Connecting
a passion for beauty to CAI ’ s mission
Fara Homidi , a renowned makeup artist and budding entrepreneur , demonstrates through her giving that beauty is more than skin deep by Alice Thomas
Photo : Aaron Stern
Fara Homidi is a successful makeup artist whose highprofile clients include Bella Hadid , Naomi Campbell , and Billie Eilish . She ’ s also on the verge of launching her own line of cosmetics . But while Fara has enjoyed so much opportunity and freedom in the United States , she ’ s never forgotten about the people who are still struggling in her country of birth — Afghanistan . In the years following the 1979
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , Fara ’ s father — a chemist , professor of agriculture , and businessman — became a target . “ It came to a point that it was very dangerous for people of any influence ,” she explained .
Fara ’ s parents panicked when they heard about Soviet soldiers knocking on doors of prominent families and killing businessmen . They knew they needed to escape to save their lives . In the middle of night , they fled with their three small children across the border to Pakistan , leaving everything they owned behind .
Fara ’ s parents dreamed of coming to the United States to raise their children , but they had no means to get there . Then her father had the idea of contacting a visiting professor he had studied with at Kabul University back in 1966 named Dr . Jerry Nielson . Dr . Nielson , along with his wife LaVonne and their local church in Bozeman , Montana , had helped Fara ’ s father pay for his eye surgery . Not knowing the Nielson ’ s address , he simply put “ Dr . Jerry Nielsen , Bozeman , MT ” on the envelope . Remarkably , because Bozeman was such a small town back then , the letter reached its addressee .
Jerry and LaVonne didn ’ t hesitate in agreeing to help the Homidis come to America . “ The Nielsens welcomed our entire family with so much love and generosity ,” Fara recalled , fighting back tears of emotion . “ That started our journey in the U . S .”
With the support of the Nielsens and their local church , the Homidis settled into their new life in America . Eventually , the family moved from Bozeman to Fremont , California , where there was a small community of Afghans . Fara ’ s father went back to school , and her mother went to cosmetology school , eventually opening her own salon .
28 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE