Mustafa Babak, the executive director of the Afghan-American Foundation, talks about his formative childhood in Afghanistan, when conflict forced his family to flee to Pakistan, and his return to Kabul to help rebuild his country after the American led invasion in 2001. Babak shares how the pursuit of further education led him to college in California, adjusting to a different culture and finding love, and how he has now dedicated his life to supporting other Afghan immigrants seeking refuge and opportunity here after America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Born in Afghanistan in the mid-eighties, Mustafa Babak now serves as the executive director of the Afghan-American Foundation, a national advocacy organization committed to advancing the voices of the Afghan-American diaspora. Prior to moving to the US, Mustafa worked as a public relations executive advising the Afghan government and international partners on key development issues including counter narcotics, civic education, and local governance. Mustafa holds a BA from the University of the Pacific and an Executive Master of Global Public Administration received jointly from New York University and the University College London. He lives in Omaha with his wife and family.