Please help us safely REUNITE our family

Our Story

We are two Afghan siblings who are looking to bring our parents and younger siblings from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the US and to safety. We were lucky to leave at the time the US military was exiting the country in August 2021. We will never forget the harrowing journey to the airport. Our father accompanied us, first by bus and when the bus could go no further, because the Taliban had destroyed many roads, we started walking. We walked for 34 straight hours, without rest or food, until we reached the capital of Kabul. There we were to stay with our grandmother while applying for visas and education documents. The moment we arrived our mother called from our home to tell us the Taliban had taken over the city in which we lived. Our father quickly returned home. While we were applying for visas the next day in Kabul, we saw people suddenly start running for their homes. Kabul was also falling to the Taliban. The two of us were so scared.

We received a message from an organization we worked with informing us we would be able to leave with their assistance. We decided not to wait any longer and went straight to the airport. We waited outside the airport for two days, again with no food or place to rest. But then, something even worse happened. One of us was hit with “friendly fire.” It wasn’t friendly at all. We didn’t know what happened because we had gotten separated. Later that day, I saw a stretcher going past us - and had to look twice because the shoes on the stretcher looked too familiar….they were my younger sister’s shoes. I was truly in shock. The military wanted us to give permission to have her leg amputated right then and there. We just simply stared and couldn’t move from the shock of it all.

The next day, another group of US military men told us that we would be able to fly to the U.S. Hamburg airbase in Germany where they would be able to do surgery on my sister. So many other things happened in the meantime. Despite the fact that we somehow got separated again while in Germany for over two weeks, we found each other and just cried to be alive and together.

Our Family is in Danger

Our family in Afghanistan consists of our parents and other siblings. We are fearful for their lives! We are limited in our communications with them because we are terrified that they will get in trouble if the Taliban finds out that we escaped. Armed Taliban soldiers have come to our home several times looking for us, threatening our parents, and once arrested our father. He was released, but has since lost his business and our family has moved several times to remain inconspicuous. Not only are their lives in danger, but they will also run out of money before long.

The Journey Ahead

Thanks to the many generous and wonderful people that we have met in our new hometown, we are bringing our parents and siblings to the US where they can live their lives again without fear. To reach the US safely, our family will need to get to a third country, and then fly from there on a commercial flight. They will need money for flights, visas, and temporary housing and food in the third country while they wait for their status to be approved. Once they are approved and make the trip here to the U.S., they will need housing and food and essential supplies until they are able to find employment. Because we have lived in the US now for almost three years, we will be able to help our family transition into the American way of life. We have a great support system here, and we will also have the guidance of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) refugee organizationFiscal Agent

A local religious institution will be acting as our fiscal agent. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that will hold all funds from this campaign in their account. Checks will be written from this account to pay for all expenses.

Accountability

Once our family is safe here in America, we plan to provide updates on this page to share the story of their journey. We will also provide a detailed accounting of how your donations were spent. We will happily give prominent credit to, or keep anonymous, any group or individual who helps, at their discretion. All funds raised will go first to helping our family escape and get settled. Any remaining funds will be donated to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) refugee organization.

Protecting ourselves and our family

We have intentionally limited and altered details, as our family is in very real danger. We promise to share the full story with all our supporters once our family is safely in the US.