Our Afghan Friend

Our friend Abdul (not his real name) needs your help.

Abdul is a Hazara from Afghanistan. He lives on his own in Melbourne, and his whole family is in Afghanistan - including his fiancée, whom he hasn’t seen for 10 years.

Abdul has been trying to save money to try to bring his fiancée to Australia. Before Covid and lockdowns, Abdul was working, supporting himself and his family in Afghanistan, and contributing to his community by mentoring young Afghan people. This kept his mind occupied, away from overwhelming thoughts about his and his family’s situation.

Then things took a turn for the worse.

Abdul ‘s older brother was killed by the Taliban.

His younger brother was kidnapped and held for ransom, and Abdul had to use all his savings and borrow a large sum of money (almost $50,000) to get him released. As soon as he was freed, his brother went into hiding.

Having lost his brother, his savings, and his hope of soon being reunited with his fiancée, and stuck in lockdown unable to do the mentoring that kept him sane, Abdul then lost his job too.

He is now struggling to get by and is being supported solely by his friends. Lack of money is difficult, and so is trying to find another job under the current circumstances. Abdul is completely overwhelmed by his situation. His sisters in Afghanistan are terrified, and so is his fiancée. Abdul feels helpless and exhausted.

We are trying to help.

We are hoping to raise some money to help Abdul get on his feet again. We are hoping that by assisting with one of his problems, we can help Abdul feel less overwhelmed, less isolated, and more able to confront all he has to face. We are aware these are tough times for everyone and really appreciate anything you can afford. Our target is only a part of the amount Abdul needs, but it would help.

Please contact me directly if you would like more information. I can vouch for Abdul and am more than happy to do that. Unfortunately we cannot use Abdul's real name or his photograph as he is worried it might put his family in danger back at home.

Please consider donating to help Abdul. Every little bit helps.

P.S. Abdul is a qualified and experienced pattern maker. If you know of any openings that could be suitable for him, please let us know. Abdul would be willing to work for free until he proves worthy of his position.