Protect Afghan refugee families-basic needs & educ

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Holly Schuh and 4 others are organizing this fundraiser.

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Imagine you have started a family, your children are attending school, and you (and/or your spouse) have been partnering with international NGOs in your home country for the past 10-15 years. You care about safety, peace, job opportunities, affordable education, and healthcare -- and you believe in democratic processes for electing government leaders. Just like so many of us, you care greatly about the future of your family – and mainly, your children. This sounds like the same values and dreams of the average family located in any country around the world – because they are the same.

Now imagine that in just a few weeks, a nightmare is relived -- a tyrannical, extremist regime from your youth again takes control of your country, and the countries that you have worked with against the Taliban abruptly leave along with their protection. Door-to-door searches ensue to find those who collaborated with foreign/international governments and NGOs – you now face death, persecution, and limited economic opportunities as consequences for opposing their extremist ideals. Poverty in the country climbs, kidnapping starts to rise, the rights of women and girls are taken away, and faction fighting carries on.

You and your family fled your country -- with only the cash in your pocket, which is enough to cover the costs of living for just a few months in a foreign country. In order to complete the processing of your sponsored visa application to go to a permanent and safe country, you are required to remain outside of your country (in a third country) for about 1-2 years where you have no rights to work nor do your children have access to free public education.

This is the situation of many Afghans (https://www.hbo.com/movies/escape-from-kabul) -- and this is the situation of many of my close friends who I met during my time living in Afghanistan (2012-13). They are struggling to survive day-to-day in a country that is not their home, and international resources are limited and/or are not available to support and protect their stay. Many in the situation described above are so desperate for safety and opportunity that they have resorted to living on the streets while their cases are being processed, rummaging through piles of trash for recyclable plastic/cans to earn a few cents for food.

How You Can Help

My name is Holly, and I'm an American and EU citizen working in the field of public health as a research scientist. I care about the equitable health, safety, and well-being of populations around the globe. And in this specific situation, I care about my friends and their families.

I am fundraising to support Afghan families during the beginning part of their journey as refugees, recognized as such by the UNHCR and the US government. $25,000 (USD) will go towards the basic humanitarian and educational needs of these families living in Pakistan during months that include the cold season. Each is recognized as a refugee and has an ongoing sponsored visa case at a foreign embassy. We’ve set up three families so far and supported them for the majority of 2022. We would like to cover start-up and parallel costs for protecting more families in need.

Item -- per family per month cost (unless otherwise specified)

Rent -- $300

Security deposit for apartment -- $450 (one-time cost)

Housing setup -- $700 (one-time cost)

Food and household goods -- $500

Utilities -- $75

Transportation -- $100

Unlock phones for use -- $50

Local sim card and data -- $20

School (registration + books/uniforms + transportation + tuition for 9 mo) -- $95

Medical / emergency / cold weather supplies -- $500 (one-time cost)

You can make a difference! Your gift of $100 will make a huge impact in helping these families, but any amount would be greatly appreciated!!

* Funds exceeding the requested amount will be fully directed to support the basic needs and education of Afghan refugee families and their children while they await full processing (1-2 years) of their visa cases. We are also in process of registering a non-profit organization in the country of Switzerland to continue to expand our work (expected 2023).

Photos from my time in Pakistan, summer 2022

My evening stroll with one of the Afghan children and women of the households (not shown for their protection), Pakistan, summer 2022