About ARSA

Vision: Our vision is to offer comprehensive services that enable Afghan refugees to flourish. We strive to serve the material, social and spiritual needs of Afghan people. We emphasize community-centered programs delivered by culturally informed staff to create equitable outcomes, empowering migrants and refugees to thrive in every aspect of their new lives.

We are an organization created by Afghans, for Afghans. Simultaneously, we strive to empower our community to engage constructively with the broader host culture. We believe that strengthening the Afghan community brings value not just to Afghans themselves, but to the entirety of the broader public. To this end, we work to foster mutual understanding and enrichment between Afghans and other communities.

Mission

The Afghan Refugees Support Association is a non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to promoting human and Islamic values, supporting human dignity, respecting beliefs, values, and sanctities of other existing religions, improving life, comfort, welfare, and health, welcoming, serving, supporting, and empowering refugees and migrants, and striving to create and promote mutual understanding and sustainable peace among nations and different cultures and societies, relying on individuals' capabilities within the framework of human values to serve as its mission.

History

Since 2021, thousands of Afghan families have left their country to escape the takeover of the Taliban regime. Many have found their way to the Portland metro area. For all of them, migration has been a period of turmoil, heartbreak, and adversity. The Afghan Refugee Support Association was founded in 2023 by a group of Afghan community members to provide guidance and coordination for those fleeing from danger in Afghanistan into uncertainty in the United States. Our goal was, and continues to be, connecting Afghans to all the resources required to rebuild their lives, including: healthcare, education, employment, advocacy, housing, cultural integration, and language learning.

Since its founding, the Afghan Refugees Support Association has hosted public events showcasing the cultural wealth of Afghan women, men, and children, highlighting their abilities, talents, and needs to other communities. We have advocated on behalf of the Afghan population to city and county officials. We have also worked deliberately to build trust and engagement of Afghan residents in Oregon and beyond through events celebrating Afghan culture and food, providing civic education, and engaging with the broader public.

The Afghan Refugees Support Association is currently operating with more than 25 employees and volunteers

Karamuddin Azimi

Chairman and Founder of Afghanistan Refugees Support Association
Hello! I am Kramuddin Azimi and I was born in a religious, and intellectual influence family in Afghanistan I started the university, and in 2015 I obtained my bachelor's degree from the school of Political Science at Tabesh University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

After completing university, I started to engage in social activities and gained a lot of achievements.
I played an important role in various social and cultural activities, included setting up cultural groups, and conferences, publishing articles and actively participating in social and cultural communities.
In the past, I have been active in the field of human rights and democracy promotion at local and nationwide, and I am recognized as a powerful voice for the struggling of women's rights, children's rights, and minority rights among the people of Afghanistan and especially the literacy community of Afghanistan.
I used to work for one the local construction companies, and I also worked with (USAID) United Stated Agency for International Development in construction projects, in Afghanistan.

After the fall of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, I come as refugees in Portland, Oregon, and now I choose to live here.
I am also engaged with social and charities, and cultural activity among the Afghan diaspora, and I am the founder and president of the Afghanistan Refuges Support Association (ARSA).

Through my strong and enduring efforts, I have been able to contribute to the overall cohesion of Afghan refugees who participate as active members in social organizations and associations with a fruitful awareness to promote Afghanistan's culture and identity and the rights of immigrants in the country.

So far, we have been able to arrange meetings, conferences, or cultural and social events with the number of Afghan immigrants to strengthen our connections with other Afghans and other entire immigrants in the United States.

Yes, we have been able to take the hands of the newly arrived migrants in meanwhile taken the golden opportunities to teach them coexistence and humanitarian assistance.

Soon, we are trying to comply with the laws of the United States to become a major humanitarian activity for immigrants.

Sayed Haroon Sadat

FOUNDER AND Secretary
“Hi! My name is Sayed Haroon Sadat, and I am the Founder and Secretary of Afghanistan Refugees Support Association” (ARSA)
Before I moved to US, and choosing Portland as my home to stay here, I used to work for United Nations, and United State Agency for International Development and other international organizations working oversees.
I completed my Bachelor of Economics from Kabul University Kabul Afghanistan.
When I arrived to Oregon I as Afghan immigrant I started to work as a volunteer position in Oregon Department of Human Services my role provided administrative clerical support to the management and employees of as primary support given to the Administrative Unit.
The Immigrant and Refugees Community Organization “IRCO” I work for as professional workforce specialist where I can engage with divers’ new arrival immigrants and refugees trying to help them to get job and connect those diasporas to available resources.
Finally, for the past 25 years of my experience, I have been on a constant transformative learning journey. ARSA is another learning institution not just for me, but for others who want to navigate, learn, and transform their skills and experiences to work for Afghan community

Farid Hotak

I am Farid Hotak founder and vice president of Afghanistan Refugees Support Association, I am a graduate from public schools, in Afghanistan, and I have completed my bachelor's from the medical institute in the field of pharmacy in Kabul Afghanistan as well.

Before leaving Afghanistan, I worked in different organization with several position, which includes logistics, procurement and purchasing and owed small business as well.

It is worth mentioning that, I left Afghanistan and became a refugees in United Stated, and due to my passion and interest in my fellow Afghan immigrants, and Afghan community. I am also proud to serve as an American citizen in (ARSA) family for our honorable countrymen.

Ahmad Shah

Is the Finance & operation manager and Founder of the Afghan Refugees Support Association.
Hello! I am Ahmad Shah، born in Afghanistan، the founder and treasury of the Afghanistan Refugees Support Association.
I started my primary education in Afghanistan، and then Immigrated to Pakistan where studied English at an educational institution. After the fall of the Taliban in 2002 and the arrival of US and collation forces in Afghanistan، I returned to native country Afghanistan and continued my education there.
I have worked with International Relief and Development, Inc. (IRD), in Afghanistan. He also worked for national and international organization there as well.
As I worked with the (USAID) United Stated Agency for international Development, I got (SIV) special immigration visa and arrived at United State, Portland OR where I choose to live.
I proud to worked as volunteer for Lutheran Community Services, IRCO and work source as well.