'It changed my life': Retired nurses are helping Afghan refugees settle into Springfield

Stuck between two worlds and praying for a union, Mohammad Fahim Ahmadi is enjoying the American experience.

He's a graduate student at Missouri State University and a case worker at the International Institute of Southwest Missouri, helping refugees from his native Afghanistan resettle in the Ozarks.

Ahmadi understands the plight of those facing an abrupt cultural shift.

He was happy and comfortable in his home city of 4 million, and took pride in his job as a flight attendant with a major Middle Eastern airline, with hopes of one day becoming a pilot.

It's been nineteen months since Ahmadi was essentially ripped from his wife, family and career, following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.

Ahmadi, 29, saw everything go awry in a matter of days following the United States' military withdrawal of Afghanistan and the return of the resurgent Taliban regime.

Working on an airline that helped people flee the country amid the August chaos, Ahmadi, who expected to return to Kabul following a stop in United Arab Emirates, was told the Taliban had taken over the airport.

If he and the flight's crew returned, he said, they would likely face brutal sanctions for aiding the U.S. citizens.

Ahmadi, who earned his environmental science degree at Kabul University and taught English as a second language, had no choice but to take the refugee route and seek safety in America.

The transition was initially long and arduous, but he is beginning to find his footing in Springfield.

Local highway signs pointing toward of Cabool — the Texas County town many believe was named after Afghanistan's biggest city — make him smile.

"The main thing I am suffering from is not having my family," said Ahmadi, who talks to his wife on the phone every day. "I miss them. They're not in a safe situation."

Dozens of Afghans like Ahmadi have come to Southwest Missouri under similar circumstances. They appreciate the safety and U.S. aid, but miss a way of life that was stable before the recent conflict.

Several Ukrianians have also come to Springfield since Russia's 2022 invasion, but many were eligible for a reunification program because several Slavic families had already lived in the region for years.

Rarely does an Afghanistan refugee in Southwest Missouri have a family tie in America to help ease their transition, so the International Institute of Southwest Missouri often finds local sponsors and volunteers to help.

It needs more help, supporters say — and soon.

Sponsorship provides labor of love

Linda Pegg and Becky Meadows spent much of their lives as nurses. Before their respective retirements, they felt a calling in helping others.

After shelving their stethoscopes, they found a similar purpose in making lives easier during a stressful and uncertain time.

Both reached out to International Institute Southwest Missouri director Rebekah Thomas and started out small in their volunteership. When it became a labor of love, they became sponsorship group leaders, each helping multiple local Afghan families.

The sponsorship groups have as many as 15 volunteers each helping different aspects of an Afghan family's or individual's transition.

"It's changed my life. I just really treasure these people," said Pegg, who is balancing five resettlement cases. "Experiencing their culture and faith, very different from mine. They're very good people who don't know anybody here. We're it. It makes them feel welcome, and that they're loved."

Some families are big, with several young children. Others are small. Each has taken to calling Pegg and Meadows "mom or grandmother."

They throw birthday parties for the new Springfield residents and help celebrate milestones, things that weren't always noticed in Afghanistan.

There's a vested interest in each case, and it's a team effort in helping them not feel overwhelmed by the stark cultural difference and pace of life in the United States.

"Our goal is to get them integrated with the community," Thomas said. "A lot of the time, they won't feel comfortable being around people from outside of their country, but we want them to feel welcome and a part of (Springfield)."

Some of the families are from rural Afghanistan, others from cities. Some are conservative Muslims with blue-collar backgrounds, others more progressive with college education.

All have been affected by the Taliban's reign.

"In (United States), you can follow your own idea and beliefs. You can have freedom and a safe and secure life," Ahmadi said. "It doesn't matter what shift you're working, day or night. Everything is nice and good here."

Getting acclimated takes several steps

Just before Ahmadi was linked with Pegg, he crashed his bicycle in Springfield and fractured both of his elbows, an injury that compounded his depression.

When Pegg came along and became a secondary motherly figure, it proved to be a ray of sunshine for a young man seemingly stuck in a dark funnel.

"It's so good to have someone," said Ahmadi, who hopes to return back to Afghanistan if it becomes safe again, or be reunited with his loved ones in America.

Sponsors and volunteers are asked to help the refugees become self-sufficient. It's a broad spectrum of assistance, and includes everything from teaching about car insurance, job applications, to the value of good dental hygiene.

Duties are often spread out between sponsorship teams.

"I thought my career as a nurse was the fulfilling career," said Meadows, who represents Brentwood Church in his sponsorship. "But this is more fulfilling."

The International Institute of Southwest Missouri will host a presentation for potential sponsors and volunteers on April 24. For more information, contact Rebekah Thomas at thomasr@iistl.org or 417-720-1552.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Retired nurses are helping Afghan refugees settle into Springfield