For Some Afghan Refugees, Sewing Machines Provide Needed Sense of Normalcy

Since Kabul fell to the Taliban last summer after the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, more than 76,000 Afghans have resettled in the U.S. Like all refugees, they’ve faced the daunting task of restarting their lives in a new place where many don’t speak the language or understand the customs and culture. Their needs range from immediate survival necessities like shelter to learning English — and much in between. In the process, sometimes the small things that can make a big impact are overlooked. Many of the Afghan women who now call Hartford, Connecticut, home, however, have an unexpected lifeline to normal life: a sewing machine.