- 17 Mar 2003 09:15
#197027
URGENT! Appeal for Canadians to Sponsor a Desperate Afghan Family
Anisa Sahebzadah, 47, and her 5 daughters (Arezo, Dounya, Malalay, Dalia,
and Negeena; ages 9-18) urgently need help and are seeking sponsors to
help them immigrate to Canada. The family is originally from Afghanistan,
but is currently living illegally in Pakistan due to the wars and poverty
that have plagued their home country. They are living in extreme poverty
and Arezo, 18, will soon go blind if she is not treated for her
degenerative eye disease. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was
originally approached by some friends of the Sahebzadah family who live in
Mississauga. This family would love to sponsor the Sahebzadahs, but are
not allowed to because they do not earn enough income. A "group of five
sponsorship", wherein five Canadian permanent residents or citizens who
earn $30,000 or more each become sponsors of the family, is the only way
that the Sahebzadahs can escape their misery by coming to Canada. They do
not have enough money or education to come as independent immigrants, nor
do they have any Canadian family who can sponsor them. Neither are they
eligible for refugee status; although they are victims of war and severe
poverty, the Canadian state only recognizes as refugees those who have
been directly or selectively persecuted. OCAP has successfully organized
group of five sponsorships in the past, and is looking to do so again. We
only need one more sponsor to complete the sponsorship.
Backgrounder on the Sahebzadah Family
Anisa and her 5 daughters are originally from Afghanistan. In 1999, with
the brutal Taliban ruling the country and the economy in shambles, the 6
of them and Anisa's husband fled to Pakistan. Not having citizenship, none
of the girls could go to school and it was illegal for anyone in the
family to work. They found shelter sometimes in hospital corridors and
other times with family friends. Ironically, they found themselves in a
worse situation than when they were living in Afghanistan. So, in July
2001, the whole family returned to Afghanistan. Tragically, the US and its
allies soon embarked on their bombing of Afghanistan. In October, a bomb
killed Anisa's husband in Jalalabad. In December 2001, widowed Anisa and
her daughters again fled to Pakistan in order to seek refuge from the war.
They have been living there illegally for approximately one year now,
again with no prospects for employment or education.
As well, the oldest daughter of the family, Arezo, has a degenerative eye
disease that will soon leave her blind if it is not treated. This eye
disease cannot be fixed with the technology that is available in Pakistan
even if the Sahebzadahs did have the money to do so; Arezo's only hope is
to come to a Western country with high-tech medical equipment. The family
is in desperate need and is pleading for help.
If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen earning $30,000 or
more annually, and live in the Toronto area (sponsors must live in the
same community that the family wishes to live in), then you could be the
last needed sponsor of this family. The sponsorship commitment normally
lasts for a year after the family gets to Canada, during which time they
can't receive welfare. Members of the Afghani community have already
committed to assisting Anisa and her children to settle in Canada. As
noted above, OCAP has successfully organized such sponsorships in the
past.
If you want more information about becoming involved in the sponsorship,
please leave a message for Brad at the OCAP office (416-925-6939), or send
an e-mail to bwsaunders@yahoo.com as soon as possible.
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
517 College Street, Suite 234 Toronto, Ontario M5G 4A2
416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca
Anisa Sahebzadah, 47, and her 5 daughters (Arezo, Dounya, Malalay, Dalia,
and Negeena; ages 9-18) urgently need help and are seeking sponsors to
help them immigrate to Canada. The family is originally from Afghanistan,
but is currently living illegally in Pakistan due to the wars and poverty
that have plagued their home country. They are living in extreme poverty
and Arezo, 18, will soon go blind if she is not treated for her
degenerative eye disease. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was
originally approached by some friends of the Sahebzadah family who live in
Mississauga. This family would love to sponsor the Sahebzadahs, but are
not allowed to because they do not earn enough income. A "group of five
sponsorship", wherein five Canadian permanent residents or citizens who
earn $30,000 or more each become sponsors of the family, is the only way
that the Sahebzadahs can escape their misery by coming to Canada. They do
not have enough money or education to come as independent immigrants, nor
do they have any Canadian family who can sponsor them. Neither are they
eligible for refugee status; although they are victims of war and severe
poverty, the Canadian state only recognizes as refugees those who have
been directly or selectively persecuted. OCAP has successfully organized
group of five sponsorships in the past, and is looking to do so again. We
only need one more sponsor to complete the sponsorship.
Backgrounder on the Sahebzadah Family
Anisa and her 5 daughters are originally from Afghanistan. In 1999, with
the brutal Taliban ruling the country and the economy in shambles, the 6
of them and Anisa's husband fled to Pakistan. Not having citizenship, none
of the girls could go to school and it was illegal for anyone in the
family to work. They found shelter sometimes in hospital corridors and
other times with family friends. Ironically, they found themselves in a
worse situation than when they were living in Afghanistan. So, in July
2001, the whole family returned to Afghanistan. Tragically, the US and its
allies soon embarked on their bombing of Afghanistan. In October, a bomb
killed Anisa's husband in Jalalabad. In December 2001, widowed Anisa and
her daughters again fled to Pakistan in order to seek refuge from the war.
They have been living there illegally for approximately one year now,
again with no prospects for employment or education.
As well, the oldest daughter of the family, Arezo, has a degenerative eye
disease that will soon leave her blind if it is not treated. This eye
disease cannot be fixed with the technology that is available in Pakistan
even if the Sahebzadahs did have the money to do so; Arezo's only hope is
to come to a Western country with high-tech medical equipment. The family
is in desperate need and is pleading for help.
If you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen earning $30,000 or
more annually, and live in the Toronto area (sponsors must live in the
same community that the family wishes to live in), then you could be the
last needed sponsor of this family. The sponsorship commitment normally
lasts for a year after the family gets to Canada, during which time they
can't receive welfare. Members of the Afghani community have already
committed to assisting Anisa and her children to settle in Canada. As
noted above, OCAP has successfully organized such sponsorships in the
past.
If you want more information about becoming involved in the sponsorship,
please leave a message for Brad at the OCAP office (416-925-6939), or send
an e-mail to bwsaunders@yahoo.com as soon as possible.
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
517 College Street, Suite 234 Toronto, Ontario M5G 4A2
416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca
- By Rich