As soon as Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, Spirit of America began an all-hands-on-deck response supporting U.S. efforts to evacuate and care for Afghans who had served the U.S. mission. In the days and weeks after the U.S. withdrawal, we provided emergency humanitarian assistance to more than 30,000 evacuees.

Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan continued long after the last evacuation flights departed. Over the past five years, in collaboration with our U.S. military and diplomatic partners, we have supported thousands of displaced Afghans in six countries across the Middle East and Central Asia, helping families rebuild their lives through education, vocational training, and opportunities to create better futures outside Afghanistan.

This work reflects a belief that has always guided us at Spirit of America: America is stronger when we stand by the people who stand with us. Honoring our commitment to our friends and allies means more than helping them survive a crisis — it means helping them shape their own futures with dignity and purpose. Along the way, we have met extraordinary Afghans whose courage and resilience are driving them to do just that.

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Evacuating at-risk Afghans and saving lives
Our unprecedented partnership with the U.S. military put us in a position to support evacuation efforts. By working directly with U.S. Central Command and coordinating with numerous other organizations, we organized flight manifests and helped at-risk Afghans get to the Kabul airport and through security checkpoints. 

Hasib and his family were among the hundreds of Afghans that Spirit of America helped evacuate from the Kabul airport after the Taliban retook Afghanistan. They were evacuated to Albania, where for seven months we cared for their daily needs, before they eventually settled in America (Photo by Rachael Mohr/Spirit of America).

Hasib was one of those Afghans. A former minister of agriculture in Afghanistan, Hasib had received his Ph.D. at an American university and worked with USAID, making him a prime target for the Taliban.  

With the help of his U.S. connections, he and his family joined a large convoy heading to the Kabul airport. The convoy made 10 unsuccessful attempts to get into the airport, each time being blocked by Taliban members threatening them with guns. After almost 24 hours, the buses finally made it through the airport gates, where Hasib and his family spent another day of waiting and uncertainty before finally making it onto a plane and evacuating to Albania. Read the rest of Hasib’s story here. 

“Spirit of America’s unique partnership with the U.S. military positioned it to help coordinate evacuation efforts between private organizations, individuals, and U.S. Central Command. There are scores of Afghans who made it to safety because of these efforts.” 

– General Jim Mattis, United States Marine Corps, Retired

Providing emergency humanitarian assistance In Qatar
48 hours after the fall, Spirit of America’s then-Middle East Director Zack Bazzi was on the ground in Qatar, where tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated by the United States were being processed and screened. 

Spirit of America worked alongside U.S. troops in Qatar to distribute clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies, blankets, and more to over 25,000 Afghan evacuees, most of whom left Afghanistan with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing (Photo by U.S. military).

Working alongside U.S. military teams, Spirit of America provided emergency assistance to more than 25,000 evacuees in Qatar, including “farewell” aid packages tailored for Afghans leaving the country. Packages of clothing, hygiene supplies, phone chargers, and other essentials were customized for evacuees of all ages. Watch a video of Zack working with partners to assemble these packages. 

“The courage, skill, dignity, and compassion the Spirit of America team brought to the Operation Allies Refuge mission, and the invaluable role Spirit of America played in working on the largest airlift operation in history, was remarkable. Spirit of America embodies precisely what America stands for, and the organization and its team are why the world looks to America to lead.” 

– Ambassador Greta Holtz  

While most Afghans were processed and screened in a matter of weeks, some remained for months. Spirit of America continued to support their needs at Camp As Sayliyah, providing arts, crafts, and playground supplies for children; audio visual equipment so Afghans could enjoy movie nights and watch soccer matches; and education. In collaboration with U.S. Embassy Doha, we funded English proficiency exams — required for work and student visas — for promising young Afghans. Two of these women were accepted to Texas A&M University to study computer science and business. 

Seven months in Albania — and a new home in America
Working closely with then-Congresswoman, and now Senator, Elissa Slotkin and U.S. Embassy Tirana, Spirit of America facilitated the evacuation of 121 Afghans — including 63 women and 38 children — from Kabul to Albania, where they would they navigate the long and complex resettlement process to the U.S. The group included Fulbright Scholars, interpreters who worked with U.S. troops, former deputy ministers, female graduate students, and IMF and World Bank partners and implementers.

