In the Spotlight: A Life at Risk

Name changed for safety. Farid’s youngest daughters pictured above.

In August 2021, as Kabul fell to the Taliban, Farid stood at the airport gate with his wife and five young children—four daughters and one son—desperately trying to reach safety. Around them: hundreds of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee, pushing toward the gates, pleading for safety.

In the madness, Farid dropped a folder with critical documents. He stepped away—just for a moment—to retrieve them. In that moment, the crowd surged. His wife and children were swept forward. The American guards at the gate let his wife and children through. They were evacuated to the United States. Farid was  left behind.

Despite years of dedicated service to the U.S. Embassy and risking his life alongside American troops, Farid was left behind. Since that day, he has lived in hiding, separated from his loved ones, and waiting—now nearly four years—for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) interview that never comes.

With the U.S. Embassy in Kabul closed indefinitely, Afghan SIV applicants like Farid must travel to a third country—often with no visa access, no support network, and no safe pathway—to complete their interviews and finalize the immigration process. These routes are limited, dangerous, and prohibitively expensive. For families already living under threat, the cost of escape can feel like an impossible barrier.

Farid’s wife now works night shifts alone in the U.S., trying to support their children without him. He has missed birthdays, first days of school, and every precious moment in between. Though he has been approved for evacuation by the U.S. government, flights were halted, and the program is effectively being abandoned.

The SAFA Network is urgently raising $15,000 to cover Farid’s visa processing fees, travel, and temporary lodging in a safe third country—so he can finally complete the steps he’s waited years for and reunite with his family. Your support can help bring a father home—and offer hope and assistance to others like him still waiting in the shadows.