MOJAVE, Calif. (KERO) — Five more Afghan families move in Mojave community. They take on jobs and learn English at adult school
- Afghan families continue to thrive in Mojave.
- Mobile home park includes Afghan families
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Afghan community continues to grow in Mojave. Five more families have found refuge in the desert and five other families are living in Ridgecrest since our previous report in July.
I spoke with some of the residents about their stay here so far.
Virgen: How does it feel to live in Mojave?
Ulfad Asar: “I feel so happy right here in Mojave because I’m here for the last two years and there are also other Afghans so I feel so happy right here in the Mojave.”
Asar is like many Afghans in Mojave, grateful to be with other Afghans at this mobile home park tucked away in Mojave.
Ulfad tells me he’s learning to speak English in college and he’s working.
Since my last report, five more families have moved to Mojave. Nimo Niamat, the project manager, expected that.
But donations and other welcoming efforts have surprised him, saying it's a big comfort to the families.
“After the first report we have received a lot of help from different people, different organizations. We have received some donations that are going to go into the playground that we have. They’re going to rebuild the whole playground,” Nimo says.
Nimo says other Afghan families who live in other parts of California, visit Mojave and enjoy their stay so much they want to move here too.
“We have 30-plus families that can hang out and do things the way they want to do it. So it’s a social community that they want which we have here,” Nimo says.
Nimo tells me the Afghan adults have found jobs and many are learning English at the adult school within walking distance nearby. The Mojave district moved their adult school near the mobile home park. Before it was near the high school, Nimo says.
"All these families are being welcomed here. They're not being ignored. They're not being looked at differently, which is the main thing. The community here, the community in Kern County, in general, have welcomed these families,” Nimo says.
Nimo says plans to expand the mobile home park are in the early stages but certification is being sought. I'm Steve Virgen, your Mojave neighborhood reporter.
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