Illuminated by the soft glow of string lights hanging from the staircase, students flicked disks on a large wooden board, erupting in cheers each time one sank into a corner pocket. This is carrom, a table-top game commonly played in Afghanistan.
The students played at an Afghanistan Relief Fundraiser on Wednesday, November 20, hosted by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) with support from cultural groups on campus. The community event, which was held at the University Religious Center and attracted over 100 attendees, was packed with cultural activities and food to spread awareness and raise funds for those suffering in Afghanistan.
Laila Matin, a sophomore studying business administration, said events like this are a rare opportunity to connect with her half-Afghan heritage.
“I really get exposed to Afghan food and culture when I visit my grandma or my aunts who are from Afghanistan,” she shared. “So it’s really cool to see the Muslim Student Union put on this event and have food and henna and everything.”
Safa Abbas, a sophomore studying accounting, was one of the organizers of the event.
“[Afghanistan] isn’t talked about enough,” Abbas said. “Media propaganda infiltrates our minds and subconsciously creates a negative correlation with Afghanistan. I wanted to change perspectives and bring a shred of empathy in people’s hearts.”
Abbas said her main goal is to create a sustainable and long-term impact, with recurring events to spread awareness.
Afghanistan is subject to severe natural disasters, facing several high-magnitude earthquakes in the past few years. Multiple quakes with magnitudes of 6.3 hit Herat in October of 2023, killing more than 2,000 and devastating entire villages, according to the Associated Press. Smaller earthquakes continue to be disruptive. In addition to these devastating natural events, the Taliban is now in control of the country, increasing political conflict.
At the event, MSU organizers presented a slideshow depicting the nation’s economic collapse, the region’s ongoing conflict and the displacement and severe poverty caused by natural disasters which left many with no food or shelter. With over six million Afghans without homes, Matin said the situation is dire.
“Even when they’re being forced to immigrate and come to America, for example, they’re not getting help,” she said. “My grandma knows people whose whole families have been forced to come here only to have to go back because they can’t afford to live here so it’s just like a lose-lose situation. It’s so horrible.”
Matin said the lack of representation for Afghan people in the media has also stunted awareness. Other attendees said this was the first Afghanistan relief event they had seen at USC and in the broader community.
“A lot of people don’t realize that it’s still a really big problem in Afghanistan, and it’s affecting so many people because it’s not portrayed in the media anymore,” Matin said.
This lack of visibility left some students disheartened about the level of global empathy and engagement on campus.
“It kind of feels to me sometimes like people don’t care about anyone, outside the US specifically, which is kind of absurd to me,” Matthew Morine, a senior studying physics, said. “We need more of this at USC. USC should be pushing for more of this.”
Morine says he came to the event because it helped him learn more about the world, and for the delicious Afghan food.
A long line of students waited to try the Bolanis, thin stuffed flatbread fried with a filling of potatoes or leeks, handmade by the organizers of the event. MSU also served homemade Shor Nakhod: a tangy potato and chickpea salad, sheer chai: a spiced tea which is usually pink in color and various sweets such as Firni: a flavored rice and milk-based dessert.
Morine said he admires the collective effort that went into hosting this event, and thinks it was helpful to spread awareness.
“I feel like every person is a person, all part of the same global society,” Morine said. “I care as much about someone in Afghanistan as I do about my neighbor down the street, or at least that’s what I strive for.”
Ariana Amiri, a sophomore Afghan student majoring in computer science and business administration, said these events are important to raise money and awareness for those in need.
“Showing up here shows your support, just because I feel like this cause isn’t really known, especially here at USC,” she says. “And then donating is also a huge way to support the cause.”
One way to donate is through Salam Charity, an organization aimed at fighting poverty and helping those in need of aid. Salam Charity was present as a collaborator of the event and raises money for groundwork in Afghanistan.
“And if you don’t know the geography of Afghanistan… it’s just mountains,” Abdullah Azab, a guest speaker from Salam Charity, said. “It’s very cold, there are people with no clothes… with no houses, with no shelters. So these people, they live under poverty.”
Azab said a donation of $200 sponsors a family of four, $80 a month sponsors an orphan, including food and education, $65 a month provides one food package and $30 provides a hygiene kit.
“I feel like we need to get better at empathizing with everyone,” Morine said.