Please Help 3 Real Life Afghan Wonder Women

In October of 2019, I traveled to Afghanistan as an international athlete to compete in the Marathon of Afghanistan. After spending time in Kabul, I traveled to the town of Bamyan which is Northwest of the countries capital. At 8,366 feet of elevation, the runners spent time in the town acclimating to the elevation in preparation for running 26.2 miles through the mountains near the Band-e Amir Lakes. In the days before the race, I spent time walking around town visiting the shops and markets. I came upon the Bamyan Women’s Market and once inside I found an all-women operated market selling a variety of goods and handicrafts, very progressive for the country. Almost immediately I was greeted by Zahra who ran the market as a whole and a shop with her Mother Bilqis and Sister Fatima. Zahra was absolutely charming as she explained how the market ran, detailed the operation of her shop and the items sold there, how she learned English and Fatima greeted me by introducing herself as the Afghanistan National Ski Champion. Over the following days they spoke more, I bought several bags of merchandise from her and we became Facebook friends.

Over the years we became better friends and frequently communicated via Facebook keeping track of what was going on in each others lives. So when the country began to fall to the Taliban and Zahra reached out for help as they fled Bamyan after being placed on an Active Woman List, I responded. Once in Kabul we kept in contact via Facebook messenger which was the most reliable messaging App. I did my part to assist the family, obtaining a visa and directions into the most favorable gate for entry. After two days the family made it inside. Then after two more days they sent me this message " Mr Bass I'm in military plane. Me mom and sis". That message came in the middle of the night. It was then 9 days before the next message arrived stating, “We are somewhere named Dulles, where is this?” She had made it to America! Zahra was then transferred with her Mother and Sister to a military base where they went through 3 months of processing by the government.

They have now been released and I welcomed them all into my home until they can gettheir new lives in America started. Along with my fiance and friends/family we are showing them how things work in America, but they left Afghanistan with only what they could carry as the Taliban pursued these female leaders. They are in need of everything to get a life started in America such as clothing, furniture and soon a car. Please help these heroines who have endured so very much to start their own "American Dream". 100% of the funds raised will go to these women (minus the website fees).