N’s Story
N and his family had to flee Afghanistan during the evacuation in August 2021. As the Taliban advanced, they were searching for people who had worked with the United States military—and N had worked with the military for years. If he stayed in the country he knew that not only would he be in danger, but his wife and four children could also be killed. American soldiers he had worked with told him he and his family had to hurry to get to the airport in Kabul so they could evacuate.
Two of N’s four children are deaf. In Afghanistan, they were attending a school that could help them, but then the Taliban took over the region where their school was. They returned home safely, but N couldn’t find another school that could help them learn.
So, when they arrived in Indiana, N knew that getting his children into school was a priority. “I didn’t have a chance to go to school in Afghanistan, and neither did my children,” he said. “I want to educate my kids so they have a good chance for the future. I want them to have opportunities—and school is so important for that.”
Exodus was able to enroll all four children in school. The two deaf children attend the Indiana School for the Deaf, and the other two children attend a neighborhood school that’s within walking distance to their home. The entire family is learning sign language, so the deaf children can communicate more effectively with their parents and siblings.
N’s story is not over. Community members and Exodus volunteers have come alongside the family to help them adjust to life in Indiana, but there is still work to do. Still, N is grateful to Exodus and its supporters for helping his family start again in Indianapolis. His children are young and don’t yet know what they want to do when they grow up, but N knows they will have the chance to build successful new lives here. “My hope is for my kids and my family,” he said.
