I would like to introduce you to Ziba. She is an incredibly courageous woman who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan in December completely on her own – no husband, no children, no family at all. She is also a hero – risking her life to serve as an interpreter for five years assisting US military and Civilian Expeditionary Forces in carrying out humanitarian and civil affairs missions throughout Afghanistan, including helping to open several schools for girls.

She was originally resettled in Buffalo, NY but she was completely alone there – no friends or other Afghans near by – and she was miserable. She discovered there was an Afghan family out here in the El Cajon area that she knew and they invited her to come live with them. She pooled all her money and bought herself a plane ticket to San Diego. What she didn’t understand (and what seems to never be explained to refugees) is that by moving states she basically left behind all her welcome money and resources in New York. When she got to El Cajon, she and her friend tried to do the right thing and told the apartment manager about Ziba coming to live there. The management promptly told them another permanent resident would not be allowed and that she could only stay as a “guest” for four weeks.

Thanks to a connection through one of our volunteers, Julie Dickerson we found Ziba a VERY reasonably priced room to rent from a lovely single woman here in El Cajon who hosts foreign exchange students. The woman allowed Ziba to move in this weekend, but Ziba is completely broke at this point and needs money for rent and some other expenses until she can get on her feet. We are in the process of getting her a job but it will take at least a few weeks to get her up and running. In the meantime, one of the U.S. Navy officers Ziba worked with in Afghanistan has started a Go Fund Me to assist Ziba and I will personally be taking a check to Ziba’s new land lady today to cover her first month’s rent. If you are able to donate anything at all to Ziba’s “Welcome Fund” it would be greatly appreciated. You can donate to the Go Fund Me or directly to me via PayPal or Venmo. All links are below. Even if you can’t donate personally, please share this post and/or her Go Fund Me page across your social media channels..

As always, thank you all for everything.

Go Fund Me: www.gofundme.com/zibo-an-afghan-interpreter
Venmo: @MandyMatti
PayPal: [email protected]

Amanda Matti, author of A Foreign Affair and Voicing the Eagle