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AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY: Missing Afghan Child Reunite -- WEB
August 9, 2022
[[Two-and-a-half-year-old Farzad, who was separated from his family for more than 40 days during his family's evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan, is now going to kindergarten. His mother, Wahida Alizada, is happy for her children's future in America, but she is worried about her husband, who is still in Afghanistan. Noshaba Ashna has the story, narrated by Rana Nooristani.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptAFGHAN ANNIVERSARY: Missing Afghan Child Reunite
HEADLINE: Afghan Baby Accidentally Sent to Norway During Evacuation Thriving in US
TEASER: Farzad, now a toddler, lives in America with his mother and brother while his father is stuck in Afghanistan
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Noshaba Ashna
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Richmond, Virginia
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER: Nawid Orokzai
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Holly Franko
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA original, wires
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:35
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: ))
[[NOTE: AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY SERIES:
This story is part of a special VOA series marking the one-year anniversary of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. The series includes eyewitness accounts of the day Kabul fell, stories of Afghan refugees around the world, and data-based analysis of the Taliban's record of governance and human rights, among other topics.]]
((INTRO))
[[Two-and-a-half-year-old Farzad, who was separated from his family for more than 40 days during his family's evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan, is now going to kindergarten. His mother, Wahida Alizada, is happy for her children's future in America, but she is worried about her husband, who is still in Afghanistan. Noshaba Ashna has the story, narrated by Rana Nooristani.]]
((NARRATOR))
Twenty-year-old Wahida Alizada and her two sons, 5-year-old Ilyas and two-and-a-half-year-old Farzad, resettled in Richmond, Virginia, after they were evacuated
from Afghanistan last August.
During the chaos at the Kabul airport, Farzad was handed to the U.S. Marines so he could be sheltered from the heat, but when the family entered the airport, Farzad was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Farzad was sent to Norway, and about a month and a half later, he was reunited with his mother.
((Wahida Alizada, Farzad’s Mother (Female in Dari)))
“Farzad, who was away from me for 43 days and was in Norway, is now going to kindergarten. He has started with the alphabet.”
((Video: Airport))
((NARRATOR))
But Farzad’s father, who had rushed outside the airport to look for his son during the evacuation, remains in Afghanistan.
In a video message, Farzad’s father, who requested his identity not to be disclosed, asked that the U.S. government help him reunite with his family.
((Courtesy: Wahida Alizada))
((Farzad’s Father (Male in Dari)))
“It has been a year since my family has been living in the U.S., and I am in Afghanistan, not knowing what my future holds. I call on the U.S. government to address my problem as soon as possible.”
((NARRATOR))
Alizada says that her only worry is that her husband is still in Afghanistan.
((Wahida Alizada, Farzad’s Mother (Female in Dari)))
“It has been 10 months since we came here, but my husband has not come yet, and this is bothering me.”
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, she is trying to adjust to a new life.
((Wahida Alizada, Farzad’s Mother (Female in Dari)))
“I am independent now. I work, I have a house, and my children go to kindergarten. I am happy that they are getting an education. This makes me very happy.”
((NARRATOR))
She is also making new friends, who not only make her feel at home but also help her.
((NARRATOR))
But she still thinks of Afghanistan — and Afghan children.
((Wahida Alizada, Farzad’s Mother (Female in Dari)))
“I want the situation in Afghanistan to get better so children, particularly girls, just like here, could get an education and go to school.”
((NARRATOR)
The Taliban imposed strict restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan,
and she knows that she is lucky to be in the United States.
((Wahida Alizada, Farzad’s Mother (Female in Dari)))
“As a mother, I see a bright future for my children.”
((NARRATOR))
But Farzad and his brother, Ilyas, are still waiting to be reunited with their father.
((For Noshaba Ashna in Richmond, VA, Rana Nooristani, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline) Richmond, Virginia
Embargo DateAugust 9, 2022 17:11 EDT
Byline((For Noshaba Ashna in Richmond, VA,
Rana Nooristani, VOA News))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
