This is the transcript for Lima Habib’s interview with PPS students. You can find the Story Map PPS students made depicting Lima’s story here.

March 31st 2024, 10am

00:01

Felicia: All right. Okay, so we will start with how are you? And can you introduce yourself?

00:06

Lima: Good. Thank you so much for inviting and choosing me for interview. I’m Lima Habib and from Kabul, Afghanistan. And it’s been five months, I just came to United States.

00:23

Maren: That is not a long time.

00:24

Felicia: Yes. Do you want to explain to us like, where did you grow up and what your childhood life was like.

00:31

Lima: I grew up in Afghanistan. And it was really a friendly environment. And also, we enjoyed a lot in the moments that we spend there. But when I was done with my high school, I got accepted to a program that I could study my undergraduate studies at American University of Central Asia, which is in Kyrgyzstan. And I was, I didn’t want to leave my family. But because that was a good opportunity. I accepted that and I went there for four years, something then I just came here. And but when I was 16, I was accepted to another program. Before that I was taking it was in Turkey, and I wanted to, and that program is for learning English, and also some activities like leadership and the skills. And after that, in 2019, I was accepted to another program to be as a counselor to a program, it was also by US Embassy. And on that program, I was leading a group of like, 50 students from Afghanistan. And I was have some activities with them, and also organizing them. And like, mostly I was leading them. And for the third time that I was leaving my country was, as I told you, before, it was in Kyrgyzstan, I was going for my undergraduate. Yeah, like, if I just compare my childhood, I really missed on that time, because we had really nice times. And also, when I compare it to now the children who are living in Afghanistan, it’s totally different. Because that time, we really, like we were not busy with, even though the conditions especially political was not good. But still, we had fairly like nice atmosphere with our family. But what I’m seeing right now, even girls cannot go to school, even they have to think about where they are, where even though they wanted to go outside. So, like, every children even talking about like politics, and stuff, they are involved in there, because they are living. So, if I just compare it, I can say that my childhood was better than the one that they have right now. But from the day that I was just leaving my country, I really feel that how an immigrant feel like how a refugee is, even though I had a visa in other countries, even here, but still like living in your home and being a guest to somewhere it’s totally different. And I had a lot of circumstances in both places. Because for example, when I was in Kyrgyzstan to get my undergraduate, I needed to first stand on my feet and do everything by myself, because I was so different to my family. And when I was just moving there, I needed to take care of myself, study, eat, everything belongs to me. And maybe I don’t want to talk a lot. But this memory really was, like made me a person that I am today. That I was when I was a freshman student. I got as, like a sickness or something that I couldn’t, like one part of my body was not working because I was so depressed and homesick. And like my mother was a doctor at all the time when I was sick. She was there to help me but when I was there, an ad the language of that country’s Russian and I was not fluent there because it was only six months I was there. I was just taking myself I was going to doctor alone doing the medication all by myself. And I was eating like 60 tablets in a day. Which was too much for me but still I accepted to be, like after three months, I would just recover from that situation. I was feeling better. I was doing a lot of physical therapy because my nerves were not working in my face specially but the good thing was only it was my feet on my body so I could walk and that that scenario, and another scenario. I think that what’s happened in my life had really made me the person that I am today. And I believe that when I was all alone, it means that I’m all by myself, nobody else is there to help me.

05:15

Maren: Wow, thank you for sharing. I would love if you could just describe your family who’s back home in Afghanistan who are like the most important people to you.

