Now, he has helped bring four Afghan students – two boys and two girls – to Fort Wayne for a year. For the girls especially, this is the educational experience of a lifetime. Under the Taliban, the former government that the United States helped to overthrow, girls were kept from attending school.
A former Peace Corps volunteer, Terry Dougherty left Afghanistan in 1975 never dreaming it would be nearly 30 years before he could go back, before he could bring Afghans to the United States and show them his culture
Afghan youths arrive to spend year in city
Anticipate volleyball, riding horses
By Sarah A. Meisch
The Journal Gazette
Afghan exchange student Shafiqa Labib, 16, has a couple of simple goals for her year in America.
"I want to join the volleyball team," the teen said. "I want to try riding horses."
Tired after two days of travel, she didn't have much else to say, but her host mother spoke up.
"We thought it would be a wonderful experience to be able to get to know someone and another culture," Karen Kiracofe said.
She and her husband, Cress Hanenkratt , who own horses, got involved in theYouth Exchange and Study program through Terry Dougherty, local organizer of the program and a member of their church, Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren. All the Fort Wayne host families attend the church.
"It's a (U.S.) State Department-funded program," Dougherty said.
The program, which was launched last year, is something he's waited a long time for.
A former Peace Corps volunteer, Dougherty left Afghanistan in 1975 never dreaming it would be nearly 30 years before he could go back, before he could bring Afghans to the United States and show them his culture.
But Soviet occupation and the civil war that followed made visiting the war-torn country impossible until recently.
Now, he has helped bring four Afghan students – two boys and two girls – to Fort Wayne for a year. For the girls especially, this is the educational experience of a lifetime. Under the Taliban, the former government that the United States helped to overthrow, girls were kept from attending school.
All students were accepted into the program on a merit basis.
"Nearly half are female," Dougherty said. "It gives an opportunity for a broader educational experience for boys and girls. (In Afghanistan) students are going to school in UNICEF tents. The students (here) have the opportunity to take classes they'll never have the opportunity to take in Afghanistan. It'll be an enrichment for them."
Three students arrived Sunday afternoon. All together, about 40 students are visiting the U.S., arriving in groups of about 20. Dougherty's exchange student arrives next week.
At 14, Arslan Muradi is the youngest student from his country making the trip, but the young man was very poised Sunday at Fort Wayne International Airport. He will live with David and Sandy Kiracofe and attend Woodlan High School.
"I'm looking forward to trying new things," Arslan said. "I came on my own initiative. I wanted to learn more about the United States. My parents are also very interested into learning. They encourage learning."
He won't be alone at Woodlan or even in his neighborhood.
Fellow exchange student Shafiqa will be next door. David and Karen Kiracofe are siblings, making their students "cousins" in a sense.
While Arslan has much to learn, David Kiracofe is confident he'll be fine.
"He seems very confident," Kiracofe said. "His English is excellent. I don't think there'll be any problems at all."
One thing Kiracofe does expect to surprise Arslan is how many material things Americans have.
"The refugees I've worked with before were always astounded by the variety of choices Americans have," he said. "It will probably be a surprise to the students too."
