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This family is living a nightmare. A mother with 5 children is hiding in Kabul after Taliban death threats. Please Help.

  • New Update

      31 January 2022
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    I joined forces with five women supporting other Afghanistan families (8 in total) and collectively they raised over $16,000. The money you donated $1,200 for this family has been sent at $800 a month for the mother and children to survive. You would have seen in the press, it is a harsh, bitter winter there with over 9 million people starving. Fortunately, with your help, this mother and her five children are able to buy basic food. The eldest daughter is learning touch typing so she can work once they manage to escape from Kabul. I have also helped her apply for scholarships to several universities but sadly there has been no response. Escaping from Afghanistan is dangerous and difficult. Our biggest worry is the potential collapse of the banking system - which would halt the survival money we send. Civil war is an ever present danger so we hold our breath and hope.

    The father and husband in Australian Refugee detention camp is recovering from Malaria, and looks like he will be in the next group of men leaving the centre for his settlement in Canada. Fingers crossed, government officials provide no dates and very little information. But we do know the first lot of ten are being resettled in their new homes with community support.

    Sadly - there is no real good news other than we keep supporting them in the hope of a positive change.

    Many thanks again for your contribution and support of this family. It is a difficult situation in a tragic scenario.

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  • ENDING on Oct 31st

      29 October 2021
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    The situation remains dire, but the family are surviving while we hope for the airports to reopen. There’s been some progress with the father/ husband in the Australian detention centre in Papua New Guinea while he awaits the update of his Canadian Refugee status. I have worked with his eldest daughter to prepare him to confidently answer interview questions which is proving successful. Both Father and daughter are working together (THANKS WhatsApp), to improve his English.

    His wife and five children remain in Afghanistan where it is extremely dangerous to leave overland while Isis-K terrorist groups are camped on the Pakistan border. UN and Political leaders in the West are continuing negotiations with the Taliban leaders to open the airports for passenger and aid flights. No new announcements yet.

    This funding page is closing on the 31st of October. The family are able to eat, thanks to the generous donations from concerned people here and Australia. We all thank you for your support in this extremely difficult situation.

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  • Pilgrim's Progress

      11 October 2021
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    The risk of civil war and famine along with increasing violence in Afghanistan has encouraged our group (Australian and New Zealand private citizens), to increase our emails, lobbying and pressure on various governments involved in the release of their father - which now looks like he will be flown to Canada in the next three to six months. Very good news but still unconfirmed.

    But for the mother and five children in hiding in Afghanistan it is not so easy. We have a plan in place with several contingencies depending which way the dice rolls in this very volatile situation. Our goal is still to get them reunited with their father in Canada (we anticipate him being in Vancouver first). Under current Refugee policies, he must find a home and work for a minimum of twelve months before he can apply for his wife and children to be reunited with him.

    As a support group we have little hope that things will improve in Afghanistan in that time frame, so our goal is still to remove them (overland or flight) once the airports reopen. It is very encouraging to see last night that America and several other western aid agencies are meeting to negotiate with the Taliban. We are holding our breath to see which way this falls.

    In the meantime, we have begun a remote coaching programme for the father. Teaching him communication skills and acceptable body language – like shaking hands and greeting new people. Things we take for granted, are things some of these people have never heard of. This we are doing by documenting the relevant steps and discussing and teaching the eldest daughter, who will translate into Dari and communicate to her father. They are going to be supported to learn interview, social and other skills they will need to assimilate into Canadian society. The good news is this keeps the daughter happy and the father engaged in learning western values, etc. while waiting for his trip to his new home. Fingers crossed and thanks again for your wonderful help. The family send their heart-felt thanks too.

