Welcome to Episode 7 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Our guest this week is Lark Escobar, who worked alongside the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army to help build up language skills in male – and female – members of the Afghan military through the Defense Language Institute. Today, Lark advocates for her trainees, who are just a portion of the 3,000 Afghans she is supporting as they attempt to flee Taliban persecution and make it to safety in the U.S. or other third countries.
In the episode, Lark discusses the processing of special immigrant visas and Priority-1 and Priority-2 referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. She also describes the difficulties experienced by volunteers, who work long hours for no pay to assist the Afghans on their rosters, essentially gap-filling for the State Department.
Lark also has valuable insights on the important work of fighting against racism that keeps some Americans from wanting to accept and welcome Afghan allies, and about the myriad ways that listeners can volunteer to aid Afghans, and learn more about the beauty of Afghan culture and experience.
Our episode concludes with a letter written by Nasrin, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. Nasrin endured a great deal of hardship from a young age. Forced to marry at 10 and a mother of three by 18, she spent more than a decade living with her abusive husband until, during the presidency of Hamid Karzai, prosecutors allowed her to leave her marriage. Nasrin received assistance from USAID as a shop owner, but was not able to escape the country during evacuation operations in 2021. She now lives in Pakistan, and fears returning to Afghanistan, where her former husband now seeks to marry her 22-year-old daughter to a member of the Taliban.
About Lark Escobar:
Follow Lark on Twitter @Larkabroad. You can find Fletcher Afghanistan Evacuation and Resettlement Working Group on Twitter @FletcherEvac, Instagram @fletcherafghanevac, or Facebook @FletcherAfghanEvac.
Mentioned in the episode:
Lark suggests the following cookbook if you want to learn to take on traditional Afghan recipes: Parwana: Recipies and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen. If you’re not ready to purchase a whole cookbook, try making Kabuli Pulao, the national dish of Afghanistan, with naan and Afghan green chutney. The prep is time-consuming, but you won’t regret it.
Lark also recommends reading Dear Zari: The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan.