05:28

Lima: For now, because my mom mother was working from for some international organizations, and some program which was founded by … as they were mistreated by some tourists group like Taliban. So because of that, my my family, flew, even before Taliban came over, and started governing Afghanistan, so they are also in Kyrgyzstan. My mother, my father, my brother, and my sister. And still I have some families back in Afghanistan, like my relatives, my aunts, my uncles, and all of that, when I was talking to them, it’s like a disappointment for me and for them. Especially when they are talking about every part of the situation of their life is so difficult. Even like living there is so difficult when I’m talking with my cousins, they are just talking that how horrible living there is, that even though they are like 12 they need to wear like long dresses, or the stuff even can, they cannot walk properly with that one. So all these things really made me upset. And most of the time, I really want to avoid talking to them. Because the doctor at that time told me that I shouldn’t be like that much sad and upset. Because if I just my nerves will gonna go back again like that. So, because of that, I just wanted to avoid talking to them. So they are like, and all the time I was just wanted to help them. But I don’t know how. But when Taliban start to govern in Afghanistan, I was thinking how can I not only help my cousins, but other girls and women back in Afghanistan, I ran a project. It’s what is it like a community service, and I was starting to teach them in English and on computer online and virtually for the first round, I would just rent a place in Afghanistan that like 50 or 100 students could go and study there. But for the second round, because the situation get worse, so I started to say no, you can stay home I’ll gonna I found some budget stuff. And I was just sending some money to them to activate internet for themselves so they can join online sessions. And for the third round, a group of other Afghans we joined together and make an organization. It is all all around the world. And it was voluntary, everybody joined. And some like foreigner, also not Afghans. So we made a community with ourself. And now for three or four rounds, we had, like graduations and they were teaching English and computer and some like leadership activities and this stuff all online for these girls.

8.31

Felicia: Wow, that’s beautiful. That’s so, so good. Thank you.

08:33

Maren: That’s amazing.

08:43

Madison: You’re extremely dedicated.

08:44

Lima: Thanks.

08:49

Felicia: What it was adapting to life in the US felt like, like, how big was the change for you? Was it hard?

08:58

Lima: Even from the day that I was applying to this program. First, I was not thinking it is accurate. Because I was thinking it’s a rumor and when I applying it’s like a scam or something because nobody will gonna like because I was working with I told you about that camp that I was consular there. That program helped me to come and it was only for a month that I was working with US government. And one of the requirements were were to at least work for a year, then you will be eligible for these kinds of programs. But I was just my employer just emailed me said okay, that’s really good. You can apply for me because I couldn’t apply myself. He was the one that applied for me. So, he applied and it takes it took like two years something and I was at that time sophomore and I was dreaming so big that okay, I’ll go two US I will do this. I will do that. But the things that I was back in Kyrgyzstan, it was so different when I came here, my expectations changed so much. And after two years I came here like everything was so different even the atmosphere, the place, but the good thing was that in here my sister was living so I was coming to her it was a little bit better for me in better conditions than the other friends of mine. But the very difficult thing in here is like adapting to the culture to the people because I was living mostly in Muslim country countries not like non-Muslims but in here I was I was seeing like so diverse community and so that diverse people there one of the things that I was struggling to was with are there haram and non halal foods. I don’t know. Are you familiar with that? We are prohibiting to eat some have sent some kind of food so I was so agitated with is it Haram is it halal? And also about the meats, we’re just using the halal meats. And finding that one was also a very another difficulty that I was facing. But still I was I was just deciding okay, it’s okay for Haram. Like I was going to take it as Halal because it’s difficult to find halal meat, especially in here. And another thing that I was thinking is different was jobs, because I was thinking I know English, I have background working with foreigners and different organizations, so probably I’m gonna find job easily. But it takes me even, it’s not that long. But for me, it was long I was thinking from the day that was coming out, we’re going to find a job. But it was like imagination in my mind. So after four months, I was accepted to GTCC as a professional writing tutor. Because I was writing tutor back in my university that was really helped me to apply for this job and got accepted. Yeah. And another thing, the life in here is like, the good thing in here is that you can have everything you want. And you can just lend from the bank. And then you can buy the nice car you want and the house anything. But still you need to build credit something like this one was also a very different and new idea for me. And also taxation in here. It was surprised me because even if you want to buy a bottle of water, you need to like it is $1 one dollars the tax, it was a new thing for me because we were not familiar with that. But overall, still, I’m happy with the situation, the life I have right now. But still, I see most challenges in front of me. And I also applied for master program in your university. I hope if I get accepted, I didn’t know but still I just applied. Yeah

13:16

Maren: What university sorry?

13:18

Lima: Your university Guilford. For, presidential fellowship program.

13:25

Felicia: Amazing I have a friend that’s in there. And she loves it. She says it’s amazing.

13:33

Maren: How long was your sister here before you can.

13:38

Lima: It’s been nine years or something. She got married with my cousin, my cousin were living here and my aunt for more than 20 years. She was also a refugee. And the good thing is that when she was telling me about the experience she had on that time, 20 years ago, and experience I can bear with myself. It’s totally different. She had a lot of struggles, but I’m happy that I have family here. So, I have a little bit struggle of those things that my aunt just telling me that yeah, my sister was here for nine years.

14:13

Maren: Was it her first time coming here when she got married?

14:16

Lima: Yeah, it was even the first time that she get out of the country. She didn’t went to any other countries. I was the first girl in my family that I was all alone by myself and went to another country. No, no one else in my entire family and relatives accepted our that a girl should go alone by themselves because we are living in a very cultural environment. So, it’s not. For boys it’s a bit better. But for girls. It’s not good that they should go alone and when they’re going alone from their country. So, after that they think that they are not a good girl or something like that, because they’re all alone by themselves.

15:06

Felicia: Did you experience sort of hate? Or was there like a lot of talking about your family that you left by yourself? Like, was it a burden to your family? Or was it like, because you said it was hard?

15:20

Yeah. But because it was my third time that I was all alone by myself, for the first and second, my family had a little bit difficult time. But the good thing is that my family was really supportive all the time for me. And all the time. They accepted were the people are saying it’s, they said, it’s alright. But they were thinking about my development and improvement more than, what the people say, or what the people thought that was really good. That helped me to be the person I am today. But still, yeah. But for the third time, even some of my relatives were not talking to me. They was like, I didn’t do anything wrong, why they are doing this behavior with me. But my mother, say, don’t care about them, just focus on yourself and your improvement and development. And that’s it. And I was doing the same thing, and I’m just ignoring them sometimes.

16:18

Maren: Could you explain from when you were like a child to when you left Afghanistan, and maybe some of the changes that happened? Because I know, you’re saying that a lot of it’s been different now. But I was wondering if during your time there, there was any changes,

16:35

Lima: Uh, you mean, what kind of changes?

16:38

Maren: Maybe politically or just in your daily life.

16:41

Lima: But the thing is, when I just started to know myself, we were involved in politics, because everything was a bomb, bomb blessing, like, all the time, we were thinking that if my mother for a go to work, and when they came back, we were not sure if they could came back. Because the situation was so bad. But the good thing at that time that was like they were the tourist group, were attacking a certain group of people on that time. But day by day, when I just grew up and grew up, their target was changing, even civilians were in their target. So that was like, make our life so hard. And most of people were thinking to not study or not to live in their country and move from there. So, because of that, like day, by day, the situation was worse. It was bad and with just become worse again, and again, like a we were sleeping all the night, like with hearing the gun sound like with the bomb blessing, and this stuff, and most of the children in Afghanistan are so aggressive, because they were living in that society and when you just hearing with this sounds a lot, you were like, you will have some traumas or something like that, even when they I remember that when I was in seventh grade, there was a bomb blessing to Parliament, and our school was near to Parliament, it was like 10 to 15 Walk to Parliament. So we’re all stacked inside of our school and our principal will not allowing us to go outside and our family was outside the school waiting for us to just get out of school to go home. And they were like, like they couldn’t rescue us and they were also in danger also, because it was near so on that on that day all the time even right now sometimes I’m remembering the screams the sounds of gun explosion and those stuff because we were so near and our like mirror mirrors of the classroom was broken. And the funny thing I can just tell you that there was bad side but the good side that everybody was just wanted to rescue themselves but I was wanting to take care of my books I was just collecting my books doing my… I was like my my friends were just looking when they say you should get out of the classroom because it’s not safe. But why you are just standing and wanted to know only collecting my books but we had chalk and eraser I was responsible to take that one also at home and then take it tomorrow bring it back so I was just not only collecting my books collecting this stuff and all the time when I was the see it is like two sides good side and bad side but I was like when I was just going home I was thinking about that. Why did this like I needed to rescue myself not just stay there to collect my books actually I could gonna get it tomorrow. Or maybe if I lost it, I can buy another one. But it was so fun. But right now it is, as I already talked about, it’s totally different. Even there’s no explosion that much it is. But it’s not that much as before but a group that they don’t know anything, even about Islam, they don’t know about how humanity should be, how some person live, they are not allowing even some of my friends got accepted to some programs to study outside, but they were not allowing to have a flight because they were a girl. And I was helping some of my friends to come to this university, that university that I was studying in Kyrgyzstan. But they were they needed to, because there was first no direct flights. And then some of them can do with their father to another third country. And from there, they just got visa of Kyrgyzstan, and they came to Kyrgyzstan. Right now, they don’t allow this one also, they cannot go for a study to see, to go by themself, even they they cannot take their father with themselves or their brother. So now if I see this, totally, another chapter of Afghans and in 2021 when the government collapsed, and everybody was some of equation back there. I don’t know if you see that. Videos, that was even some of some of the people were just hanging themselves from the wings of the plane. But some of them fall down. And some of them just rescued, but most of them fall down. And everybody was like, wanted to leave Afghanistan, everybody wanted to leave. And we use just remember those situation, even though I was not there, but they were just watching the videos. It was really a big trauma in my life all the time, if I just have a very good life, a very stable and safe, but still that story behind behind the scene or behind me, it’s all with myself. And all the time, I’m thinking how can I help them? But still, for now, I’m just, I can continue to teach them in English with my friends. And that’s the only thing I can do for them.