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  • Considering Options

      6 October 2021
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    We've been reviewing different ways to get the family out of Afghanistan. One option is overland with help from several local supporters on the ground there. But most adjoining countries are overwhelmed by refugees. Afghanistan opened up their Passport office yesterday and applications can be made as soon as the backlog is cleared - hopefully only a few weeks. In the meantime the application forms can be completed and passport photos attached for the four children who do not have passports. Of course the biggest unknown is when commercial flights will be initiated again. The big unknown and little indication from the country's new rulers when this is likely to happen. But at least we can now make a start on getting our proverbial ducks in a row ready for take off. I am keeping a close eye of activities inside Afghanistan and it's a constant yo-yo between horror at the violence and then hope with some initiatives are actions (like the opportunity to get a passport). So a good first step.

    Thanks again for your support.

    Nicky

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  • From the Third Daughter - 19 years old First Year Med student

      28 September 2021
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    As a child, I would dream of becoming a doctor one day. Maybe a heart surgeon. When I was in the twelfth grade, I spent a year preparing for the university entrance exam. I worked tirelessly day and night and pulled lots of all nighter.

    My whole concern was to study and succeed. The exam was finally passed and I was looking forward to the result. But suddenly Afghanistan fell to the Taliban's hand, my dreams crumbled down. Two weeks later, our test result was announced. It was unbelievable. I had succeeded at medical faculty of Ali Sina University of Kabul, receiving 341 marks out of 360. I and my family shed tears.

    On the one hand I was happy to succeed and on the other hand I was very sad. An unknown future and a country in which science and consciousness are no longer valuable. Dreams of becoming a master and a doctor were buried. And a girl longing for the dreams she had for a bright tomorrow.

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  • Youngest Daughter -14 years old - her comments

      26 September 2021
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    This is her message in her own words. She was attending High School - in her second year at 14 years old. But the Taliban have banned all girls from High School. She remains in hiding with her mother and other siblings:

    I went to school when I was five years old. I was very enthusiastic about going to school and I wanted to be a first grader. Every day was spent waiting for school time.

    One day in the classroom, the teacher asked us what do you want to be in the future? Some said: Doctor, one a lawyer, the other an engineer. No one imagined what the future would be like.

    When the professor asked me, I said I want to be a cosmologist in the future. This was strange to my classmates because it was not common in our society for a girl to be a cosmologist, and cosmology was a foreign science. I was interested in science and loved to research nature. Spend the night with the stars and spend the day with plants and trees.

    At the same time, I was interested in painting and painted more pictures of nature and Rumi (my favorite poet). My dream was to one day be a great painter and my paintings would become universal.

    I did not have a teacher and sometimes I used my older sister's mobile phone for painting tips. In eighth grade, when I was fourteen, I was asked to look after first graders. It was a pleasure to be in charge of a class of 44 people. And I was weaving colorful dreams for my future. We stayed away from school for a while because of Covid , but when we started going to school, war and destruction took everything away from us. We left our house and came to Kabul. I left my dreams and my friends. Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

    Everything fell apart. They took away our lessons, education and freedom. But the desire to fly is alive inside me and I can not give up. And I still hope... maybe one day I can fly around again.

    Thank you all for your help and support for my family.

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    • 29/09/2021 by Marilyn

      Oh so sad she can't continue with her studies for now. I would love to see families like this be allowed to come to New Zealand. What a fabulous asset they would also be to our country. I hope they find a safe haven soon. Whoever takes them in will be the lucky ones.

    • 29/09/2021 by Nicky Webber

      Yes, all the children are super smart. They will be an asset for sure. Many thanks again for your support and lovely comments. It is a tough time for them all and it gives them hope to read this too.

  • THANKS to you all

      24 September 2021
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    Many thanks for you generosity in supporting this family. I spent most of yesterday discussing their case with three different refugee support groups here in NZ and one in Australia. The father/husband is close to the end of his processing and should hopefully be taken from the Australian detention center and flown to Vancouver by the middle of next year - all going well.

    I also gained good insight and information into the plight of the mother and children and am hoping to get them to a safer place with the help of my Australian contacts. It's a long and complex journey but we are making some progress. So, Many thanks to you all for your kindness and help.

