Our names are Wahid and Hamid and we are both UWC alumni based in the United States. As the Taliban took over Kabul, everyone in my family has been worried about their lives.
We belong to the ethnic and religious minority groups Hazara and Shia Muslim. Hazaras have been persecuted throughout the course of history and especially in the last decades by the Taliban because of both their ethnic and religious identity. One of my brothers had a foundation for Hazara people, whose activities have endangered my family. My eldest brother, who was the only person in my family of twelve people who had a job, lost his job months ago after his workplace was attacked by the Taliban. I am afraid that the Taliban will start the massacre of Hazaras once again, I am afraid that my family members will be persecuted because of their identity, and I am afraid that my sisters will lose all basic human rights.
My family is trying to immigrate to one of the neighboring countries. As refugees they will not be legally able to work. The money from this fundraiser will be used for passports, visas, transportation, accommodation and other costs of resettlement in a neighboring country.
Because of the fees of the fees of fundraising, we prefer Venmo or Zelle.
You can also contribute via Venmo or Zelle.
Venmo: @Wahidullah-Haidari
Zelle: 4058024983
Thank you in advance for your contribution.
Our teacher is helping us. She is based in the UK. You can learn more about her here: http://thammachat.org/home/about/ and you can contact her on mandylheddle@thammachat.org with any questions. She can provide you with information about other ways you can support Afghan people, and she will cover all administrative fees associated with transfers of funds, etc.
"I met Hamid when he was my student in Environmental Studies but what I came to know him for was his incredible commitment to learning and to his first passion, his artwork. Stories of Hamid are apocryphal - for example, how he trained himself to do a handstand on his fingertips to increase his fine motor control for painting, or that he would come out with the most remarkable general knowledge because he was committed to watching a documentary every day. I know Wahid through Hamid - both successful graduates, kind people, who deserve to be reunited with their family"
