I feel proud to be with IOC and help others

I came to the United States on May 8, 2017.  I never thought that I will find a chance join International Orphan Care one day as IOC had supported me while I was in Herat Province in western Afghanistan.

I worked in Afghanistan as a Journalist while I ran Payam-e Danesh School. which IOC and United States Embassy in Kabul supported from March 2010 to December 2015.  Gina Gillespie, Supervisor and Editor for my job as a Journalist connected me to Mike Whipple, and we worked together and received lots of support.

Students from preschool to 12^th grades loved books that IOC sent them and as we had thousands, all community of 5000 families could use them.

When I came to Orange County, California with my family, I met Mike Whipple and IOC supported me to resettle and find our ways in a new society and culture. As time passed and I adjusted my life to the new culture and saw continued improvement, I found a chance to think if there is any space for me to join IOC and be more helpful.

I joined and felt I can do something for needy people through the strong team of IOC. As the government had fallen in August 2021 and US Army came out from Afghanistan, the economy became weak and weaker and more people were pushed into poverty, losing jobs and safety.

This time is big and important period for IOC to support more people, and I am one of the members of the team that tries to look and see how we can do more, and our operation circle becomes bigger and bigger.

I think I found my true way till end of my life that I can work for my people through IOC while I have a normal life and help my family too. I feel I am a person who at least can count on myself. I feel more confident and understand how hard work and success running organizations like IOC have deep effect on a needy family’s life especially in Afghanistan.

When I see a happy face, bread on the table of families and smiling of children in a country like Afghanistan, by IOC support, I feel happy and proud. I like to do more as much as I can. At the weekend when I work and review our support, I never feel tired. As I work more, I become more encouraged.

IOC caused me to focus on a useful life than just living. I believe we can live, or we can live better. Working with IOC means living better through supporting of families, women and children, ones who need help. Also, it caused more discipline in my life.

My goal is to support more people and encourage people to support IOC. I know that IOC saved thousands of lives from hunger, and provided medical treatment, education, safety issues and resettlement. Being involved in such big projects, I am proud. I feel I could not do for my people without joining IOC.