This Toronto organization has raised more than $250K to help families in Afghanistan
A Toronto-based non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating child labour in Afghanistan is stepping up to help families impacted by the urgent, ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle Eastern country of 38 million — and they're doing a great job thanks to donations from people in every Canadian province and territory.
"Our homeland, Afghanistan, known as the land of lions, is BLEEDING brutally," reads a GoFundMe campaign created last week by Children Without Borders (CWB).
"Due to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, hundreds and thousands of families in every province have been displaced, leaving their hard earned living and taking shelters in schools/tents. Most of these families do not have the means to survive."
The registered non-profit, founded in 2016 to "assist children who are currently engaged in physical labour and have become the breadwinners of their household," is asking members of the public for donations to aid displaced families.
"Our motherland needs all of us now more than ever, those innocent children that have seen nothing but war, needs our help now, our elders only hope is US," reads the campaign. "100% of the proceeds will be given to the families with proof of video. Please donate generously!"
Canadians have responded with great enthusiasm, along with people from 75 other countries around the world. A representative for GoFundMe says donations continue to come in by the minute.
As of 4 p.m. on Friday, $262,741 of the $300,000 goal had been raised to help CWB's ground peronnel in Afghanistan assist families fighting for their lives in Kabul, Mazar, Herat and Faryab.
"Our ground personnel in Kabul have verified over 700 families living in different sites that need urgent financial relief," reads an update published Thursday to Instagram.
"Today we are beyond happy to announce that despite the unprecedented challenges that our ground personnel were face with, on August 17, 2021, @childrenwithoutborders team along with @watanproject were able to complete the first round of distribution to the 34 displaced families currently living in tents in Shahre Naw and Sarayee Shamali."
Afghanistan is currently suffering through mass, violent unrest after the Taliban seized power all over the country, just weeks before the U.S. was set to finish withdrawing its troops after decades of war.
The Canadian government is working to help remove and accomodate citizens of the embattled country, as their lives are in danger under the terrorist group's regime. Roughly 188 refugees were taken out of Kabul on Friday aboard a Canadian military aircraft.
Those who wish to donate to relief efforts can also find a centralized GoFundMe page featuring verified fundraisers here.
