Help Feed the Sedrah Family

Who I Am and Who I Am Helping

My name is Diana Hay, I am an American citizen and I am currently raising money for a high risk Afghan family inside Afghanistan. I initially started this fundraiser in the winter with the goal to shield this family of nine, including seven young children, from starvation during the winter months. It has now become clear that this family can no longer remain inside Afghanistan and must relocate to a third country.  Currently the father of this family is at risk of being killed by the Taliban for his previous membership in the Afghan army. In mid April a neighbor of the family, also a former soldier, was abducted by the Taliban and has not been returned. Now the father of my family can no longer leave the house. This gofundme is being repurposed to help the family leave the country. 

 

Since August I have been working in small ways to advocate for the safety of high risk Afghans inside Afghanistan. Many veterans and Americans with military experience in Afghanistan have been doing super human work to help Afghans left behind. I myself am not a veteran, and most of my overseas connections are with India related to handwoven textiles. But as a human being I felt what is transpiring in Afghanistan requires urgent and sincere engagement from the world community. Hence I am trying to help a few people myself.

 

I first became connected to this Afghan family through Washington D.C. based journalist Cybele Mayes-Osterman. Earlier last year she had gone to Afghanistan and interviewed a close relative of the Afghan family, who he himself was an interpreter for the US forces.

The father in the family had left his comfortable life as a shopkeeper to fight in the Afghan army. The mother is educated and accomplished. She has a nursing degree, English training and has worked as a school teacher. The family are originally from Panjshir, a northern province which is a center of resistance against Taliban rule. This further makes them a target for revenge. 

 

Starvation and Desperation

After the takeover by the Taliban, Afghanistan continues to fall into a humanitarian catastrophe. Most people are jobless, most people do not have enough food to eat, teenage girls are banned from secondary school, women have been pushed from their workplaces, and there is ongoing targeted assassinations and ethnic cleansing.

 

According to the World Food Program, more than half of all Afghans, around 23 million people, are facing acute hunger.

 

Our Afghan Allies Struggling to Survive

Afghans who worked closely with American forces now find themselves in the most dangerous and desperate situations. They are targets for assassination by the Taliban. Their families have no safety, no money, and no food.

 

I am personally inviting you to help one family, the Sedrah Family, to find refuge. This gofundme, in combination with my side hustles, kept this family fed and safe during the winter months. Because of dire prospects inside Afghanistan, the family is now trying to leave the country. 

 

A Mother Struggles to Feed Her Children

When I came into contact with the mother, Bibi Zarmina, mother of seven young children, she had exhausted her savings and was struggling to feed her children. Even now with my fundraising help, Bibi and her husband often find themselves hungry, because they are giving most of their resources to their children. Bibi's husband was a member of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and he worked closely with US forces. He is in hiding to avoid targeted assassination and because of this is unable to provide for his family.

 

They have six daughters and one son, and in honor of their youngest child, I have named the family the Sedrah Family.

Gul Pana, age 9: She is an intelligent and loving young girl. She loves books and telling stories: 

Malalai: She is funny and silly. She loves to play games and tell jokes. She makes up her own little dances. 

 

Zarghon Gul: age 6: She is passionate, intelligent, affectionate and logical. She yearns to go to school and dreams to be a doctor.

 

Pashtana, age 5: she is intelligent, mature, hardworking and enjoys helping her mother with cooking and cleaning.

 

Shapiray, age 3: she is a very affectionate and a social child. She is picky, very clean and loves fancy things.

 

Jannat Gul, age 23 months: being the only son of the family he is doted on. He is playful, affectionate and very naughty.

 

Sedrah, age 8 months: She is a joyful baby, always laughing and beaming her baby smiles.

 

Help the Sedrah Family 

All proceeds of this fundraiser will go directly to the family to feed and cloth the children, pay for living expenses and pay for the education fees of four children, and to secure the necessary documents and visas for relocation to a third country. 

 

Electricity bill: $ 30

Water bill: $ 10

Gas expense: $ 30

Heating expenses: $ 80

Food, water...: $ 250

Baby needs: $ 100

Doctor / Medicine : $ 80

Other expenses: $ 50-70
School fees: $90+
Three more passports $300
Land visas $150 each

 

With each transfer I will give regular updates of how the money was used. For reasons of safety I cannot publicly give the full names of the adult recipients, nor can I give their location.

 

Thank You!