Maryam*, a young Afghan woman, was the first member of her family to be educated. She and her siblings attended a school which provided free education for boys, and, more significantly, girls. Maryam went on to university in Afghanistan, where she studied medicine with the hope of becoming a surgeon. She and her older sister, Fatima, became the face of the school, and tirelessly encouraged other girls and women to get an education, often helping them to lobby their very conservative parents for the opportunity.

Our family has known Maryam for a year-and-a-half, and she is smart, dedicated, and driven. She works extremely hard and is unbelievably committed to her family. Although we’ve never met in person, we consider her like a younger sister.

When the Taliban took over in 2021, opportunities for women were abruptly and sharply diminished. Fatima, the family’s breadwinner, lost her job and was unable to get another, given the restrictions on women. The family was devastated, emotionally and financially.

Maryam, who was in medical school, was no longer permitted to become a doctor; midwifery was the only option now available to women. Then, this month, her university—like all universities in Afghanistan now—was completely closed to women. To make matters worse, Maryam and her family came under intense scrutiny—she was regularly harassed, insulted, and threatened. We’ve watched, with great and growing concern, as her life has become extremely difficult and dangerous.

Thanks to aid agencies in both Canada and the U.S. Maryam and three of her siblings now have a chance to start a new life in North America. To do so, they need to first leave Afghanistan and complete their refugee applications from Pakistan. None of the family have passports, however, and passports cost a fortune in Afghanistan—USD$1500 each, to be precise. We're trying now to raise USD$10,000, which will cover the cost of those documents, exit visas ($800), travel back and forth from their hometown to Kabul ($920), and, finally, airfare to Pakistan ($2280).

We are desperate to help her family get out of Afghanistan, but can’t do so on our own. Any contribution, no matter how large or small, is welcome. Life for women in Afghanistan is so grim at the moment, and this is one small way we can help change the lives of one extraordinary family.

* All names are pseudonyms, to protect their safety