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The Origin Story

42m · Afghans Empowered · 09 Jul 15:00

Re-introduction to the introduction. A long overdue conversation between two sisters/founders that we're happy to finally share. We take some time to briefly share the background to our upbringing and our worldview; and everything in between the years of our self discovery of a unique identity. Being Afghan-American means quite a bit, and frankly we can't do enough justice to explaining this identity in simply one conversation. But as we grow this organization, we will grow with it too and reflect on our identity through this journey. We're three months in already, and feel like we've hit the ground running. The connections we've made through our community efforts have motivated us to keep making strides in providing representation and advocacy for our people. 

We have so much currently in the works, and great plans for the future. We are excited to share that we will be forming our community organization and platform into a non-profit organization. This decision has undergone a meticulous and thorough process of research and preparation. Our decision will enable us to start campaign projects and begin fundraising for causes that we hope to provide long term solutions for. In the mean-time we still are collecting funds for our "Build a water well" campaign, and really want to highlight our efforts for this campaign. We also take a moment to promote the upcoming event #stopkillingAfghans happening in LA on Sunday, July 12th. With so much going on, we do our best to keep up with current events, and we sincerely hope we have been able to serve our community well thus far, as this is only the beginning of the fantastic things coming up.

Ultimately, getting to sit down together and introduce ourselves feels cathartic. We are learning and growing everyday through our management of our platform, and we are learning more about our heritage through our growth. Because, for each and every one of us, our ultimate goal is to share a level of motivation and self esteem for our identities as we pursue greatness, but also as we face the trials and tribulations that can affect our lives in different ways. Whether we are from the homeland or abroad, we are united by a heritage that we believe can empower us to become motivated in our everyday world. 

This is Afghans Empowered. 


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The episode The Origin Story from the podcast Afghans Empowered has a duration of 42:04. It was first published 09 Jul 15:00. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

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Afghans Empowered is back with its first Q+A episode in a while! We chat with Maryam, admin of Humans of Afghanistan, who talks to us about the incredible mission of this online community space. Humans of Afghanistan was inspired by the “Humans of…” movement that seeks to highlight the stories of everyday people from different communities. Launched in 2015, Humans of Afghanistan highlights the diversity of the Afghan people by sharing the stories of their struggles and triumphs through trying times. Maryam talks to us about the power of story telling, and its ability to address and debunk stereotypes and stigmas.  Using the Afghan heritage as the common denominator, Humans of Afghanistan creates dialogue around pressing issues within the global Afghan community, by capturing the image of daily life in Afghanistan and the life of Afghans abroad with stories that transcend generations. Each story is unique in its own way, and inspires us to learn more about the diverse experiences of Afghans worldwide. We thank the entire team of Humans of Afghanistan for their dedication to represent and uplift voices, and look forward to new stories!

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On behalf of Afghans Empowered, we wish you all a blessed Eid! Thank you for continuing to support our podcast platform and organization, as we work to empower our communities. In this episode, we give an update on what we’re working on, and ask our followers to check out our ongoing fundraising campaign. Help us send essential aid and care packages to refugees in North Western Turkey. These refugees faced extreme hardship, neglect, and abuse at the hands of European officials and police. They’ve been forcibly pushed back to the Turkish border, and during their deportation, their personal belongings have been confiscated. Our fundraiser will restore personal hygiene products, clothing, and food to support the push-backs who struggle to find resources in North Western Turkey. For full details on the fundraiser, please visit www.afghansempowered.org . 
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During this blessed Eid, please take care of yourself and your families, and extend your love and support to all those who need our support, worldwide. 

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