Update on my Afghan friend Samira

For those of you who have asked for an update:

My friend Samira is still in Pakistan with her husband and three small children. Last week they were living in a one-room place with a washroom but no kitchen. Because she does not feel safe, the family remained indoors.

When I sent out my blog post The Bag Lady has an Afghan Friend, I posted it more widely than usual. Not just to my blog followers and on my Facebook page, but to many people in my email contacts list. It's important to me that people have direct knowledge of a real, actual person experiencing the trauma currently happening in Afghanistan, rather than just reading about it in the paper or hearing it on the radio or TV.

Several people offered financial help. I told them I would let them know if Samira said that was what she needed. Her most pressing concern is the safety of her family. She is sending emails and letters of introduction to colleges and nonprofits and other agencies engaged in resettlement work, hoping for a helping hand to get to the US. So far she hasn't made much progress.

I've told her a story that comes from chaos theory, but it's a good story. There will be 100 rabbits at the starting line of a race. At the finish line is a basket of carrots. We know one of those rabbits is going to get the carrots. But we don't know which one. So we're gathering the rabbits for the race: a retired professor friend of mine who made calls to friends; a doctor with experience working with asylum seekers and refugees; a friend of Samira who has made it to a resettlement center in Albany, New York; another friend still in Afghanistan who knows the name of someone who made it out; a retired woman from the University of Washington Law School. Each of those people represents a rabbit at the starting line. 

Then, three days ago, Samira wrote and told me reluctantly that she needed the money I'd offered, to rent a two-room place with more room for her family, where her children could play outside. I sent an email to the three people who'd offered. Yesterday I went online to Western Union and sent $350 - 60,000 rupees - enough money to pay rent on the larger place for three months. I heard from Western Union this morning that the money had been picked up. And today Samira and her family moved.

The search for rabbits continues. I am hopeful. Out of 100 rabbits, Samira only needs one.