US couple helps Afghans escape, build life in rural America

By JULIE WATSON
Associated Press

FERGUS FALLS, Minnesota (AP) — A Minnesota woman who worked as an agricultural adviser in the hinterlands of Afghanistan has been using her own time and money to get the Afghans who worked for her program out of the country. So far, five of the men and their families have made it out with Caroline Clarin’s help. The 12 agricultural specialists, all traditional Afghan men, formed a deep, unexpected bond with their boss. Her wife, Sheril Raymond, has been helping the families start their life in the remote town of Fergus Falls near the North Dakota border. The Afghans say they consider them family.