    Nicky

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    • 24/09/2021 by Marilyn

      Well done Nicky, here's hoping

  • Poem from the father and husband

      22 September 2021

    And deliverance is my destiny!

    It's day light

    It's night time

    It's a cycle that will never end

    Seasons come and go

    As time doesn't stand by...

    It's night time

    Quite, With all creation asleep and as dreams flow by...

    Worries of this earth forgotten.

    Hhooo wait...

    It's day light now

    It feels like I just closed my eyes for a second

    And as I opened

    I realized it was hours

    And as everyone's awake

    I'm trying to figure it out what happened during the night.

    It's day light

    It's night time

    It's a cycle that will never end.

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  • The Father trapped in Detention Centre also wrote a Poem

      22 September 2021

    From this family's father and husband, who has spent the past nine years incarcerated in an Australian Detention Centre in PNG– it's like Gitmo without water boarding. Isolated, depressed and desperate to find hope for his family and to be reunited with his family. These are his own words without any changes.:

    And deliverance is my destiny!

    Whether I meet with failure's stones from the sky

    Or the circle of time open for me the door of incidents

    What disturbing words I hear from left and right

    I neither stand nor I can ever stand in silence

    "There is no distance to the horizon"

    Window, love and air

    They are all friends

    stars and moonlight will touch someone's heart every night Which is concerned with flight

    If the hand of darkness prevails over all people

    I will be the beacon of the nights of time.

    I Hate captivity

    No more fuss

    With this empty hand

    I will sing the song of enthusiasm to the world

    Since I am from the tribe of the sea

    Relatives of the sun

    Hand-crafted of wind

    people of rain

    And I have born with the hate of enslavement...

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  • Poetry Competition

      22 September 2021
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    The eldest daughter turned 23 a few weeks ago. She has been shot in the leg by the Taliban five years ago and has received death threats so remains in hiding with her mother and siblings. She graduated from University majoring in Law and Politics and was very outspoken against terrorism and extremism, attending conferences and seminars at the university and speaking out. She has written a poem in English which I have not changed. This is the first entry in my prose and poetry competition to keep this family occupied with other thoughts while living in crammed conditions in hiding.

    It has not title but here are her words:

    Whether I meet with failure's stones from the sky

    Or the circle of time open for me the door of incidents

    What disturbing words I hear from left and right

    I neither stand nor I can ever stand in silence

    "There is no distance to the horizon"

    Window, love and air

    They are all friends

    stars and moonlight will touch someone's heart every night Which is concerned with flight

    If the hand of darkness prevails over all people

    I will be the beacon of the nights of time.

    I Hate captivity

    No more fuss

    With this empty hand

    I will sing the song of enthusiasm to the world

    Since I am from the tribe of the sea

    Relatives of the sun

    Hand-crafted of wind

    people of rain

    And I have born with the hate of enslavement...

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  • Family Writing Competition

      21 September 2021
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    The four sisters (ages range 23 to 14) have been writing poetry (in English) for a competition to keep their minds off the constant violence unfolding in the city streets of Kabul. Their brother (16 ) is writing a story about what he hopes for his family's future. As prizes I hoped they could each choose an e-book on Kindle, but sadly Amazon don't seem to have a 'zone' in their area. I will post some of their writing here in the coming weeks.

    I have sent about 50 emails to UNHCR, Immigration, Foreign Affairs, Consulates and High Commissioners in Australia, Canada and New Zealand with little to no response. I will begin following up next week. Thank you for reading about this family's plight.

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    • 22/09/2021 by Marilyn

      Feel so sorry for this family and all the other millions world wide who live in terror. We are so blessed to be in NZ

    • 22/09/2021 by Nicky Webber

      Absolutely - It puts all our grumbling into insignificance! Very grateful to be a Kiwi.