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About Campaign
Organizers
Rafiq Lalandar
"I was born in Afghanistan and raised in a poor family along with my four brothers and four sisters in Peshawar, Pakistan. My parents left behind everything in Kabul because of the war in order to start a new life in Peshawar as refugees. They worked very hard to give my siblings a good education under really tough circumstances. My father used to advise my siblings, “Seeking knowledge at a young age is like engraving on a stone.” He knew that education is the only power that could take away all our problems. Later, I was sent to an Afghan elementary school in Peshawar. My brothers, who were much older than me, went to college. When the Taliban left Afghanistan, we were able to move back to our country, Afghanistan. Then I was sent to a regular public school. I did not like the teaching methods in public school, but I did not have any other choice. After some years of studying in the public school, I found out that there was an international school in Kabul. I did not know about this school because it was made secretly due to security issues. After some research, I applied for this school and got accepted. I still remember that as one of the best days of my life. When I started studying at the International School of Kabul (ISK), my whole life changed. I had different goals, and a different idea for my future. I met people who were more aware of the situation both in Afghanistan and outside. I became part of that community. ISK helped me grow and learn how to live in a professional environment. It prepared me to live independently. The people I met at ISK are friends I will always be able to count on. They have been with me for this whole time. After two years at ISK, I decided to study abroad. It was a very hard decision for me since my family means a lot to me and I had to leave them. I moved to the USA in 2014 and continued with my education from junior year of high school. The human being is very interesting, it doesn’t get satisfied easily. Since 2014 I’ve been trying to establish something for myself and my family. In the beginning of 2019, I launched my first business, a clothing brand called LALANDAR. What I was doing was not enough, or I should say my brain and my heart were not satisfied with it. I wanted to do more and achieve more in life. In mid 2020 I bought my first property for business. This is life, some people use the opportunities they get, and some people just watch others succeed." -Rafiq Lalandar