For more than 100 years, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) has adapted to meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves—helping people not just survive, but thrive.
In 2021, thousands rushed to flee Taliban rule and LSSNCA became the largest resettlement agency on the East Coast. We welcomed more than 6,500 Afghan allies and families to the D.C. metro area, providing the tools and support needed to begin life again.
Among them was Peghla, an Afghan woman whose life had already spanned decades of war, displacement, and perseverance. As an electrical engineer by training, she had been forced to flee her country, return, then flee again. She knew both the weight of fear and the strength it takes to rebuild a life from scratch.
“I just wanted to be a human being again,” she said.
When Peghla and her family arrived in the United States, LSSNCA met them at Dulles Airport. From that first moment, we provided wraparound services tailored to their new beginning—case management, job readiness support, school enrollment for her children, and guidance for navigating life in a new country.
Her story shows that the path to freedom isn’t always straightforward—but with the right support, starting over is possible.
“I Am an Afghan Woman”
“My name is Peghla. I was born in Afghanistan, educated as an electrical engineer, and started working in a construction company,” she said. “But then the Mujahideen came. They said women shouldn’t work. I had to leave my job.”
It was 1992. Violence erupted in the streets. Armed groups captured homes. Women, in particular, bore the brunt of this instability.
“It became impossible to live in peace,” she said.
After leaving Afghanistan with her family, she settled in Pakistan, where her brother practiced medicine. There, she found her footing again working with an NGO that supported Afghan refugees and teaching English in her spare time.
“I was lucky to find work,” she said. “It gave me a sense of purpose.”
Later, when a program was launched to bring Afghan professionals back home, Peghla returned with cautious optimism. But Afghanistan was still fragile.
“I was hired by a local NGO,” she said. “But when I got there, I couldn’t contact them—there was no reliable phone service. I had to start over again.”
She found another job, but the Taliban soon returned.
“They didn’t let women leave the house. I stayed home. I got married. Then, we migrated again,” she said. “I am not made to sit at home.”
Rebuilding Again After 9/11
After the fall of the Taliban following 9/11, Peghla returned once more to Afghanistan with her husband and four children. This time, she was determined to reclaim her professional life.
She took a job at the Ministry of Education. She rose through the ranks, managing multimillion-dollar projects for multiple U.N. agencies and U.S.-funded organizations. Her work focused on supporting women and youth.
But stability was short-lived. When the Taliban resurged in 2021, everything unraveled again.
“We were told to work from home. Women weren’t allowed to go out. We were back to hiding,” she said.
Like thousands of others who worked alongside U.S. missions, Peghla received an evacuation notice from the U.S. government. She and her family rushed to the airport in Kabul.
“There were more than 10,000 people, I think. It was overwhelming,” she recalled. “There was pushing, bombs, people screaming. My husband was injured in the crowd. My daughter had a seizure from the stress. It was too dangerous. We had to go back home. Lucky, my daughter was allowed to travel in the medical plane”
But the threat followed them.
“After returning home, we started getting calls [and] letters. The Taliban was looking for people who had worked with Americans,” she said.
For six months, Peghla and her family hid in a safe house, living out of what they managed to pack in one bag. She recalled every day being filled with anxiety and silence. They didn’t know when help would come.
“That Day, It Felt Like We Were Born Again”
On Feb. 6, 2022, the call finally came. The family was moved to a hotel in Kabul, and by March 30, they were on a plane to Qatar. Eleven days later, they landed in the United States.
“That waiting time—we were alive, but we weren’t living,” she said. “When we finally left, it felt like we were born again.”
At Dulles International Airport, LSSNCA staff met the family and helped them navigate the U.S. system. Transportation, housing, and services were arranged.
“They were there for everything,” Peghla said. “How to take the bus. How to register for school. How to find a job. They didn’t just give us instructions—they walked with us.”
LSSNCA’s wraparound support helped Peghla, her son, and her daughter secure employment. Her younger children began school. The family started to feel settled for the first time in years.
“We felt safe,” she said. “We could breathe.”
Peghla now works as a coordinator at the University of Maryland and consults for the University of Arkansas’s Afghan Women Initiative virtually. She also serves as an interpreter and continues her advocacy for Afghan women.
“My daughter is studying business. My son is working toward his credits for the University of Maryland,” she said with pride.
But the trauma lingers. Her husband, a surgical doctor, injured during the airport evacuation, can no longer work.
“He had surgery. He can’t stand for more than a few minutes,” she said.
“I Wish for Peace—For Afghans Everywhere”
“I want Afghans to have peace—whether they’re here or in Afghanistan,” Peghla said. “I hope girls can go to school. That women can work. That our country can be safe again.”
She acknowledges that life in the U.S. isn’t always easy.
“You need to speak English. You need to understand systems. Even going to the doctor is complicated, if you don’t get the support from agencies like LSSNCA” she said. “But here, no one questions us. No one searches our home. That is peace.”
Peghla’s life reflects the hopes and dreams of thousands of Afghans who stood beside the United States. Now, many are still waiting—stranded abroad or facing legal uncertainty here in the United States as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) remains in flux and refugee resettlement programs stall.
Take action:
- Support LSSNCA as we continue to serve those who self-traveled and knocked on our door.
- Contact your representative and ask them to end the refugee ban.
- Advocate for the restoration of TPS for Afghan nationals :
