Through the generous donations of Rotary Club Australia, OPAWC provided food packages to many needy families in Afghanistan. In the critical situation faced by Afghan people, we thanks our great supporters in Australia for their solidarity and help.

Here are short stories of a number of women who were given the food packages: 

 Malalai

Malalai is from Laghman province, her husband died a few years back and her father gave her to another person who already had a wife and is very much older than her. Currently her husband is unable to work and she is responsible for finding food for her 7 children. Her two older sons and daughters are also begging on the street to support the family. Due to the psychological pressures that she has experienced for many years, she has psychological instability. While she begs on the street, she also has to take care of her newly born baby. 

Humaira

Humaira is from Bamyan, Due to the ongoing conflicts in their area and due to lack of job and proper source of income, the family had to move to Kabul. Her husband has  a hand trolley and barely makes any money these days. It’s up to Humaira to go to people’s houses and find a job or gather their leftovers to feed the family. She says “ I have 6 children to feed, I don’t like to bring the leftovers of the people for them, but it is better for them to eat something than eating nothing”. The family is living outside Kabul city because the house rent inside the city is very high and they cannot afford it. Every day she has to walk almost 5 miles to reach the city and find something for her children. 

Aalima

Aalima is from Dykundi province, Her husband died recently and since there was no way of income for her, with the help of her brother she moved to Kabul and started living in a rural area in a mud made house. Since the economic status of her brother is also not good, she has to beg and earn to feed the children. She says “I try hard to find money to feed my children so that one day they grow up and they could help me to make a better life for us, it is hard to find a job these days and the only way of earning money is through begging, I don’t like it but I have no other choice”. 

 Shazia

Shazia is from Maidan Shahr, the family moved to Kabul during the recent fighting between the Taliban and the previous government. She is living with her eight children, husband and mother in law. Her husband is very much older than her and cannot work anymore and it’s up to Shazia to earn money to feed the family. She says “ every morning I wake up early and go to the city and knock people’s houses to see if they have dishes to wash or cloths to wash or even cleaning the house, these days I barely find any job, there are times when people abuse me for knocking on their doors, I have to tolerate since I have no other choice. If I could not find a job, then I have to start begging. Every day I sit by the bread shop hoping that someone will buy a bread for me so that I could bring it home and feed my family, I  cannot sleep at night because I think of how to feed my family tomorrow, thank you for the aid, now I can sleep peacefully for some times since I do not have to worry about feeding my family. Please give my love and regards to the donor”.

Sabza Gull

Sabza Gull is from Maidan Shahr, Her husband was recently killed by smugglers while trying to enter Iran. While tears in her eyes she said “ I did not wanted him to go to Iran, but we had no choice since he could not find a job here, now I have to beg on the street to feed my children, still I am lucky that my brother in law has provided me with one room where I and my children could live, Thank you for your support and please send my gratitude and warmest regards to the donor”.

Murad

Murad is a daily worker, he has a hand trolley but no one hires a hand trolley these days and so he has to work as daily labor in the local shops. He is a good and hard working person, but still it’s very hard for him to find a job. His wife died while giving birth to a child recently and now he is responsible to take care of his children too. He says “ It is very hard for me to go out and work and also to take care of my children, still, I am lucky that the woman who is my neighbor has agreed to look after my children while I am away, I love my children very much but I am worried about their future, I don’t know what will happen to them since most of the time I am not there to take care of them”. Please thank the donor for the support, now I can have more time to spend with my children and find a durable solution to my current problem”. He sent his thanks and regards to the donor.

Salma

Salma is from Ghazni province, Her husband is addicted to drugs and is unable to find a job. It’s up to Salma to earn money and keep the family running. She has to take care of her six children, her mother in law and father in law. She is unable to run the family alone and so three of her children are begging on the street and scavenging in the garbage. She is a good tailor however these days she cannot earn much. She says “ since the past 8 months , I have been only able to make clothes for 6 people, the reason is that the people do not have money to make new cloths and so no one comes to me to make clothes for them, I hope the economy of the people gets better so that they ask me to make clothes for them again”. She thanked the donor for their support.

Maliha

Maliha is originally from Char Dihi of Kabul, however they have inherited nothing from their family and is living in a rented house, she was a student of OPAWC and learned how to make quality breads and sell them in the local market. Her skin is very sensitive to heat but she has no choice since she is the only bread earner of the family. She says “I have grown up daughters and have to take care of them. If I stop earning money, then they will have to beg on the street which will make them vulnerable to all kinds of violence and abuse. My husband is old and is unable to work so I have to make bread to keep my family running. Business is very bad and I hardly manage to earn enough to feed my family, thank you for the support and my God keep you safe and healthy”.

Murwarid

Murwarid is Maidan Shahr and has moved to Kabul during the last fighting between the Taliban and the previous government forces. Her husband works in one of the local shops and barely earns enough to feed the family. He cannot rent a house and is living in a warehouse where he works as a guard at night. She has five children and the eldest of them is gathering plastic from the garbage and selling it in the local market. Yasmin knows how to make carpet but since she is alone it takes up to 3 months to finish one carpet. She and her family were very thankful for the support and sent their love and gratitude to the donor.