In January of 2019, on the first day of a three-week trip to India, a driver named Sajid Hussain picked me and my companions up from the Udaipur airport. He was meant to take us on a brief tour of the city. Instead, over the course of our week in his city, he became our guide, our teacher, and eventually, our friend.

Sajid and his family welcomed us into their home and taught us how to make chapati in their kitchen. When I returned home, that connection stayed with me, and when Sajid’s rickshaw -his family’s only source of income - broke down beyond repair, I knew how devastating that loss could be. We raised funds for a used replacement, but it was only a temporary fix. Sajid didn’t need another fragile lifeline—he needed stability.

That realization led me to open a home goods shop called Abroad Modern, for which I sourced goods directly from India and employed Sajid as a buyer, providing him Sajid with a steady, dignified income.

Because of this work, Sajid was able to support his family. His son Samar attended leadership programs and went to college. His daughter Shifa completed her degree and advanced professionally. Just six months ago, we secured visas for both children, and they are now working in Dubai, where opportunities are far greater than those available to them in India.

In 2024, I had to make the heartbreaking decision to close Abroad Modern. Without the store, I could no longer support the Hussain family as I once had, and the impact was immediate and severe.

Today, Sajid is struggling to find work in India, where rising Hindu nationalism has made life increasingly unsafe and unstable for Muslims. Sajid and his wife Shabnam have also faced serious health challenges this past year, compounding their financial hardship.

I am asking for your help to provide the Hussain family with basic living expenses for their modest life in Udaipur, and—if possible—to build a small nest egg so Sajid and Shabnam can relocate to Dubai, reunite with their children, and live and work in safety and dignity.

This is not abstract charity. This is support for a family I know personally—people who have worked hard, contributed meaningfully, and now need help at a critical moment.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for giving what you can.