Amazing Washington: Young man leaves Afghanistan to start tutoring program in Washington

EDMONDS, Wash. — Ahmad Hilal Abid arrived in Seattle as a teenager, leaving Afghanistan with his family in search of opportunity and safety.

Looking back, he admits that adjusting to life in the United States was not easy.

I immigrated from Afghanistan to Seattle directly back in 2018 when I was just fifteen years old,” Abid said. “Life, in the beginning, was very challenging: coming as a teenager to America, navigating a new culture, a new place.

He said he struggled to learn English.

“I found myself as a guy who could not speak any English,” Abid continued. “A person who was bullied because of my English skills.”

Abid remembers multiple instances of his broken English being met with laughter and ridicule. Despite those challenges, Abid said he found freedom in his new home.

“I can practice my faith. I can freely express myself. I can stand by my word, you know?” Abid said. “I can do certain things that I could never do in my past country.”

While he was finding joy in his newfound freedom, Abid had some trouble finding his place. Rather than focus on fitting in, he decided to create opportunities for others who shared similar experiences.

A lot of youngsters around my age want to fit in. But me, I want to create a space for me and my community.” He added, “If we study our history, immigrants from all over the world have come here to call it home. I am an American, but with my own identity, with my own values, so I could never try to fit in.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abid launched a non-profit called House of Wisdom, which, according to its website, is a program that offers “free, inclusive academic support and culturally responsive mentorship to underserved youth.”

Abid started the non-profit with a small group of students inside his family’s garage. He says he borrowed three-hundred dollars from his dad to purchase tables and chairs. It didn’t take long for twenty students to turn to Abid’s new program for help with math and English homework. Abid says he connects deeply with the students.

An image of students participating in the non-profit called House of Wisdom in Seattle, Washington. (KOMO News)

“We share tutoring, math, English, and helping them with their homework, navigating a life in a new country,” Abid said, sharing that he sees himself in every student who comes into the program.

House of Wisdom has since expanded beyond its original location. It is now holding sessions in four different sites and serves more than 200 students.

“This is a non-profit with over 70 mentors coming and getting paid opportunities.”

In addition to tutoring, the program emphasizes mentorship and emotional support, with a focus on serving refugees, immigrants, and young women whose access to education may have been limited.

“So here, helping empower women and girls, empowering the underserved, empowering refugees and immigrants, means that we are empowering while others are suffering from a lack of education,” said Abid.

Abid said the mission is personal and rooted in his own values.

An image of students participating in the non-profit called House of Wisdom in Seattle, Washington. (KOMO News)

“Helping others is part of my identity, and that’s why I am living. That’s why I wake up in the morning.”

He encourages others to give their time to strengthen their communities.

“If you’re touching someone’s life by volunteering, this is what makes a difference in our community. Even one or two hours, having that will also inspire you to do more in your community.” Reflecting on his journey, he said, “My family was very worried about me. ‘What would he do in America?’ And now, I am an entrepreneur. I am creating opportunities for students who were born and raised in America. That’s where this immigrant came from. I want to say, immigrants: we don’t take jobs, we create jobs.”