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Local business supports family of Afghan refugees

Founded by Eddie Bloom and Rauf Raufi, Afghan Flying Carpets specializes in authentic handmade rugs and gives back to the family responsible for them.

January 27, 2023 • 
Afghan Flying Carpets
Sponsored by
A man sitting next to a red woven rug.

Afghan Flying Carpets features a large inventory of rugs in different sizes, color schemes, and motifs.

Photo provided by Afghan Flying Carpets

Afghan Flying Carpets is an Austin-based company specializing in unique, authentic handmade rugs with the goal of giving back to the family responsible for the stunning craftsmanship.

A portion of AFC’s proceeds assist the family of Afghan refugee + co-founder Rauf Raufi, son of a four-generation carpet dealer and father of three who escaped to Belgium with help from AFC co-founder Eddie Bloom. With no domestic or international markets to trade in, generations of his family’s carpet trading came to a screeching halt.

Afghan Flying Carpets

50% of proceeds go back to the Raufi family.

Photo provided by Afghan Flying Carpets

Co-founder Eddie Bloom made arrangements to get 500+ of the family’s best hand-selected carpets from Afghanistan to Austin, starting this business to raise funds to secure the exit of Raufi’s remaining family members. Bloom recently returned to Austin after 20+ years of humanitarian work, having served in Afghanistan as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years and with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for five.

Follow Afghan Flying Carpets on Instagram to stay up-to-date on upcoming pop-ups or send a message to Eddie via WhatsApp at (512) 803-2425 for a personal showing.*

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