Watch: Click on the above image to see the interview.
“My name is Zainab Ahmadi, I’m from Afghanistan. I have a bachelor’s degree in Educational Management from Kabul University of Afghanistan.
I used to be a reporter and a principal in Afghanistan and right now I’m working as a Family Navigator at Literacy MN.
I love my job because I love helping people and my job is exactly what I want. My goal is to get my master’s degree and try for a better world.”
Zainab’s Story
My name is Zainab Ahmadi and I am from Afghanistan. I am 26 years old and I used to be a reporter on TV and also principal at a school.
I left Afghanistan for many reasons. The first and the main reason is not being safe in Afghanistan. Like, for example, I was a journalist and as a female, you can’t be a journalist. You can’t work in journalism and because I’m Shia, I’m Muslim. But because we are Shia and they don’t accept Shia. So that is the second reason. And because I’m a woman, I am not allowed to work. I am not allowed to study and I’m not allowed to be active in society.
I was very, very close to my dreams in Afghanistan. So because I was studying at university as well for my master’s degree and everything was very good. My dad has a job, had a job. So we had our own house, we had our own car. And the most important thing was like having your friends and your family around you.
Any Afghan who left Afghanistan from two years before they mostly they had a very, very good life in Afghanistan. And when the Taliban just came back to Afghanistan and get power, so they forced to leave Afghanistan.
When I came to Saint Paul first, we didn’t have family and friends here, so it was very difficult for me. Very, very difficult. But also the added problem is with transportation.
So when you come new to the United States, you don’t have a job to buy a car and you should get your permit and also driver’s license. In my country, Afghanistan, women are not driving in this moment they are not allowed to drive. But even before Taliban women were not driving a lot. And there are a lot of jobs we can apply and maybe they are able to hire us, but the problem is because they are very, very far from our house. So we need to take like, three buses or four buses and it’s like 2 hours going and coming back.
But the good thing was like you feel very safe. That was very good. A very good feeling. You are safe. You don’t have to worry about any bomb explosion. You don’t have to worry about someone who came inside, or about your siblings, about your family, about, being insulted. But, you know, I have the experience of insulting by Taliban group as well.
I just got a job December of last year and I work as a family navigator at Literacy Minnesota for right now. I help people who are new in the United States. They are looking for help and they are looking for resources because I can understand because I came as an immigrant in this country. And I, I can understand them and I can understand what they want and what they need.
I don’t know the story for all immigrants or all the refugees who came to United States but the only thing I really know and I’m sure about that is that one thing is similar for any refugee or any immigrant in the United States that they forced to leave their country. You know, they are very strong people and very brave people because leaving your country is not easy. Leaving the place where you grow up, leaving the place where you grow up with that culture, with those people, with your friends, even sometimes you leave your siblings, your parents, and you don’t know whether you will see them, I don’t know when. And even sometime it’s possible that you will never see your siblings or your parents. So this is not an easy decision but you are forced to do that.
I feel am still new in the United States and I have to figure out many things, but the only thing I know is I would love to be a part of those groups who are working or trying for a better life, for a better world.
