Newly arriving Afghans want to boost St. Louis' economy by creating companies and jobs

Pouya Zabihullah left Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2010 with his parents and brother. His family moved to Turkey to escape family issues and the imminent threat of the Taliban controlling their country. While there, Zabihullah’s family sought assistance from the United Nations and then moved to St. Louis in August 2021.

The 21-year-old Afghan and his family came to the region because they knew people who could assist them with resettlement.

During the first few months in St. Louis, Zabihullah attended financial literacy courses and beginner English classes at the International Institute of St. Louis to prepare to do business in the region.

Zabihullah speaks five languages fluently and speaks little English. He said through a translator that St. Louis has many resources to help Afghans quickly get on their feet.

Zabihullah took advantage of one of those resources by applying for the International Institute’s Afghan Entrepreneurship Grant Fund, a program that provides $15,000 grants to newly arriving Afghans to start a business. Zabihullah is a photographer, who began taking professional photos as a teenager and later started his wedding photography business.