In Pakistan, Afghans are hunted door to door, scapegoated by the authorities, and charged extortionist prices just to hide. A mother sits in a damp hut in Kabul, her son burning with fever, deported after police raids. This is the heartbreak. And yet—there is hope. Through back channels, 21 families have already reached safety in Brazil, carried there by your generosity.

Good news

Thanks to your support, 21 families—46 people in total—have now made it safely to Brazil.
 We began with the most vulnerable of the vulnerable: the unaccompanied women. Their courage and resilience are a light in this dark time. Through back channels we even managed to move people again through the airport blockade. This has only been possible thanks to you who stood by them.

The reality on the ground

But the situation in Pakistan is catastrophic. The 31st of August deadline has past and the police are out in absolute full force—not only in Islamabad but also in Attock, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and so on—moving house to house in massive operations.

They take one Afghan person with them, then order the rest of the family to pack their things and join. And they come back again. Several of our families have been deported and forced into desperate hiding.

We have managed to move some of our people into safer places in Pakistan, further from the centers of police searches. The image above has been taken at the safehouse in Pakistan, which is a huge relief for those families that we were able to take in. Finding Pakistani landlords willing to rent is increasingly difficult. Afghans have been made scapegoats by the government, and those who will rent now demand extortionist prices. Everything just comes down to money, money, money.

And to those on the ground who managed to organise this all —you know who you are—a big heartfelt thank you. You are doing amazing work.

A story of survival
One woman’s story brings this crisis into sharp focus.

Thanks to your generous donations, we were able to sponsor her critical surgery in Pakistan. Soon after, she and her two children were apprehended by police and deported to Kabul.

Now she hides in a damp hut in a desolate part of the city, alone with her children. Her little boy is very sick—burning with fever and coughing heavily.

Operating in Afghanistan has become increasingly difficult. The Taliban now monitor Western Union, Ria, and MoneyGram, taking their cut. Still, through trusted contacts, we can manage to get her support. But that depends on your support.

If you wish to support her or other families like hers specifically, please contact us via sendlove at heartwork dot earth. Supporting a family in hiding costs about €300 per month.

Every donation helps us protect those in hiding. Every act of solidarity keeps hope alive.

 💸 Donations:

 Name: HeartWork Stichting

https://heartwork.earth/peacework/

The heartbreak and the gratification

Doing this work is often heartbreaking. Every day brings messages of despair, deportations, fear, and illness. Yet it is also profoundly gratifying—because the effect of your support is immediate.

Yesterday, I received this message from a woman whose story we shared with you in our last update. She had just been transferred to a safe place when she wrote:

“Dear Nadja,
 I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for transferring me to a safe place. At that time, I was sick and not feeling well, and your help came as a big relief. I cannot find enough words to thank you for your kindness, care and support during such a difficult moment in my life. Your presence and efforts mean so much to me, and I will always remember them with appreciation.”

This is what your donations make possible. Immediate relief. Immediate safety. Immediate hope.

A season of giving

Here in Europe, this is the time of year when the spiders grow fat and big, when the apple and pear trees are heavy with fruit, when the peaches blush with sweetness, when the raspberries give their second time, and when the thorny brambles offer their rich blackberries.

Nature reminds us of her abundance—her giving, her cycles, her endless connectedness.

Rumi wrote:

"Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.
 Be like the sun and radiate warmth.
 Be like a river and flow.
 Be like the earth and receive everything,
 and be like the night to cover all with love."

This is what sustains us now: the reminder that life itself thrives on generosity.

We invite you to give generously, in fullness. Every euro matters. Every gesture carries someone closer to safety, dignity, and a future.

With gratitude,
Nadja Muller
HeartWork