Hello, my name is Dustin Thompson.

I have a desperate plea for five dear, young, refugee friends from Afghanistan, now safely in Canada, who urgently need help for their families still trapped in the Middle East, hiding from the Taliban. They have become part of my family, and I need to help in any way I can.

This group of five young people entered my life in 2023 when they immigrated to Canada thanks to many people, many prayers, and incredibly generous donations.

As I got to know them better, I learned about their story and the suffering and persecution they endured. Soon after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan, these young people witnessed parents, siblings and other family members murdered by the Taliban.

In late August of 2021, six young people (these five and a cousin) separated from their surviving family members and by September of 2021, they lost all contact with relatives and feared that they were the only surviving members of their extended families. During the following months, they suffered immeasurably and their cousin was murdered by the Taliban. Eventually, these five escaped and found refuge in a neighboring country that still posed danger; but through miracles, and friends in Canada and the United States, they were able to make it to Canada in 2023.

Miraculously, in the summer of 2024, a surviving family member reached out from Afghanistan letting them know that they had been hiding in the mountains. Since that day, great efforts have been made to keep their family in Afghanistan alive and hidden.

Currently, the same rescue organization that helped the young people is trying to rescue 15 members of their families! This includes their five parents and ten siblings. This organization has already helped them escape to a neighboring country. There is still danger in this country, but immigration from here is possible. We are hoping and praying that all can be rescued and come to Canada to be reunited with their five family members.

A church in Calgary, that provided refugee permits to the five young people, has kindly offered to provide the 15 required permits for the rest of the family; however, we have to come up with the required funds for this type of permit and provide it to the church by the end of March. If we don’t have the funds, we risk losing the permits; and worse, we risk the country where this family is hiding deporting them to back to Afghanistan where certain harm will come upon them.

Friends, I have never asked for money like this before. If you can help at all, there isn’t any donation too small, as we look to meet this goal of considerable funds.

All funds donated through this GoFundMe campaign will go to the assisting church; and upon arrival in Canada, the church will give these funds to the refugee families in monthly increments, to cover their expenses for one year. This is required by the Canadian government for immigration with these refugee permits. GoFundMe donations do get a tax receipt.

If you are in the United States and would like to contribute with a tax receipt, do not donate here, as this can be organized through me if you contact me directly. The charitable organization helping does not have charitable status in Canada.

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to me.

I have not included names or pictures as this would be very dangerous to these young people and to their families in hiding.

Thank you so much!