22:34

Maren: Thank you for sharing.

22:38

Felicia: It’s beautiful that you try to help them even if it’s so hard, you know.

22:45

Maren: How was it? How is Kyrgyzstan different than Afghanistan in terms of, like the political environment?

22:56

Lima: That one is like the culture aspect, it’s it’s similar to Afghanistan. Because like, for example, this they have the same or holidays, and that that different thing about Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan is and Afghanistan, only Muslims only, like zero-point 99 percent sick people are living there, but in Kyrgzstan, there are Christians there are Muslims, they are Hindis. And the good thing is that they are living in a very safe environment. And the the other difference is that, like they have symbolic president, and all the other decision are taking by Russia, because they are under control and not under control under Yeah, I think under control is a better word. Of Russia or whether Russia is saying on what happened in the Russia it’s really directly affects Kyrgyzstan. For example, there was like Ukraine and Russia has conflict in this stuff. And like all the market was so expansive on that time in Kyrgyzstan, even though Kyrgyzstan was not involved in that conflict, but still, because they’re in the control of Russia. It was really affected Kyrgyzstan, but the cultural aspect yeah, as I told you, they are somehow similar, and the people are really good. And yeah, I was not homesick that much in Kyrgyzstan because I was having some some similar life in Afghanistan also. But when I came to US, it was totally different. For example, in here you need to like have like 20 minute and drive to just arrive to, for example, Walmart or a restaurant because you’re if you’re not living in downtown and if you’re living in this site it would be something like this but in Kurdistan or Afghanistan everything is near to you they don’t have like a downtown they have like a similar to downtown they call it center but like supermarkets, malls everything like you can walk and another different thing is that in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan we walk a lot we didn’t see that much cars, but in here are just seeing not people but like a robot are all the cars are around like every place we go and see that parking lot or more and a lot like having two to three apart buildings for only parking. But in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan it will it will not like this.

25:50

Felicia: So, what was the main form of transport in Afghanistan?

25:56

Lima: Mostly on the like, only the one that they are rich, they have a car by themselves. Only one one person in the one house will going to have one car. And because they are rich, they have a car. But mostly like maybe average of the people in Afghanistan they are using public transportation buses, mini buses, and some of them taxi taxis also expensive in Afghanistan. They can a lot of people seem like Uber in here. So expensive in Afghanistan. Taxi is too expensive. But the good thing about Kyrgyzstan was that they have really nice transportation also, because if you wanted to go any places, they had a bus and they have like a minibus, they call it “Maschuga” all around the city. So, like in their currency, some you can go from one place to another so far place that they have really convenient and so you can convenient transportation, Kyrgyzstan, we had in Afghanistan, but it was not that much convenient. And a lot of people are going in one buses. So that was like, really nice about the transportation in Kyrgyzstan. But in US it like transportation is not that much good. Because everybody has a car. I was I would just want I was curious because my sister was not allowing me. I can drive you anywhere you want to go to not use best. I wasn’t. I’m so curious. And whenever I’m going somewhere, I wanted to try everything back in there. So, I wanted to try buses how they work and did like they are so nice. But I think only the poor or maybe homeless people are using buses in here.

