launch a healthcare career. He soon discovered Opportunity Junction and enrolled in the organization’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training.
On the first day of school, he thought he’d stepped into the wrong class – it was a room full of women. In Afghanistan, he explained, men and women don’t learn together. Yet he ultimately found a surrogate family at Opportunity Junction and built memories and friendships he will never forget. On graduation night, they shed tears together.
“We all wanted it to be longer!”
Ahmad has been working as a CNA for more than a year now as he goes through school to become a licensed vocational nurse. His long-term goal is to become a registered nurse. He stressed the importance of a CNA being someone who cares for patients with deep empathy. Through this, he says, “You’re helping them and yourself.”
He also sends home the money he earns to his mother and siblings still in Afghanistan with the hope to reunite one day. Until then, they make the most of their phone calls. And while he’s still missing them, Ahmad is grateful for the opportunities that followed that tearful night he was forced to say goodbye.
“In Afghanistan, we don’t have anything. But here, someone once told me, ‘The sky’s the limit.’ It’s true about the United States. It’s true. And with Opportunity Junction, I want to thank them a lot. I want to thank them for helping me through this program and for my new career.”
