Aid for Afghan Refugees

Last fall, a small group of Seattle families agreed to host and then support two Afghan sisters and their six children in Seattle. We didn't realize we would become deeply connected to an incredible extended family.  The sisters (and children) are physically here in Washington State but their hearts are in Afghanistan with their husbands (dads), a daughter (sister), parents (grandparents), and brothers (uncles).  We are supporting these families on two fronts:   

1 - 90 days of government-funded refugee resettlement is too short a time to establish and build a life.  We are helping with everything from filing for asylum to tutoring to child care for newborn triplets who came home from the hospital in December to looking toward rent expenses and job training. 

2 - We are helping provide support to family members in Kabul who are in grave danger. Living in a safe house is a first step but we know that the best and possibly only chance for their survival is to get them out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible. We are renewing our focus on their extradition from the country, which is a challenging prospect, financially and politically.  Gratefully we are working with some pretty amazing NGOs.  

 

We are so grateful to the community who has come alongside these families under the most difficult of times.  The road ahead is long but they are showing us what resilience and hope looks like daily.   THANK YOU!   Melissa and Carly