Shafi and Ramisa

Shafi and Ramisa are from Parwan, Afghanistan. They obtained a Visa to come to the United States in 2015 and were relocated to Boise. They have two daughters, Afsana, who is five years old, and Neda who is two. 

They would like the Boise community know the following:
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“The only thing that will help our community grow is learning from each other.”

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Afghanistan
Shafi served as an interpreter for the US army since 2007. There, he received First Aid, combat, and interpreter training. He worked with the army in Kunar Province until he proposed to Ramisa in 2011. Shafi enjoyed working for the U.S. Army since it provided financial stability for him and his new family, but it caused them to lose the support of some of their more conservative friends and family.

After that, they were then relocated to work in Kabul until he accepted a Special Immigrant Visa to be resettled in America in 2015, and they were brought to Boise. A major difference they see from Afghanistan and the United States is that the U.S. can offer them freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of certain social actions. They enjoy life here, but they miss their friends and family.

First Steps on American Soil
Their flight to America was Ramisa and Afsana’s first flight. Afsana, who was 2 at the time, remembers watching movies and drinking chocolate milk. Stepping off the plane in the U.S., Shafi was excited to have the opportunity to learn new things, but also had anxiety not knowing what would happen. Ramisa recalls getting a ride from their case manager from the airport; she didn’t know if she should trust her and was worried the case manager was going to take her somewhere unsafe.

One of the biggest challenges of living in Boise was not being able to communicate, but Shafi was employed shortly after his arrival with Micron. This helped Shafi to quickly stand on his own two feet and to provide for his family with little support from the agency. He said he didn’t need to rely on the agency that much but that he always knew “the agency had our back.”

First Memories of America
Shafi was worried that they were going to be judged immediately wherever they went, but he soon realized that people didn’t seem to care that they were their neighbors or that they were shopping in their stores. He was surprised that people minded their own business. Ramisa recalls how nice it was to have stores like Winco and Walmart that had everything you needed and that you only needed to shop in one place.

Life in Boise
Now, the family enjoys traveling to McCall, Cascade, and Twin Falls. They also visit national parks when they can. Shafi enjoys playing volleyball and soccer, as well as working on cars and volunteering on the weekends. He enjoys helping members of their new community. Ramisa likes to visit friends and having conversations with them. As for the kids, Afsana likes playdough, and Neda likes to play with Barbies. 

Ramisa is proud of her daughters, and Shafi is proud to be able to raise his daughters in an intelligent and safe community. He is also proud to be useful in various ways in the community. 

Goals for the Future
Ramisa and Shafi are hopeful for their future, and are both of currently enrolled at CWI. Shafi is obtaining an associate’s degree while Ramisa is enrolled in the English language course. For now, Ramisa is focused on raising their daughters, but hopes to get a job when they are older. Eventually, Shafi would like to own his own business, possibly a mechanic shop. They recently bought a house last fall.