Announcement
The Afghan Senior Social Club brings together senior citizens from Afghanistan (ages 65+) once every month to learn about resources and programs for the elderly and immigrant communities in Atlanta.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
The IRC in Atlanta’s Adult Education program has long served as a space for refugees and immigrants from all over the world to join together in their pursuit to integrate in their new communities. The spirit of this program was taken to the next level by the recent creation of the Afghan Senior Social Club, which brings together senior citizens from Afghanistan (ages 65+) once every month to learn about resources and programs for elderly and immigrant communities in Atlanta.
While social club meetings are planned around highlighting opportunities and helpful tools for seniors in Atlanta—with discussion topics ranging from senior discounts to stress management to community gardening—the central feature of the club is giving the participants a chance to speak freely amongst themselves and bond over their shared heritage and lived experiences. “That’s what the students really emphasized about the class after the first meeting,” shared Jessica Mylnar, ESOL Instructor at the IRC in Atlanta. “They don’t want the entire class to be about learning, they love having a space to just talk.”
It is very useful for refugees people, foreigns people, Afghans, women, because they share their difficult, their happiness, and they can understand and recognize the problems between people and will help each other.
—Esmatullah, Afghan Senior Social Club participant
The most central feature of the club is giving the participants a chance to speak freely amongst themselves.
Photo: IRC Atlanta
In turn, though social club participants have benefitted from the lesson plans, some of the most impactful lessons come from the conversations they share with each other. Esmatullah, who came to the United States in 2016 with his wife Palwasha and their 10 children, is finding a renewed sense of home in the Afghan Senior Social Club. “It is very useful for refugees people, foreigns people, Afghans, women,” he shared, “Because they share their difficult, their happiness, and they can understand and recognize the problems between people and will help each other.” Most important to Esmatullah is how the social club has allowed him to highlight America’s history of civil rights advocacy and democracy. “I tell them, ‘You must study history of Martin Luther King Jr., many women and men who fought for civil rights in the United States. And it‘s very useful—they listen to me because I told them in my native language.”
Other participants shared similar feedback, describing the meetings as a supportive environment. Palwasha shared, through an interpreter, “I like the classes because all of the people at IRC are so helpful and respecting me for who I am, the way I am.” Palwasha also shared that the most helpful thing in her resettlement process was the IRC's English classes. “IRC is very respectful. We don’t feel like we come from different countries. I learned that I can solve English, I can solve my problems.”
Jamila, Afghan Senior Social Club participant
Photo: IRC Atlanta
We’re joining together, spending time with each other, it doesn’t matter where we’re from, which part of Afghanistan.”
—Jamila, Afghan Senior Social Club participant
Another participant, Jamila, shared that her favorite part of the Social Club was their first lesson in stress management. “Her name is Maryam, she is telling us how to ignore the stress that’s in 98% of people living anywhere.” She also expressed that the Social Club meetings are especially significant following Operation Allies Welcome, the mass evacuation event that welcomed more than 1,700 Afghan humanitarian parolees and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients to the state of Georgia over the past two years. Jamila was welcomed to the United States in 2021 alongside her two daughters and is grateful to be connected with those who have experienced a similar disruption in their lives. “We’re joining together, spending time with each other, it doesn’t matter where we’re from, which part of Afghanistan.”
"Flower is very important. When you look at it you feel younger and more loved."
Photo: IRC Atlanta
Outside of conversation, the lesson plans also give space for quiet reflection activities, including having participants create drawings to represent themselves and their core values. Esmatullah drew a picture of a classroom: “Education is very important. When you are educating, people around you grow.” Many students included flowers in their drawings, for their significance in Afghanistan as a symbol of beauty: “Flower is very important,” Palwasha shared. “When you look at it you feel younger and more loved.”
Photo: IRC Atlanta
The meetings conclude with a delivery of baked goods, generously donated by our friends at Publix, so that participants can go home refreshed from the morning conversation with food for the family. The IRC in Atlanta's Adult Education team is looking forward to creating more opportunities for our students to connect, grow, and build stronger communities here in Atlanta.
To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Development Director, Heloise Ahoure, at [email protected] or 678-636-8941.
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