Holiday Love for the Tavakali-Sharifi Family!
Donation protected
Dear Friends,
This holiday season, we are asking for your support to help a wonderful family of new Canadians from Afghanistan reignite dreams crushed by terrorists.
We all watched in horror on August 15, 2021 when, after 20 years of blood and sacrifice by Afghans fighting side by side with Canadians and their allies, the Taliban retook control and plunged Afghanistan back into a brutal totalitarian nightmare.
In particular, the Taliban immediately stripped millions of women and girls of hard-won freedoms; accomplishments in education and work, and dreams for the future were gone overnight. They no longer have the right to go to school, work most jobs, or even leave the house without the company of a man.
Among them, are Aqila Tavakali and her family.
Aqila had fought for years to win the right for girls to attend school as the Principal of Sayed Al Shuhada school in Kabul. She endured years of death threats, and in April 2021, dozens of her beloved school girls were murdered when terrorists bombed the girls' entrance to the school. Aqila was featured in this Al Jazeera documentary by Canadian journalist Mellissa Fung @8:15:
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/8/23/i-am-very-afraid-women-on-the-front-lines-of-a-new-afghanistan
It was Aqila’s bravery to continue her mission and speak out against the Taliban that forced her and her family to flee as refugees. After more than a year on the run, Aqila, her husband Musa, her daughter Tamanna (22), sons Abolfazl (14) and Ali (8) finally arrived in Canada on October 21st.
Our private sponsor group has provided $55,000 of their personal funds for the family’s living costs for the first year, and they are doing well. Aqila, Musa and Tamanna are enrolled in English classes and the boys are in school.
The next step is for them to begin working and retraining so they can support themselves after their first year in Canada.
That’s where you come in.
Musa has significant hearing loss - his family has to speak loudly so he can hear them. He has been assessed by Canadian hearing services, and needs hearing aids that will cost $3,000-5,000. Aid programs will only provide $500-$1000 at most. Musa needs these aids to help him learn English and obtain work to support his family.
Aqila is looking forward to retraining to help support new Canadians with resettlement assistance and education, or go into social work.
Tamanna speaks fairly good English, is a lover of music, art, books and education. Her biggest dream is to continue the education interrupted by the Taliban. She writes about that horrible day when her future disappeared:
“I hurriedly left for home, on the way I saw military cars fleeing quickly. My hands and feet were shaking. I made it home with great difficulty, and an hour later a country with all its greatness, apparatus and power was handed over to a terrorist group. I cried all day next to my books and I knew I had to bury my dreams.”
Many of you have already generously supported our efforts to give this family the freedom and opportunity to pursue their dreams in Canada. They have not taken it for granted - life in Toronto is expensive, but they are settling into a rented basement suite, embracing the challenges of school, English classes, part-time work, and plans for their future. If you have donated household items or money to help us get to this point, thank you! We are grateful for your love and generosity.
As we celebrate the holiday season and the New Year, we are now asking you to join us in contributing to helping Aqila, Musa, Tamanna, Abolfazl and Ali become independent, contributing friends and neighbours.
Day-to-day living expenses are taken care of - your donations will go to Musa’s hearing aids, education for Tamanna and Aqila, and other upcoming significant expenses vital to their future success.
Nobody can do this alone. To help them make it happen - we need YOUR help.
Happy Holidays to all, and again, from the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU.
Love, Brennan Leffler & the sponsors of the Tavakali-Sharifi family
PS:
For more on the Tavakali/Sharifi family’s journey and backgrround, here are some links to media coverage:
May 9, 2021: Several news outlets cover the Taliban bombing of the Sayed ul-Shuhada girls’ school, where Aqila was Principal.
August 12, 2021: Dear friend, supporter, and connector of our sponsorship team, Mellissa Fung writes about the hardship of the 300+ days of waiting in Islamabad.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-it-feels-nearly-impossible-to-remain-hopeful-about-the-effort-to/
August 23, 2021: Mellissa documents what’s at stake for women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/8/23/i-am-very-afraid-women-on-the-front-lines-of-a-new-afghanistan
December 12, 2022: The Journalists for Human Rights brought together recent Afghan refugees and Aqila was interviewed by CTV.
Organizer
Brennan Leffler
Organizer
Toronto, ON