27:59

Felicia: I don’t have a car. So, I use the bus sometimes. But I agree with what you say is like, yeah, the buses are clean and everything. Yeah, but I feel like everyone has a car, so they don’t need the bus. Yeah.

28:15

Maren: I come from a city of North Philadelphia, and everyone takes the subway like it’s diff it depends on like, what like this, Greensboro is so different. And I think most places in the US are like this. But like, if it’s like New York City or Philadelphia or the bigger cities, everyone takes the subway. Yes. Yeah, I bet it’s similar.

28:39

Madison: I do not have a car myself. But I also don’t go really anywhere. Like I just stay. I stay on the campus at Guilford. And anytime I have, the one time I have to leave is when I’m going to the train station to go to the town where my mom lives. And if I do that, I will ask one of our professors to drive me over. And then I’ll go on the train and then my mom will drive and pick me up. Which is I’m very lucky because that’s very difficult to do almost everywhere else in the US.

29:11

Maren: I’m wondering about your schooling in Afghanistan when you were super young. It seems like you’re really really interested in education Have you always been like had that passion?

29:21

Lima. Of course, I had, like I had really nice memories that whenever I’m remembering I really enjoyed it that I’m happy that I had those memories even about my school. Like one of really great memories that I was wearing my uniform even at night before sleeping, even where we are wearing a scarf also in our school. So, I was just using skirt like this. And I was like already that when I was waking up in the morning, so I was I would just wanted to go to school and be the first person to go to school. So I always wanted to do that my my, my parents were arguing all the time that if you’re wearing it like this, it needs ironing again. And also it’s it’s not good, you will not smell good or something like that because you need to use your pajamas. Then in the morning, you can have your uniform. Yeah. And I was really passionate about my school. And I was so like, on one person, I would just wanted to do homework at school. And like, and the time that we were, like, have rest time in school, I was not resting, and I was not playing. But instead, I was just sitting and doing the homework of my tomorrow, because there were some questions. And I knew that this teacher will kind of give me this assignment. So before even they’re telling me I was just doing my assignment. So, this was the other funny and good thing about school I was regretting, why not not playing at that time. So, I can just have some fun on that time, then I could do my homework at home. But no, like, and also, we were studying like Pashto another languages in our country, it was a bit difficult for me, because they were giving us some words, then meaning when then we need to make a sentence for that. And when my mother was coming, like, I knew that my mother was gonna come from work at four. So, I was standing in front of the door, and I was taking my pen and my notebook in my hand. And I was standing in asking my mom in front of the door to tell me that what is how can I do even I was not giving the time for her to have some rest, or to sit, I was just asking this, how can I do this when and that was really funny memory back in my school. But yeah, I was really passionate about school, and I enjoyed really the time that I had in school, and we had really good teachers. They like, and the other side of school was in Afghanistan, you you’re standing journal, about everything, like we had, like 17 subjects after seventh grade. So it was really too much for us to study then after that you have midterm exams, and you have final exams. So it was a bit difficult for us. Because some people like are interested in one subject, but not in another subject. So but we had not any other options. And when we are done at school, we have like, entrance exam for a public university, which is named Kabul University. It’s so competitive. And I was got accepted to public policy in Afghanistan. But I was not interested to study because I was pretty I was wanted to prioritize law or political science, but they were in the same public policy. So part of political science, so you we I could decide it, but I didn’t choose that one. And I just started to start medicine school in Afghanistan, because I got a scholarship and that one also it was a private university. So I went there for like two to three months. After that, I got accepted to this bachelor program in Kyrgyzstan, so I didn’t continue that one also I came to Kyrgyzstan and study my undergraduate and my undergraduate was so like, I started in many places. I I started my sophomore till sophomore year in Kyrgyzstan, then I got accepted to exchange program to Bard College in Berlin. But due to visa issues, I couldn’t go there but I continued online. And after that I continue studying then when when we got to know that we’re going to come to US there were some programs for the one who had high high GPA something so I was nominated to that program to be extended student or even continue my college or university in US but because the program that got accepted and come to us take like two years so I become senior student. So, because of that when I came here, they telling me that in here, you’re gonna be transferred as a junior student. Or you can have extend like be an exchange student in here and study like only one semester for yourself then you will be graduate. So, I accepted the second option because I don’t wanted to become junior again, and then become senior to have a US diploma but still are gonna have a certificate from Bard College in New York. And I am an exchange student there. And they were telling me that I can come and study there and be there. But I prefer to stay here and having jobs and study online. So again, they started studying online, in my home institution, which is in Kyrgyzstan, and also have some classes from Bard College in New York.

