Posted on Dec 26, 2022
Newly arriving Afghans want to boost St. Louis' economy by creating companies and jobs
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Pouya Zabihullah left Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2010 with his parents and brother. His family moved to Turkey to escape family issues and the imminent threat of the Taliban controlling their country. While there, Zabihullah’s family sought assistance from the United Nations and then moved to St. Louis in August 2021.
The 21-year-old Afghan and his family came to the region because they knew people who could assist them with resettlement.
During the first few months in St. Louis, Zabihullah attended financial literacy courses and beginner English classes at the International Institute of St. Louis to prepare to do business in the region.
Zabihullah speaks five languages fluently and speaks little English. He said through a translator that St. Louis has many resources to help Afghans quickly get on their feet.
Zabihullah took advantage of one of those resources by applying for the International Institute’s Afghan Entrepreneurship Grant Fund, a program that provides $15,000 grants to newly arriving Afghans to start a business. Zabihullah is a photographer, who began taking professional photos as a teenager and later started his wedding photography business.
The 21-year-old Afghan and his family came to the region because they knew people who could assist them with resettlement.
During the first few months in St. Louis, Zabihullah attended financial literacy courses and beginner English classes at the International Institute of St. Louis to prepare to do business in the region.
Zabihullah speaks five languages fluently and speaks little English. He said through a translator that St. Louis has many resources to help Afghans quickly get on their feet.
Zabihullah took advantage of one of those resources by applying for the International Institute’s Afghan Entrepreneurship Grant Fund, a program that provides $15,000 grants to newly arriving Afghans to start a business. Zabihullah is a photographer, who began taking professional photos as a teenager and later started his wedding photography business.
Newly arriving Afghans want to boost St. Louis' economy by creating companies and jobs
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
Afghanistan
Immigration
Refugees
St. Louis
Economics
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."St. Louis was his first choice. Sahel’s family in the region provided a room in their home for him and his wife until they could find stable housing. He picked up a job as an operations coordinator at BJC Healthcare and later moved his family into their own home.
Sahel is working at the health care organization to fund his online Afghan rug and carpet business. He is working on a business plan and is trying to start a limited liability company. But he is struggling with funding for the online shop.
“I am the only person who works in my family,” Sahel said. “I don't want to put any pressure on my wife to help me with all the expenses.”
He said it will take about $20,000 to start his company, and he has about $5,000 saved.
Sahel wants to start the rug company because he noticed that there are not enough reasonably priced Afghan rugs or carpets in the region. He also wants to sell other culturally related household goods to help people from Afghanistan in the area feel more comfortable in their new homes.
“I'm sure that it's [his company] not only beneficial for me, financially, but also it will be beneficial for other Afghans who recently came to here or for those people who lived here for years and years, and they are expecting to have their Afghan or traditional materials here,” Sahel said.
Sahel keeps how the community and his family helped him gain his footing in St. Louis in the back of his mind. In the future, he wants to use his company to hire other Afghans in the region who might need work to help their families or to support their dreams.
“[The business] will have positive impacts on the community, it's not just about the financial base, but also providing job opportunities for those people who want to work especially, Afghans, who came from Afghanistan with [language] difficulties,” Sahel said."
..."St. Louis was his first choice. Sahel’s family in the region provided a room in their home for him and his wife until they could find stable housing. He picked up a job as an operations coordinator at BJC Healthcare and later moved his family into their own home.
Sahel is working at the health care organization to fund his online Afghan rug and carpet business. He is working on a business plan and is trying to start a limited liability company. But he is struggling with funding for the online shop.
“I am the only person who works in my family,” Sahel said. “I don't want to put any pressure on my wife to help me with all the expenses.”
He said it will take about $20,000 to start his company, and he has about $5,000 saved.
Sahel wants to start the rug company because he noticed that there are not enough reasonably priced Afghan rugs or carpets in the region. He also wants to sell other culturally related household goods to help people from Afghanistan in the area feel more comfortable in their new homes.
“I'm sure that it's [his company] not only beneficial for me, financially, but also it will be beneficial for other Afghans who recently came to here or for those people who lived here for years and years, and they are expecting to have their Afghan or traditional materials here,” Sahel said.
Sahel keeps how the community and his family helped him gain his footing in St. Louis in the back of his mind. In the future, he wants to use his company to hire other Afghans in the region who might need work to help their families or to support their dreams.
“[The business] will have positive impacts on the community, it's not just about the financial base, but also providing job opportunities for those people who want to work especially, Afghans, who came from Afghanistan with [language] difficulties,” Sahel said."
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