This is a guest post by my niece, Alyssa Lubet:
In my previous career, I had the privilege of teaching at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Many of our students were from Afghanistan, and had not been allowed to attend school until age 10-11 or even older, when the Taliban were toppled following 9/11. Despite (and perhaps because) of this disadvantage, they were some of the most voracious and dedicated learners, aware of what a privilege it was to have access to education, knowledge, discourse, and debate. After graduating, many of these alumnae moved abroad to continue their education, while many more returned to Afghanistan to work in government positions. All are fluent or near-fluent in English, and nearly all have been outspoken advocates for the rights of women and ethnic/religious minorities in their home country.
As you can imagine, these women are now in an incredibly precarious position. Some have been able to go to the U.S. or other countries as refugees, while others remain in Afghanistan. Former colleagues and alumnae have organized a fundraiser to provide immigration, relocation and basic needs support for the women and their families. Because of security concerns, not a lot of details are publicly available, but I know the organizers and a number of the alumnae, and can personally vouch for their integrity and the validity of this cause. Please consider making a donation if you feel comfortable doing so. (Representatives of the University are also trying to find academic placements for the women who have been evacuated to the U.S. so that they can support themselves long-term here—more details on that to possibly follow.)
Of course, these women and their families represent only a tiny fraction of the large number of Afghan refugees currently in need of support; please consider also contributing to the number of worthy organizations working to help, including the International Rescue Committee and HIAS.
This is Steve again: for those who may have missed it in the text, here is the link for the fundraiser.
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