35:47

Felicia: How does it feel like to be an international student studying international relations?

36:01

Lima: Sometimes some of the things that I’m studying really relates to me, and I wanted to, like even mostly were studying about international politics, international relations, international government organizations. So, all the things that I wanted to what really interested me in this one, that I have a very broad, broad idea that we actually work, that that’s really good. And the thing is I can, when I work in one country, I can have some programs for Afghanistan, also, this was another good things about studying international relations and politics. And, yeah, overall, it’s really a broad topic. And when you’re studying politics, and when you’re just know that about other countries politics, and how other like one country has influenced to another country, you will go and I go to know about my country’s situation and other countries that has similar situation, like in Afghanistan. And so, you really, will kind of have different perspective when you study politics, and especially international relations about everything in today’s life, and how, like political leaders are playing games. And, and the only thing about like, when I’m just studying about politics of a lot of countries, the only person that they are suffering, it’s civilians in all countries. So, when I was studying about, like, different subjects, it really, some of them disappointed me, because how we are using and political games of political leaders. It’s really disappointing. But still, it’s it’s good to study but it’s a bit broad topic.

38:20

Felicia: How did you become a professional tutor at GTCC? It is, right?

38:25

Lima: Yeah. As I told you before, because I had background of tutoring in many places, but the recent one was in my home institution in Kyrgyzstan, and was writing tutor back there, and in the organization that they helped me to come here. And they were like doing our legal works paperwork. She was referred me to a person who was working in GTCC. And she she was sending me the application, and then I was filling out then they call me for interview. And when I was talking about my experiences and stuff, I think this is fine with my experience. After like, one or two hours, they called me back that you were hired. And it was so interesting, and for me, because it was my first job that I applied. And no, it was my second job. I was applied for a paralegal, and they didn’t accept me because I only had like study of that I didn’t work where I work experience so they didn’t accept me on that job. So, this one was the second one and it was not hoping that I will be going to accept it. Because I was telling the student I didn’t work in US, and my English is like, as a second language, probably still acceptable for them and they they want to follow into an hour they want a native one. But when they accepted me was and they were just telling me because most of my sister and other people who are working here, they say that when you have an interview after some days they will gonna inform you. But they informed me like in two hours, it was the best for me that I got accepted.

40:22

Maren: They must have liked you. God, I had a question and I lost it. Oh, I wanted to ask, when did your parents or your other family members come from Afghanistan to Kyrgyzstan?

40:33

Lima: It is before Taliban start to govern Afghanistan. And I told you the reason because my mother was treated by different groups and different people. So, because of that this came in 2021. After I was living in Kyrgyzstan one year alone, and after that they they came to Kyrgyzstan. And they choose Kyrgyzstan because I was there.

41:00

Maren: How was it to be reunited with them? After a year?

41:05

Lima: It was unbelievable because getting visa of Kyrgyzstan especially tourist visa for Afghans like it is so difficult job and you need a very, like strong bank account or having a good relations with Kyrgyzstan or that stuff that we didn’t have any of them. Because because of that, when they applied for Kyrgyz visa, we are we are hopeless, and we are like we didn’t believe that they will gonna accept, but after a week or two week, because my sister back they got their three months visitor visa. And it was unbelievable for me. And it was in my midterm times. And I just and it was also not able to go because our university were not allowing us because it was COVID time. But still, I was just talking to them that because it was the first time that they are getting out of Afghanistan, it was a bit challenging. They should have somebody that who knows a little bit better, so they could have a better flight. So, I decided to go for two weeks then with them. I just came from Afghanistan with them to Kyrgyzstan. And that was the happiest moment because I was so homesick alone, and the situation in Afghanistan was getting worse and worse. And I couldn’t concentrate that much on my studies all the time I was worrying, thinking about my family that how they leave if they are okay. And my sister was not able to go to university because of his tweets, my brother also wanted to start not to go to university. And it was like, somehow sad situation for me that my siblings cannot go to university because of the situation. So, when when they came, was not happy time that we reunited together, but it was an happy moment that they can have a better not the best life but a better life than Afghanistan.

