In a society consumed by divisive, politicized, rhetoric about Immigrants, the International Institute of St. Louis, the city’s official resettlement agency, hosted an event that betrayed that narrative while focusing on the true spirit of hard-working immigrants.
“As much as they need our help, we need them, too.”- Arrey Obenson, president & CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis
– Arrey Obenson, president & CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis
On Friday, the nonprofit, in partnership with the Afghan Chamber of Commerce, awarded three Afghan immigrants $15,000 Entrepreneurship Grants. The program, part of the larger Afghan Support Program launched in 2022, provided the grants to help Afghan immigrants start or grow businesses in the St. Louis region.
The entire ceremony was an eclectic, diversified delight. Outside, in celebration of “Hispanic Heritage Month,” there was a community bazaar where attendees in colorful garb were served food from Tacos El Paisa and purchased gifts and art items from Arte Rojo and other related community organizations. Inside, after the Afghan support awards ceremony, sponsored by Midwest BankCentre, awardees, their families and guests were served native dishes provided by Sameem Afghan Restaurant.
The welcoming celebratory atmosphere was by design, said Arrey Obenson, president & CEO of the International Institute.
“This event is a culmination of the efforts we’ve been making in the last two and half years with the resettlement of Afghans.”
St. Louis has become a hub for Afghan refugees, with more than 1,500 resettling here after the Taliban took over Afghanistan August 2021. The Afghan Outreach Initiative — a partnership between the International Institute of St. Louis and attorney and philanthropist Jerry Schlichter — has helped nearly double the local Afghan population to about 4,000 people, according to Moji Sidiqi, director for multicultural affairs and Afghan outreach for the International Institute.
Obenson said he is astonished by the adaptability and resilience of the refugees and is proud to provide grants for their business endeavors.
“This will be eight out of 10 grants we are giving to people who have come to this country less than 24 months ago who are starting businesses in our community, Obenson said. “They’ve gone from being defined as refugees to being tenants, employees and now they’re employers in this community.”
To date, eight Afghan refugees have been awarded $15,000 grants to launch businesses in the region with the help from the Afghan Outreach Initiative. The past five winners include those who started a home repair and remodeling company, a handbag design company and two photography and videography businesses.
Friday’s grantees included Ferdous Sakhiza, who started a landscaping business; K]halid Naseeri, founder of Smart Electric LLC, an electrical service company and Freshta Zary, owners of Zeeb Cloth, a clothing brand that blends traditional Afghan designs with modern fashions; and
“The story continues to unfold,” Moji Sidiqi, event moderator and director for multicultural affairs and Afghan outreach said, as she encouraged the awardees to create partnerships and opportunities for other Afghans.
On stage, philanthropist Schlichter emphasized the collective advantages of awarding entrepreneurship grants to Afghan refugees.
“Besides welcoming you and supporting you; the whole St. Louis community benefits as well,” Schlichter stressed. “We need to build our population which has been in decline. We need to diversify our people. We have a smaller number of foreign-born people here than most large cities.”
The city has lost an average of around 6,000 residents in each of the last three years. According to Census figures, St. Louis’ population declined from around 286,000 residents in 2022, a drop of roughly 1.5%. That said, the St. Louis region leads the nation in growing its immigrant population with the biggest one-year percentage increase locally on record, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis, for example, has the largest Bosnian population in Missouri with an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 people. Bosnian refugees migrated here as result of the war and genocide that took place in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 and because the city’s availability of jobs and inexpensive housing.
The turmoil in Afghanistan, Schlichter added, though tragic, benefited our region.
“You coming here was an opportunity, I saw, where we could support people who needed help, who needed to find a place to rebuild their lives but also helped us rebuild our community…”
Moderator Sidiqi congratulated the awardees but gave special recognition to Freshta Zary, the first woman to win an Afghan immigrant entrepreneurship grant.
“I should mention that Freshta used to be a principal of a school in Afghanistan who also studied law,” Sidiqi said, adding: “That’s a such big deal to lose such a huge part of your identity and start from scratch but it’s that much more inspiring that you started a new journey, one that will inspire countless women.”
The success of the Afghan refugees here, Obenson said, paints a much different story about immigrants than the mostly negative ones dominating national headlines.
“They are the opposite of everything some in this country have said about immigration and policies; I have found this community to be extremely welcoming, Obenson said.
“We are looking beyond the labels placed on people to where we are embracing people in this community. Because as much as they need our help, we need them, too.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
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