***UPDATE 2***

Thank you to all who have donated so far!

As previously mentioned, in September were able to get US$1000 to Our Girl’s family to keep them fed and clothed for a while. Now the race is on to get them out as with their economy now collapsing we won’t be able to get any funds across to them even if we get donations.

Our Girl (pictured on her flight to freedom) jetted to safety a month ago. She is safe and well. Our focus is now to rescue her immediate family while there is still a window of opportunity to do so. Her two teenage sisters remain at heightened risk.

We’ve raised US$6000 privately to get them to a second country and pay their rent for six months until they get on their feet and can start working. But we still URGENTLY need US$10,000 for flights from the second country to their safe haven.

Every dollar counts, so no matter how small your donation we greatly appreciate it! If you can’t donate please share.

It was nothing short of a miracle to save Our Girl, under very trying circumstances that at times were life threatening for her. She is elated to be starting her new life, yet is unable to rest easy while her family remain in harms way.

Original story:

For the security of her and her family, we cannot yet identify ‘Our Girl’ as we affectionately refer to her. But rest assured this nameless girl is real, is genuine and needs our support!

She won’t stay anonymous forever, you’ll soon be able to read her biography which is being penned as we speak…we are working all hours of the day and night to ensure that the ending will be a triumph, not a tragedy!

At heightened risk for being a Hazara Muslim, she has already fled the Taliban once before; as an infant, she narrowly avoided a brutal death in the lead up to the infamous Mazar-i- Sharif Massacre.

Fast-forward to 2021 and that infant refugee is now a bilingual, highly educated career woman, who was set for promotion and about to start her Master's Degree. Showcased by her employer as someone whose example others should follow, her future was bright and full of dreams.

All that was lost on 15th August when she had to destroy her certificates and awards, burn her work uniform and go into hiding because she has been publicly acclaimed as a role model, in fact, ‘went viral’ for breaking the glass ceiling for career women in Afghanistan.

In that, her darkest hour she gained the support of one woman on the other side of the world who moved heaven and earth trying to get her to safety. This gave ‘Our Girl’ the strength and hope to carry on! Inspired by these efforts, three more people scattered around the globe soon joined the team, that fittingly under the circumstances is spearheaded by women!

Devastatingly, due to the early retreat of the Allied Forces, none of the three international evacuation flights the team had ‘Our Girl’ listed for could go ahead, leaving her stranded. Not to mention getting herself inside the airport, by sheer grit and tenacity, only to be forcibly removed by an Allied Soldier having a bad day. Steps from freedom she was thrown back into a waking nightmare. That was a crushing blow that almost had her down for the count, but she regrouped and came back with her old fighting spirit.

The team now face the daunting and perilous task of mounting an independent rescue mission. In a country of inhospitable terrain, overrun by a barbaric army of violent soldiers this is certainly not an undertaking for the faint-hearted! Lucky for ‘Our Girl’ the team motto is ‘NO, IS NOT IN OUR VOCABULARY’.

While we are working on possible evacuation options we have set up this fundraiser to support her family by putting food on their table. ‘Our Girl’ was the breadwinner, supporting a three-generational family of 7 people. With women forbidden to work, they have been left with nothing more than the cash she had the foresight to withdraw on the day before Kabul fell. It was the last of her savings and won’t last much longer.

That being said if you have a spare jet parked in the backyard, we’re open to all offers of aircraft to mount an independent evacuation. Jokes aside…we mean it!

Western Union has just reopened in Kabul so we hope to get some money over to her father as soon as possible. ‘Our Girl’ can’t go out to claim it, she has seen with her own eyes female friends who were beaten black and blue simply for stepping out of their homes to run errands. No woman should have to live under such harrowing and discriminatory conditions!

Donate if you can but either way please share. Let’s help this inspirational young lady ‘go viral’ again!

UPDATE 1:

Thank you! We managed to get $1000 across to feed the family and allow for the purchase of fabric to prepare for the new dress code that the women must now adhere to.

Wheels are in motion for a rescue attempt; unexpectedly we may now be able to keep the family unit together and save seven people not just one, including Our Girl’s two teenage sisters that we never wanted to leave behind!

Amazing yet daunting as in order to even be considered for humanitarian visas linked to Our Girl’s pending application, we must first provide the Embassy with their tickets from evacuation point to the country we are requesting visas from. The tickets and associated costs for the extra six family members come to an eye watering $11,800.

Can you help?

Help rescue ‘Our Girl’ in Kabul and her family

By Peter Ellice

Help rescue ‘Our Girl’ in Kabul and her family

One safe, six to go!