43:18

Felicia: Can I ask when was the last time was that the last time you saw them? Or were you able to visit them or were they able to visit you?

43:27

Lima: It was five months ago because we were live together, I was I was there was the last time and they are not allowed to come to US because it’s very like they have cases to come but still it’s not accepted and we don’t know that when we can reunite. And this is such a situation that we have. And my sister it’s been nine years that she didn’t see my family. I will when I was after nine years I was also visiting my sister. It was so different feeling for me even the first days it feels like we are not we are we were like a stranger or something because we didn’t know in nine years I changed a lot she changed a lot I was I was a child when she was leaving Afghanistan so everything was so new for me she will have a different perspective about me I had another so like when we are apart it I hate like about immigration and being a refugee that you were going to be alone by yourself and you’re going to be apart from your family. I hope one day soon I could see my family again. And my father mother can’t work there a lot because they don’t know the language. They cannot go to job or work in time. My mom is so depressed when I when I see like all the time maybe not my situation of life, but most of Afghans that they are living abroad like that, that we are in a situation that we cannot be happy, we cannot be sad, like living here, here, it’s a good opportunity for me. But still I need to think about my family, other relatives or other friends or even strangers in Afghanistan. And it really the situations in Afghanistan is unstable. And Kyrgyzstan, also my family situations is unstable because they are, they have, for example, for now asylum seeker cards. But now they said they will not going to issue it again. So, like they are in a deport situation, they will going to deport them back and Afghanistan back. As they cannot go back to Afghanistan, we don’t know if they’re gonna be deported, where they will gonna be. So this instabilities makes our life also so challenging, because we are connected to each other and like, living with them, and they their problem is our problem. So I think we all the time living in uncertainty. When I’m just telling this one with my foreigner, friends, they think they didn’t think that we had this much difficult time in our life. They said, you’re lying. Are you are you like, really, it’s real. I was at the time saying that this is not only my life, there’s a lot 1000 million Afghans who are living, it’s like this.

46:39

Felicia: Thank you for sharing.

46:45

Maren: How are we on time?

46:49

Felicia: We’re almost done. We have like one last question. And that will be is there anything else you’d like to share with us or you want to tell anyone about your experience?

46:58

Lima: I think I shared most of my experience in life. But the one thing that I can tell, especially girls from any other countries, from anywhere around the world to be brave, do not give up and looking forward all the time. Because we we need to get opportunities and we need to build our life. Nobody else will kind of think about that.

47:26

Maren: Thank you so much. Thank you so so much for taking the time and for inviting us into your home. We appreciate it. Sonalini told us to tell you that your gift card. We don’t have it with us today, but because our university is going through like a financial system shift, but it will be available.

47:49

Lima: Thank you, that is alright.

47:52

Maren: I really hope you get the Presidential Fellowship, which one did you apply to?

47:57

Lima: For Business Administration. It’s a shift from politics to business. And actually, I wanted to apply for law school. But as I missed many deadlines, because shifting in the United States, and this stuff, like my situation of life, like changing a little bit, so I missed some of the deadlines. And I’m working my senior thesis also. So, I was so busy with that one. And Miss Sonalini, he told me about this opportunity. And I went to info session, and they said they will they will go and accept only four people. So I was like thinking, I don’t know if I got accepted or not. But I just applied it. I don’t know. But it was really good program. I really liked community of your university too. So nice. And the professors and the lady that was talking about this program, I think she was the coordinator. I can remember the name.

49:00

Maren: Maybe Meredith I’m trying to remember who coordinates Catherine I think Cathrine. Catherine she’s great.

49:07

Lima: And also they were some alumni who are telling us about sharing their success story and also some tips to give us and that was really helpful for me.

49:21

Maren: What’s your senior thesis on?

49:24

Lima: My senior thesis about Morocco and Israel conflict and the role of United States in resolving this. But the the challenging parts of my senior thesis, I couldn’t find anybody to interview it. And also I couldn’t find I found some but not that much resources to like support my ideas. I because of the level so challenging.

50:05

Maren: Cool awesome that sounds really cool thank you thank you so much Lima.