Afghan Family Settling In After First Week In Falmouth
After two months of preparation, Neighborhood Support Team Cape Cod finally welcomed the Javeds, a family of refugees from Afghanistan, to Falmouth November 22.
NST’s Monday night welcoming committee consisted of Marguerite McElroy, Helen Malina, and Lynn Hassouna. The group met the Javeds at the airport and packed their cars for the long drive back to Falmouth with the family of eight: two parents, three sons ages 14, 10, 9 and three daughters ages 7, 5, and 5 months.
“The family are Pashto speakers,” wrote Ms. McElroy in an email earlier this week. “The three boys, who speak a smattering of English, are very eager to be helpful and to practice their English. The little girls are shy and joyful, but [the] baby is still doubtful about all these strangers. Yesterday the four younger children were shown the school’s several playgrounds. We are really enjoying these delightful children.”
The family’s long journey from Afghanistan included stops in Qatar and Germany before reaching Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, in mid-October, where they stayed for about five weeks until they landed at Worcester Regional Airport on November 22.
Upon their arrival at their new home, both the family and NST team shared a traditional meal of Qabili Palau and salad, prepared by NST team leaders Janet Simons Folger and JoAnn Fishbein. Qabili Palau, also called Kabuli Pulao, is the national dish of Afghanistan and consists of chicken atop a mix of rice pilaf with carrots, onion, raisins, and eastern spices topped with almonds.
Thanks to the generosity of both the Falmouth and broader Cape Cod community, the Javeds arrived at their new home to find their refrigerator and cabinets full of dietary staples: herbs, nuts, snacks, dairy, vegetables, halal meats, and fruits.
Ms. McElroy wrote that both the NST team and the Javed family were overwhelmed with gratitude for the generosity of the community. And the generosity did not stop at food and pantry items—the house is fully stocked with everything the family might need, from clothing to toys to personal care. The house is also fully stocked with necessary appliances, which come with detailed operation manuals written in both English and Pashto with detailed graphics.
“We hope providing these detailed supports with Pashto text will help them transition, build confidence and make them feel thoroughly welcome here,” Ms. McElroy said. “The children were thrilled to find their name on a sign on a bedroom door, with a cute graphic and ‘welcome’ in Pashto script.”
The Javeds are in close contact with both their local case worker, Helen Malina, and the NST team, with members stopping by the house each daily to check in and bring them on community outings to help them get acclimated. Ms. McElroy said that the biggest focus right now is giving the family time to settle in.
“We, of NST Cape Cod, are truly thankful for our new family and most of all for our wonderful community of Falmouth, for sharing their generosity, their skills, warm hearts and enthusiasm in undertaking this challenging journey with the Javed family,” she wrote.