Posted by Keith Tsukishima

Fatima Haidari is from Afghanistan.  She got out when she was 17, but not her entire family.  The situation is woeful, but she holds out hope that her family can be re-united.Afghanistan is smaller than Texas and larger in area than BC and Alberta combined.  Yet has a population of 40 million, about the same as Canada.  Google research puts 42 percent below the poverty line and another 20 percent at risk of falling into poverty.  Economic outlook is bleak, with international and trade being cut off due to the political situation. 

That is the backdrop to Fatima’s presentation.  Due to political developments, people were fleeing the country, claiming refugee status anywhere they could.  2.6 million are registered refugees in nearby countries and another 3.5 million fled their homes and seeking refuge in the country.   Imagine all of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba trying to leave Canada?  That’s the scale of comparison. 

Fatima is reaching out for financial aid, and she made an impassioned plea to bring her family back together.