Dear friends,

My name is Elham. I am writing this with a heavy heart while my family is under extreme threat from the Taliban.

I am a recent graduate of United World College (UWC), and am currently enrolled in an undergraduate college in Maine, USA. I have a family of 7 people who are under extreme threat of the Taliban as a Shia minority. My parents worked for the Afghan government after the fall of the Taliban, and now the Taliban are searching house to house looking for those who have opposed their ideologies and have worked for the government/foreign organizations.

I am most terrified for my two younger sisters . My younger sister is a second-year college student while my youngest sister was just enrolled in the first grade, primary school. Under Taliban rule, they will be forced to live under systematic segregation, stripped of their fundamental human rights and unable to continue their education. My heart is breaking. 

I am starting this fundraiser to help my family urgently evacuate  the country before it’s too late. The money raised from the fundraising will be all used to cover the flight cost, resettlement, and basic necessity of my family in a new country. 

My former teacher from UWC is helping me - She is based in the UK. 

"Elham is one of the kindest humans I have met in my life. He took care of everyone around him, and is gentle and empathetic. He always helped everyone around him, and now he needs our help...I  have to pay it forward. You can learn more about me here:  http://thammachat.org/home/about/  and you can contact me on  mandylheddle@thammachat.org  with any questions.  I will cover all administrative fees associated with transfers of funds, etc".  

For privacy in the current situation, I have chosen not to state the names of my family or upload their photos. However, you can see me and my youngest sister in the picture above. For more information, do not hesitate to contact me at “elhammusavi86@gmail.com” My Venmo (if you prefer) is Ali-elham73 

Any donation will be vital and make a huge impact on the survival of my family.

I sincerely thank you for your contribution. 

Elham