The College of Charleston community is helping Afghan refugees settling in the Lowcountry.
On Saturday, March 26, 2022, the College will partner with Lutheran Services of the Carolinas (LSC) to host a cultural orientation for Afghan families. The orientation will consist of 15 lessons and an assessment at the end of the program. These lessons include topics such as health, employment, transportation, safety and cultural adjustments.
Many College of Charleston faculty, staff and students have volunteered to help in the operations of the orientation. These volunteers will lead the orientation sessions, help provide childcare for participating parents and offer support for the people attending the program.
“The College has developed a task force to create more long-term possible avenues of support for refugee resettlement in Charleston,” says Amy Malek, assistant professor of international studies, who is one of the coordinators for the orientation. “The goal is to make the College a leader in the community in welcoming displaced Afghans and, looking forward, refugees more generally.”
Over 80 Afghan refugees have settled in Charleston as part of the U.S. State Department’s Reception and Placement Program. Malek says 100–200 more refugees are expected to be settled in Charleston this spring and summer – including some from other countries, such as Syria, Congo or Ukraine.
Since the United States’ withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan in August, the U.S. has evacuated more than 76,000 Afghan nationals to the U.S.
