Jobs. Stability. Integration.

A Virginia-focused (DMV Area) support model for Afghan families.

Society Empowerment Organization is a Virginia-based nonprofit (registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia) serving immigrants and refugees. Founded in response to Afghan resettlement needs after 2021, SEO brings more than 17 years of work experience in Afghanistan and is led by Afghan-American professionals with deep and direct experience and expertise in education, economic mobility, workforce development, pathways to jobs, and community integration for success in life.

SEO Program Services

SEO offers culturally and linguistically tailored, carefully curated, and adapted services in Dari, Pashto, and English, including:

• Workforce Development: employer-led or demanded training, upskilling, apprenticeships, and certifications in areas of highest demand with skills matched to jobs in coordination with employers that are open and hiring.

• Employment Pathways and Access: job readiness, résumé and interview preparation, career coaching, and employer linkages

• Adult Education & Language Access: flexible ESL programming and interpretation support, curated to the needs and capacities of the Afghan community.

• Vocational, Trades, & Digital Skills Pathways: trauma-informed skills training, digital literacy, and practical skills training in a trade of individual choice with guaranteed self-employment or formal employment.

• Family Wellness & MHPSS: culturally responsive wellbeing support and referrals to licensed provider

• Integration & Navigation: support with school enrollment, transportation/DMV processes, benefits referrals, and legal aid referrals

• Microenterprise & Financial Empowerment: entrepreneurship orientation, licensing basics, and financial literacy

Needs and Priority Geography

DC, Maryland, and Virginia, also known as the greater DMV areas, hosts 23,000+ Afghan immigrants and refugees, with the largest concentration in Northern Virginia—Fairfax (7,100+), Prince William (~5,000), and Loudoun (~3,100). Afghan newcomers, particularly those who arrived after the events of August 15, 2021, face layered barriers that inhibit economic stability, integration, and mobility: limited English proficiency; digital illiteracy; unfamiliarity with U.S. employment and labor market systems; credential recognition challenges; inability to obtain new skills and certifications due to economic destress; and resettlement-related stress and anxiety.

Partnership Opportunities

SEO is ready to partner as a community vendor or implementation partner to co-host job fairs and trainings, provide referrals and case management, and support county-led workforce and integration initiatives across Northern Virginia.