Dear caring friends,

We’ve been deep in the work this past week—digging in, plowing through the vast amount of data in English and Dari, doing everything humanly possible to submit as many complete and verified cases as we could in our first official round to Panahgah and the Brazilian government. It’s been nothing short of a Herculean effort—and we want to bring you with us into the heart of it.

Our small team of volunteers, a couple of them Afghan human rights defenders themselves, has been working around the clock. Quite literally. Between internet blackouts, police raids, family bereavements, stress breakdowns of the applicants, and language barriers that make form completion extremely difficult—we are carrying so much. I personally haven’t slept more than 4–5 hours in the last 7 days, and I don’t think Jahanzeb has slept at all.

And still—we are holding strong. The spirit in this group is extraordinary. We’re tired, yes. But we are hopeful. And committed.

🌟 The good news: This afternoon we successfully submitted the first batch of complete cases to Panahgah. These files are solid, verified, and supported. And we couldn’t have done this without the strength of this community. You made this happen.

🌱 The financial update: Thanks to your generosity and the incredible support of Avaaz, we have secured a total of USD 137,434, including a USD 125,000 grant from Avaaz. This is enough to support the full submission of these super vulnerable cases and get them one step closer to safety.

We estimate at this point that we will need USD 1.5 million in total. The situation is so fluid that it's hard to give a more accurate estimate. If an airline would be willing to step forward and provide a charter that could save us a lot of money.

So we need your help to keep going.

💔 The situation on the ground is worsening. Just yesterday—despite expectations that the police would pause operations for Eid—more than 800 Afghan refugees were arrested in Pakistan. Our people are in hiding, scared for their lives. The urgency has never been greater.

✨ What you can do: Keep sharing. Keep giving if you’re able. Keep sending love to these brave individuals who have already endured so much. Your voice—your belief in them—is what’s making this possible.

Here is the link to the Food for Thought Afghanistan fund raiser: https://www.foodforthought.care/emergencyfund

Please note that Panahgah is not raising funds for this effort themselves.

We know many of you have been waiting for updates, and we’re so grateful for your patience. Now you know what’s been happening behind the scenes—and how much further we hope to go.

With love and fierce gratitude,
Nadja & team

🕊️ Every name submitted is a life held in hope.