Helping Afghan Families Start Their New Lives

*Update, December 25, 2021*
Earlier this year, I started a GoFundMe for a dear friend of mine named Shahbaaz. With all of your help, we were able to help him and his family find a home in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and have their living expenses covered during this difficult time for them as they await their VISA approval. Earlier this week, with the help of Shahbaaz, I was introduced to to Gul Nabi Jaan and his family. 

Gul Nabi jaan is a hard working man with 7 children, who left Afghanistan 3 months ago in the hopes of beginning a new and safe life for his family, like the countless other brave Afghans who made the decision to leave everything behind when the Taliban took control earlier this year. 

While Gul Nabi and his family may not know what Christmas is or the tremendous positive impact that the holidays may have, I’m sharing this video to you all, just like I did earlier this year, with the intention of providing Gul Nabi and his 7 innocent beautiful children some hope in their lives. 

*Original Post:*
As we all have been witnessing over the last few days and weeks, Afghanistan is in shambles. People are suffering and dying at the hands of the Taliban, or in the process of leaving their homes, and making the journey by any means necessary to start and rebuild a new life. The hopes and dreams that we’ve all had for Afghanistan to be free from tyranny, evil, and corruption has once again been crushed—but as terrible as the situation is, we cannot let those hopes and dreams die, too.

In 2007, I went to Afghanistan for the first time. My Dad introduced my four cousins and I to Shahbaaz, a 15-year old young man who, like me, wanted to be a doctor and who loved sports. That summer, Shahbaaz and his brothers became our teammates as well as our competition throughout many basketball, soccer, and volleyball games. We played countless games, each of them ending with laughs and great memories, and more importantly, without a bother or preoccupation as to the security situation. Shahbaaz and his brothers were with us for the majority of time that summer, and for the subsequent visits to Afghanistan in the years after. Though we have many similarities and share many of the same interests, one thing remains: our realities were, and still are, severely different-- Shahbaaz is the eldest brother of four, and sadly, his Dad was murdered by the Taliban when he was just a child.  

(From Left to Right: My cousin Aimal, Myself, Shahbaaz [wearing green], and My cousin Ajmal)

Over the years, Shahbaaz and his family have become part of our family, and we've been blessed to have kept contact with them. Shahbaaz has been the leader for his family at a young age, and over the years, he has defied many odds, succeeded in his studies and just recently completed his 3rd year of medical school.

(Shahbaaz is on the left with a Classmate)

However, a few days ago, I spoke with Shahbaaz on the phone. With tears in his eyes, he told me that due to the return of the Taliban, he and his family left Afghanistan. They had to go through Kandahar, a highly dangerous area known for being a Taliban hub, but thankfully, they were able to make it to Rawalpindi, Pakistan. But in doing so, he left his home, his aspirations of becoming a doctor, and years of memories behind with him.

Shahbaaz is just like me. Had my Dad not left Afghanistan when the USSR invaded, the reality that Shahbaaz is facing at this moment could very easily have been one that I, too, could've shared with him.

Now, I’m being upfront here—I’m not a non-profit organization nor do I belong to one.

But, I know Shahbaaz, and I’ve known him for almost 15 years through visits, phone calls, FaceTime calls, and as a contact on Facebook and other social media throughout the years. I asked him how we could help, and he asked for financial assistance as him and his family do not have a place of their own, beds to sleep on, a kitchen, and their VISA status is being worked on at the moment. It’s pretty clear that the need is evident in his case, as Shahbaaz and his family begin a new life for themselves.

Just as a disclaimer, prior to writing this and before starting this GoFundMe, I had pitched the idea to some close members of the family and friends, and we were able to raise $1,000 for Shahbaaz and his family. I sent the $1,000 to him via MoneyGram (see below), first as $200 to play it safe, and after getting confirmation from him, I sent him the additional $800. Both have been received, and so far, Shahbaaz and his family are now in the process of looking into finding a place to live and making arrangements.

But their VISA status is still pending, and per Shahbaaz, it looks like the process can take easily from 6-8 months. Shahbaaz and his family will need all the help that they can get for rent, living costs, travel expenses, and for the cost of moving and starting a new life once their VISA's are approved .

Now that I know that it's possible for Shahbaaz to receive money where he's located, I'm starting this GoFundMe to help my brother and his family begin a new life of their own, and would greatly appreciate if anyone like to contribute to this fundraiser. With the money potentially raised, I'll be sending everything to Shahbaaz, and I can personally email/provide any copies of receipts should anyone need.

The fact of the matter is that Shahbaaz and his family are one of many of the families who have been displaced and who have had to leave their lives behind in Afghanistan . While it is impossible to help all of the Afghan families in need over the world at this time, helping Shahbaaz and his family can significantly impact and change their lives, and make their world an easier place to live in.

Peace,

Elias

(202)-374-1132