Hi, I am Clara and I am fundraising to support my friend Muzhda* in Kabul, Afghanistan for her to develop education workshops for women about environmental issues.

*Muzhda is a nickname so she is not identified and her life not put at risk.

I first met Muzhda at an online workshop I was running to raise awareness about the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. I was surprised but also amazed that an Afghan woman had join our event and discussion. We started to email and Muzhda told me a bit more about the conditions she was living in, very rarely going out by fear of being arrested or beaten up by the morality police. Since the Talibans came back to power, her life turned back to a nightmare. Muzhda is educated and took part in activities about climate justice and the environment before they took back power. I wont give too much information to ensure her safety and that is why the faces of the women in the picture are also hidden.

Women in Afghanistan are not allowed to go out on their own or may face danger, they are prevented to socialise and live free lives. However, it is possible to still gather in women-spaces only under the cover or working activities indoors. Muzhda has managed to run a few workshops in that way which not only provide a great social relief for women to be able to spend some time together but also provided education opportunities. She had received a bit of support from an NGO based in Europe but funding was limited and has run out.

I am trying to raise some funds to help Muzhda run a further workshop this winter, when people use plastic as fuel in their stoves to heat their homes because they are not aware of its harmful effects. This will help raise awareness of the impact of plastic and its harm to people's health and the environment as well as providing a safe space for women to meet, share and eat together. Thanks for reading and I hope you can make a small donation