Help a Children's Author from Afghanistan

Dear kidlit friends, fellow poets, and Maryland neighbors.

 

In late August, I received a message from my friend Michael Rothenberg, founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. One of our poet colleagues was in trouble, fleeing Afghanistan with his wife and two young children. They hoped to settle in the Washington, DC area. Michael asked, "Can you help?"

 

Michael and I were in touch with this family as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban and thousands of Afghans were evacuated by the US and its allies. My colleague was among these refugees. He is a children's author, poet, and educator who has dedicated much of his career to school access for all children, especially girls. Due to security and possible threats to family members who were left behind in Afghanistan, I am not able to share their identity and picture.

 

After a long and difficult journey, they arrived in the Baltimore/DC area in mid-October. My husband and I were at BWI airport to meet them. Each member of the family had one carry-on bag. They were forced to abandon everything else during the turmoil at Kabul airport. Despite the fall weather, they were dressed in summer clothes--that's all they had. My family brought backpacks with some toys, books, pajamas, and stuffed animals for the two children. The superhero PJs were a huge hit, as you can imagine after ten weeks of travel and refugee camps! We drove the family to a temporary hotel, which they rented with generosity of some of our author and poet friends.

 

We have become close with this family over the past few weeks and will spend Thanksgiving together. The children are recovering from the trauma of witnessing their country’s collapse to the Taliban, the chaos near the airport in Afghanistan , and lack of food and warm clothing at in US military bases in Germany and the midwest. A visit to a local playground was their first chance to run and play since their lives were turned upside down.

 

Now I ask you the same question Michael Rothenberg asked me. "Can you help?"

 

This family is starting from scratch. They are eager and excited to begin their life in this country and would like to stand on their own feet as soon as possible. Until then, please consider donating toward their living expenses.

 

Please help me raise $30,000 so this newly arrived family can rent an apartment, pay the security deposit, and buy a used car, which will help the adults in their job search. Their goal is to be self-sufficent as soon as possible. Because this family does not yet have a bank account, I will be withdrawing the funds regularly and handing the family a cashier's check. As soon as a bank account is in place, this fundraiser will go to the family directly.

 

Your generosity and sharing this post among your networks can help us to meet this goal and make their hopes of settling in Maryland come true.

 

With gratitude,

Laura Shovan