When Shakila Zabihee arrived in the United States in 2022, she came with little more than hope and her young son. Fleeing Afghanistan through Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where her family spent nearly a year in a humanitarian city, she landed first in Virginia before being directed to Iowa. She had no family here, no friends, and no one who spoke her language. 

Those early months were some of the hardest of her life. 

Shakila and her son were placed in a Des Moines neighborhood for four months while resettlement was arranged. Without a car, a driver’s license, or anyone nearby who spoke Dari, she felt isolated and overwhelmed. Every two weeks, a caseworker would take her to a shopping center. That was the extent of her connection to the outside world. “Those four months she suffered a lot,” says an interpreter who sat in with Shakila during her interview. “She was depressed.” 

Eventually, through Lutheran Services in Iowa and her case workers, Shakila was moved to a different residential area in Des Moines, where she lived for a year. It was there that she first heard about Oakridge Neighborhood. Shakila applied, and after four months, received her approval. She has now lived at Oakridge Neighborhood for nearly two years. 

“When she moved here, she found the people very warm, welcoming, very kind and respectful,” she said through an interpreter. “She had very good experiences with the neighborhood.” 

Building Community from the Ground Up 

When Shakila arrived at Oakridge Neighborhood, hers was only the second Afghan family living there. Rather than keeping to herself, she did what came naturally, talking to people and sharing what she had found. She told other Afghan families and Dari-speaking refugees that Oakridge Neighborhood was a good place, a safe place, a welcoming place. Today, thanks in large part to her encouragement, there are approximately 20 Afghan families living in the Oakridge community. “She created the community,” as one staff member put it during the interview. 

That spirit of service extends beyond her neighborhood. Shakila is now a leadership member of an Afghan community organization in Iowa, where she and fellow volunteers help newly arrived immigrants navigate life in a new country. She drives people to doctor appointments and food banks, assists with driver’s license training, and serves as an anchor of emotional support for Afghan women and families still processing the trauma of displacement. 

“When other Afghan women see her, they start talking about their problems, their trauma,” explained the interpreter. “She is like their elder sister.” 

It’s a role she knows well. Back in Afghanistan, Shakila worked as a community leader, helping people in her home country long before she ever imagined making a life in Iowa. 

Learning, Growing, Belonging 

At Oakridge Neighborhood, Shakila was enrolled in English language classes. In the beginning, she admits, she didn’t always take them as seriously as she could have because there were so many people who needed her help and so many connections to make. But over time, she committed more deeply to her own learning. Today, she understands nearly everything spoken around her, even if speaking is still a work in progress. 

At home, she and her son, a 15-year-old who attends Roosevelt High School and speaks excellent English, make a point of speaking Dari together. Preserving their native language, she says, is just as important as learning the new one. 

Shakila’s gratitude for Oakridge Neighborhood runs deep. From the security staff to the English teachers to the program managers, she describes every person she has encountered as kind, helpful, and genuinely invested in her success. 

“She said that one of the biggest blessings God gave to her was the Oakridge community,” says the interpreter 

Shakila has big dreams for her future. She wants to start her own business someday, and she knows that learning English is the key to making that happen. She’s already gotten a head start by taking classes and getting certifications through Oakridge Neighborhood’s Prepared to Care program, which helps residents on their journey to start their own in-home daycare centers. 

For now, she is right where she needs to be, building a life, building a community, and helping others do the same. 

Families like Shakila’s turn to Oakridge Neighborhood for support. From secure housing to youth programs nurturing potential, to workforce and family services building brighter futures, our reach continues to expand because the need has grown. Your support ensures that hope, opportunity and belonging remain within reach for thousands of Central Iowans who count on us every day. Learn more.