Announcement
On August 20th, the IRC in Denver came together as an office with staff, clients, volunteers, and members of the welcoming community for our Fly with Me Kite Making and Kite Flying event to mark a year since the fall of Kabul and in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.
The history and cultural significance of kite flying, or gudiparan bazi, is a rich one. Kite flying is considered to be an art form and has been a part of the lives of Afghans for hundreds of years. However, between 1996 and 2001, the Taliban banned kite flying in Afghanistan. In the face of great uncertainty once again, we hosted this event for the community to participate in the joyful act of kite flying to preserve the culture and uplift the lives of Afghans here in Colorado and everywhere.
Even with the rain, our event was a success. We had a great turn out with multiple families and community members showing up to fly kites and connect with each other. Check out the photos below from our event!
Between September 2021 and February 2022, Colorado has welcomed over 2,000 Afghans through the resettlement process. Since October 2021, the IRC in Denver has welcomed 976 new arrivals, including 769 Afghans as a part of the Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program. We will continue our efforts to support Afghan and other refugees with essential services including health screenings, school enrollment, employment, housing placement, and more.