BISMARCK (US): A family from Afghanistan plans to host a dinner for residents of this town in North Dakota state to thank those who helped them resettle here two years ago.

The Amiri family moved to the United States in 2016, The Bismarck Tribune repor­ted. They are from Afgha­nistan, but had been living in Quetta since 2004 to escape war. The family’s Hazara ethnic group had long faced violence and persecution in Quetta. “We were not safe over there, so we applied for refugee status,” said Muhammad Amiri.

Muhammad, his mother and three sisters resettled in the US with the help of the Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota.

The family plans to host their charity dinner for the organisation at the United Church of Christ on May 4. They intend to make a traditional Afghan meal that will include Kabuli Pulau, a dish with rice topped with carrots and raisin, and Korma, a chicken plate with sauce.

“When we got here, we didn’t have anybody. We didn’t have friends, family, nothing. But (the community) welcomed us. Right now, we have families here, they’re friends, but they’re like family to us,” said Muhammad Amiri, 22.

“The community helped us, so we just want to give back to them (and say) thank you.”

Resettlement Coordinator Turdukan Tostokova secu­red funding for the meal through Thrivent Action Team, an organization which awards grants to help groups with unmet needs in their communities.

Ms Tostokova said she hopes to make the event annual or semi-annual.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2018