Welcome, Nawid & Anna, to IOR

The Idaho Office for Refugees welcomes new team members Nawid Mousa and Anna Galitsyna.

Nawid will be managing the Ethnic Community Self-Help Program to support the Afghan community in Idaho. The program aims to open an Afghan cultural center in the Treasure Valley in the first half of 2023.

Anna is our new Operations Coordinator. Her organizational skills and attention to detail will streamline our operations and help build stronger connections with our grantees and partners. 

NAWID'S BACKGROUND
Nawid moved to Boise in 2008 from Moscow, Russia, as a refugee from Afghanistan along with his mother and three siblings. Shortly after arriving in Idaho, he enrolled at the College of Western Idaho and in 2011 transferred to Boise State University. He graduated from BSU in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. All three of his siblings also attended BSU and graduated with professional degrees and are currently working in the private sector.

Nawid previously worked for the Idaho Office for Refugees as Database Administrator between 2013 and 2015. He speaks five languages: Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Urdu/Hindi, Russian, and English.

Nawid considers himself and his family among the luckiest people to have been able to come to the U.S. as refugees, obtain their higher education degrees and contribute to the economy. He considers giving back to the Boise community his duty. He volunteers at various community programs and helps newly arrived refugees as well as a few professional societies.

Nawid loves spending time with his toddler son, Amir. In his free time, he plays cricket and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and road biking.
 
ANNA'S BACKGROUND
Anna graduated with a master's degree in Foreign Languages and Literature in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. She speaks three languages, has served as an interpreter for many years, and previously managed a translation business.

Anna and her young daughter moved from Ukraine to Idaho to find safety after the war began. Her husband stayed behind to support the defense efforts.

In her home city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Anna founded a crafts studio called Happy Moments for children and adults.
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“I can't imagine my life without traveling, reading books and creating various types of arts and crafts,” Anna said. “Now I'm excited to start a new chapter of my career with the IOR as I really enjoy getting new experience and would like to be involved in changing refugees' lives for the better.”