Spirit of America assumed responsibility for their care throughout their seven-month stay in Albania. In addition to paying for room and board, we provided essential supplies tailored to each family and worked with other nonprofits to provide healthcare, psychosocial support, education, and employment opportunities. We offered free English classes and helped eight women and three men enroll in classes at the University of Tirana. Spirit of America also covered medical visits and hospital stays for two women who gave birth to healthy babies.

At Dulles International Airport, Representative Elissa Slotkin, left, and Spirit of America’s Colleen Denny, right, welcomed the Afghan evacuees they sponsored for seven months in Albania to their new home in America. (Photo courtesy Representative Slotkin’s office).

We did everything in our power to ensure that these Afghans lived comfortable and dignified lives while they awaited resettlement. Despite the uncertainty they faced, “I am 100 percent sure we will have a good future,” Sara, a 24-year-old agricultural sciences graduate student, told us.

On March 22, 2022, the long wait was finally over: Colleen Denny, then our Europe Regional Director, Representative Slotkin, and members of her Congressional team eagerly welcomed the Afghan evacuees to their new home in America with welcome signs and American flags.

Emergency medical treatment for a special girl
Rahwa was one of the children we helped evacuated from Kabul to Albania.

Soon after her arrival, we learned the five-year-old had a rare congenital heart defect and was getting a fraction of the oxygen she needed. Only the United States had the specialists, technology, and facilities to treat her.

Rahwa and her family were evacuated to Albania, where we discovered she had a life-threatening heart defect that made walking even short distances difficult. Accelerating her path to America — and the doctors who could treat her — became our top priority. (Photo by Rachael Mohr/Spirit of America).

Saving Rahwa was an all-hands-on-deck effort with the Spirit of America team and other friends breaking through the immigration bureaucracy, coordinating Albanian and American doctors, and purchasing plane tickets for Rahwa and her family.

In October 2021, Rahwa and her family landed in the United States, where a top children’s hospital began conducting exams and planning her treatment. The following year, Rahwa successfully underwent her first major operation — and enrolled in kindergarten. Today, she is happy, healthy, and dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up.

Continuing our committment to Afghan refugees
Over the past three years, Spirit of America has provided $1 million in support to Afghans around the world through our Afghan Future Campaign. Through this effort, we have expanded educational programs and tutoring services, provided vocational training, and created more pathways to self-reliance for more than 3,000 displaced Afghans in six countries across the Middle East and Central Asia. We are able to work in so many countries and contexts because of our robust relationships with U.S. missions and our expansive network of capable local partners.

In Tajikistan, Spirit of America funded the operations of a school that serves 500 Afghan students, 48% of whom are girls. Because the Taliban stopped funding after they took power, the school was at risk of closing. Our support ensured the doors could stay open and students could maintain access to their education.

In collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, we also helped renovate and support an Afghan educational center serving over 1,500 children. A vocational training program for women interested in dressmaking helped participants develop income-generating skills, and some of their handicrafts were later featured at Tajikistan Fashion Week.

Afghan women in Tajikistan learned sewing and handicraft skills through an Afghan Future Campaign Program sponsored by Spirit of America. Some of their designs were later featured at Tajikistan Fashion Week. (Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy Dushanbe).

And through another intensive four-month program, Tech for Tomorrow, 18 Afghans and five Tajiks learned computer fundamentals, programming, and front-end development skills, and toured local technology companies to prepare for careers in the IT industry.

In Kyrgyzstan, we teamed up with the American University of Central Asia, which is host to more than 350 Afghan students, to provide psychosocial support, Kyrgyz and Russian language instruction, professional development, and student activities.

We sponsored the launch of a driving club for female Afghan students there, empowering women to learn a valuable skill in a supportive setting. “I think it’s the best opportunity for Afghan girls to learn how to drive, because there weren’t opportunities like this in Afghanistan,” said Nahida, an Afghan evacuee who helped organize the driving lessons for more than 30 other young women. Watch the video here.

Providing opportunities for a free and better life
Alongside our U.S. partners, Spirit of America remains committed to supporting and empowering Afghans and other displaced populations. Thanks to your support, for the past five years our assistance has met the needs of Afghans who stood with the United States and who continue to seek a free and better life.

Help us support America’s friends and partners around the world.
Your gift will save and improve lives.