Bring an Afghan Family to Canada

Noorullah and Setarah narrowly escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan and have been living as refugees with their young son, Rahman in Indonesia. Right now they are unable to work, go to school, or receive proper medical attention. Rahman is four years old and will soon miss his chance to start school like other kids his age. Please donate today to help us bring this young Afghan family to Canada.

 

Our goal is to raise the funds necessary to privately sponsor this family, so they can join their extended family in Vancouver and start a new life. We need $60,000 to provide for Noorullah, Setarah and Rahman in their first year in Canada. The funds will cover the cost of flights, housing, food, daycare, workforce training, and other necessities to ensure they get a strong start.

 

We are sponsoring the family through the Group of Five (G5) process, where five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents can arrange to sponsor a refugee living abroad to come to Canada. We require costs for the first year of living in Canada to be raised before we can submit the application to the Canadian government to begin the re-settlement process. This process can be lengthy, so the sooner we can raise the minimum to start the process, the better!

 

The Family (Please note that some people may find aspects of this story distressing)

From the Parwan provinces of Afghanistan, Noorullah, Setarah and Rahman belong to the Hazara community and Shia sect of Islam, a group that has been persecuted and murdered by the Taliban for decades.

 

In 2013, Noorullah and his father were transporting American cars and containers when a Taliban rocket attack killed Noorullah’s father. Soon after, Noorullah’s brother was kidnapped by the Taliban. The Taliban burned down the family’s store and the rest of the family went into hiding. Noorullah escaped to Indonesia, where he has received official refugee status from the UN High Commission for Refugees. After more Taliban attacks, Noorullah’s wife Setareh fled in June 2016. In April 2017, Setareh and Noorullah’s son Rahman was born in Indonesia.

 

While safe from the Taliban now, the family are in a precarious position. They are patiently awaiting resettlement to a permanent country of residence. Sadly, in the meantime, they are not allowed to work or attend school and they are not receiving the medical attention they need. 

 

What’s Our Connection?

Shocked by the quick and terrifying resurgence of Taliban control in Afghanistan in August 2021, our small group from Victoria, BC began to explore ways we could help. Ultimately, we were united by a common goal of initiating refugee sponsorship.

 

Looking for advice, we connected with Allahyar Raza, a former student and co-worker of a few group members. Allahyar arrived in Canada from Afghanistan in 2005 through World University Service of Canada. Since then he has earned two Canadian degrees and is now a Canadian citizen.

 

His close family, parents, brothers and their family, are still in Kabul, unable to be evacuated before the deadline. However, he had been working toward sponsoring Allahyar’s cousins Noorullah, Seterah, and Rahman. The family will resettle in Vancouver, as there is a small network of extended family there - which will ease the transition to a new life in Canada.

 

Our group is committed to helping bring this family to British Columbia, Canada. We are about a dozen strong and based in Victoria and Vancouver. We are urban planners, academics, housing specialists, graphic designers, marketing professionals, healthcare professionals, social workers, teachers, etc.

 

Thank you so much for your time and your support to enable this resettlement!

 

Robyn, Drew, Allahyar, Maggie, Mon, David, Molly, Hollie, Aleya, Cam, Jordan, Kelly, Riley, Hajar, Khalil, Benafsha, & Kabir 

Instagram: @WarmWelcomeBC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarmWelcomeBC/

*please note that because this a private sponsorship, your donations are not eligible for a tax receipt.