Article by LCol Melanie Lake, CO 2 CER
(from 2 CER Facebook page 16 Jan 22)
Parwana had a risky job in Afghanistan. She educated women and girls and advocated for their right to learn. She also worked as a Child Protection Officer with International Rescue Committee. When the Taliban took Helmand, she and her family fled to Kabul to hide. The Taliban destroyed her home when they came to get her and couldn’t find her then killed a young man in her family who refused to give up her family’s location.
With her husband Abdul Ahad and two young boys Elham and Helal, they sheltered in Kabul. Parwana tried everything she could to find a way out. She found my number through a friend and we started working on it together. With some help from a wonderful woman named Jess from Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, the family moved into a safe house. During the chaotic air bridge in August, they spent days in horrific conditions trying to make it into the airport but failed. In the final days, she got an email saying she was approved to come to Canada, but, like so many others, couldn’t get to a flight. With the end of evacuation flights, they sheltered down in Kabul constantly fearing the large numbers of Taliban from Helmand now on the streets of Kabul would find them and make good on their promise to kill her.
Jess came through with a miracle. She called Parwana and asked her if she could make it to Mazur-e-Sharif for a flight out. The family braved the 12-hour drive through more than 12 Taliban checkpoints and made it into the flight to Albania!
In Albania, with a little help from the defence attaché network, she was connected with IRCC in Rome and after two months, the family arrived in Canada on 25 November!
They landed in Toronto and started the settlement process. Through another stroke of luck, Michelle Whitty connected us with her Dad’s* not-for-profit housing board that had two beautiful units coming available! Last weekend, the family arrived in Kanata and after some herculean efforts by Brock Heilman and Kait M. Turner, we got the keys to their house on Friday.
Saturday was an incredible community effort to pull in everything they needed for their home! After highly efficient efforts to find donations by Heather RH, Bride Farrell, Scott Stevenson (and so many more) vehicle after vehicle arrived dropping furniture, clothes, toys, books and more (I missed taking pictures of the first few loads). Others sent money and gift cards! Heather, Bride, Nora Lake and Peter Lake worked tirelessly setting up the home while Mitch de Savoye and Stacey hung curtains. Scott, France Hebert and their crew collected all the extra furniture and delivered it to From House to Home: Furnishing Homes for Refugees where Marc Percheron was waiting to help offload. Kristen Rudderham von Finckenstein and Konrad came to the rescue when I misfired a delivery! So many people contributed that I know I will miss people if I try to name everyone (especially as many were strangers before yesterday) but please know how much your help was appreciated! Lots of Combat Engineers in the mix and even more from the broader military family.
Today, the family got to see their new home! They were welcomed with tea and supper by the incredible Afghan family across the street who moved in two weeks earlier!
The Taliban destroyed their last home but a whole community of new friends helped them find a new one!
Our new friends were overwhelmed by the support and send their heartfelt thanks to everyone involved! They are brave, kind, hardworking people who can’t wait to start their new lives here. They don’t even complain about the cold (unlike me)!
It’s amazing how much good we can do when we come together. Seems like some good news worth sharing in challenging times!”
* Col Mike Whitty, CD