'Gift of Love' Is What Afghani Refugee Calls Car From Reston Charity

RESTON, VA — Rides for Refugees, a Reston-based charity, recently presented cars to two refugees, in order to help the get around and be more self-reliant, as they acclimate to their new lives in Northern Virginia.

"Besides providing me with a car, they brought me the gift of love," said Mohamed, one of the recipients of a car from Rides for Refugees. "I all it a gift of love. They are always supportive, without any kind of discrimination, whether you're an Afghani, American or a Pakistani. They to support refugees without any kind of discrimination, which is a very positive point of this organization. I love it."

Before coming to Northern Virginia, Mohamed had worked as a translator and interpreter for 10 years, supporting the mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Afghanistan.

Once the the Taliban moved in and the USAID left, Mohamed and family remained in Afghanistan. On the recommendation of his USAID colleagues, he was able to apply for a special immigration visa. A couple of months later, Mohamed, his wife, and their two children were evacuated and ultimately ended up in Northern Virginia.

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank the beloved nation of the U.S., along with the government where they have supported us to be evacuated from Afghanistan to Pakistan and Pakistan to here," he said.

Currently, Mohamed is seeking employment in contract management, possibly in HR or anything to do with the management of legal documents.

"I'm a very professional person, working with the USAID project and knowing about federal laws and regulations in terms of contract and procurement," he said. "Therefore, I'm eager and I'm an optimistic I can find the job here."

One of the things that Mohamed has struggled with is transportation. During a job interview, the recruiter even asked him whether he had a car or not.

"One of the requirements in the United States of having a job is having a car to bring you from one place to another," he said. "Once Rides for Refugees provided me with a car, I can get that job and transport my children from home to school and take then back. At the same time, I can conduct whatever appointment I have, like with a medical doctor for my family. This really helped me a lot and I'm always using this car."