Khyber Shafak, who fled Afghanistan during the Alliance Operation, was welcomed and now leads local efforts to support refugees, sharing his personal stories and professional insights at the upcoming Owensboro Regional World Situation (OAWAC) event.
Shafuk, director of immigration and refugee services for the Catholic Charities in Owensboro, will understand the refugee journey and resettlement process at 7pm on Wednesday, April 30th, and the event will be held at the Owensboro Community and Technical College Main Campus, Brandford Lecture Hall in the Humanities.
Shafuk came to the US from Afghanistan in 2021. He has been working for a Catholic charity since his arrival, beginning in December 2021 as a tornado relief incident manager following the outbreak of tornadoes in Mayfield and surrounding areas, and later moved to assisting African refugees as an asylum interview and documentary work for immigrants.
In October 2024, he became the director of the agency's new Department of Migration and Refugee Services.
Shafak said his presentation will focus on helping communities understand the refugee experience, from refugee camp evacuation and living to large-scale US reviews and resettlement processes.
“It's primarily about understanding global displacement, refugee travel and living in camps, the resettlement process for US refugees, the review process, integration, and community support after arrival,” Shafack said.
He added that he will share his personal journey along with the broader challenges faced by many refugees. The event will include short videos, presentations and questions.
Shafuk said he looks forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the refugee experience and highlighting the work being carried out locally by the Catholic charities in Owensboro. This event is free and open to the public. For more information about OAWAC, please visit the Facebook page at Facebook.com/OAWAC.
