After years of advancing women’s leadership and economic opportunity in Afghanistan, Ahmad was forced to flee when the Taliban regained control in 2021. Now resettled in the United States, he continues empowering others through meaningful work, holding onto hope for a brighter future for his home country.
Building New Opportunities in Afghanistan
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From an early age, Ahmad’s life was shaped by the influence of strong women leaders—and the progress they inspired in Afghanistan. In 2016—15 years after U.S. involvement began—Ahmad* completed his master’s degree in Kabul. “I studied under a female school principal, and later during my time as a student at Kabul University, I studied alongside my female peers, who are now successful business owners, executives, employees of very good companies and educated mothers,” he shared. He and his peers achieved unprecedented goals that set them on the road to fruitful careers; avenues that were not possible only years earlier.
Ahmad followed his education by working with USAID, providing local business development tools and entrepreneurial training for men and women navigating through challenging times. He empowered people with the skills and knowledge to produce marketable goods and exports, traveling beyond Kabul to reach provinces where he and his team trained and mentored women to become leaders in their communities—laying the foundation for the autonomy and leadership of future generations. Growing up, Ahmad often witnessed his neighbors living without access to education or certain rights—like freedom of speech—that all people deserve. But, through his lifetime, he watched these values flourish and make tangible impacts in his community by providing opportunities for previously excluded Afghans.
But everything changed seemingly overnight when, on August 15, 2021, Kabul fell to the Taliban. Ahmad watched the progress of his team regress, sharing, “Four years back, an additional 50 percent of our society [Afghan women], were working, receiving education, helping, leading and living. Now those memories are turning into stories. Are we letting them slowly disappear?”
Upon resuming control, the Taliban allowed Ahmad’s USAID team to continue the work of helping build the economy, but under increasing scrutiny and security concerns. With increasing threats from the Taliban—particularly due to his work with a U.S.-affiliated organization—Ahmad, his wife and young daughter fled to Rwanda and successfully navigated entrance to the United States by obtaining Special Immigrant Visas in 2024.
A New Chapter of Leadership in the United States
Ahmad now works helping immigrants and refugees settle into new lives in the United States, continuing his work of helping people find meaningful, sustainable employment opportunities. His wife has continued her education here, working toward her goal of running or owning her own company. Ahmad shares, “I am sure my three-year old daughter’s mom will help her every step of the way toward her goals—and we will succeed together. Now, we have family, friends, colleagues and allies [in the United States], and we will have future.”
Ahmad continues to bring hope and opportunity to the lives of our neighbors building safe, new lives in the United States. He credits the impact that his generation played in fostering inclusion and education, and values former U.S. involvement in providing more opportunities for him and others to stand beside and learn from women in school and the workforce. “For 20 years, we built a future where Afghan boys and girls received education and training; thousands earned degrees and were able to support families and communities in Afghanistan and all over the world. We had doctors, engineers, scientists and, moreover, we had teachers to continue this legacy of educating boys and girls.”
He recognizes that, “efforts from all over the world combined to build a better future and a safe place for everyone. Our communities came together over two decades to fight extremist ideology and work to remove it from occupying people’s minds.” Now, four year since the fall of Kabul, Ahmad worries of the impact the Taliban will have on his home country. Despite those fears, he remains hopeful, saying, “We did succeed, and this is not the end. Our work will continue. We are connected to the United States and to the world, and we can’t let Taliban separate us from our friends, our colleagues or our allies. Moreover, we should not let them stop us from our goal to work towards a brighter future for all. We need each other.”
*Due to protection concerns, a pseudonym has been used in this story.
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