Mahnaz Safi, 30, followed her intuitions and decided to travel back to her native country. Once there, she gives money to people she meets on the street. She donates it herself, and as a result, she hears stories about what Afghans in need are going through. Since last August, everything has changed within an instant. Women and young girls in Afghanistan suddenly lose their right to a good education. Dozens of people have been attacked, and the Afghans are once again living in fear and hunger. Mahnaz took a chance and flew to Turkey to help the Afghan refugees there. It becomes a beautiful story of how she keeps up her rescue efforts.
Mahnaz was born and raised in the United States. Her parents fled Afghanistan when war broke out with the Soviet Union (now Russia). 'I never traveled overseas, but I often imagined about what life was like outside my own bubble,' Mahnaz said. Mahnaz traveled to Turkey at one point, where she met dozens of Afghan refugees. At the time, all of these refugees had just arrived in Turkey to flee the Taliban. Mahnaz began collecting stories here as well. Since August of last year, everything has changed in an instant. Women and girls were denied the right to an education. Furthermore, women are now required to wear a burqa, which was previously not the case. The Taliban plundered complete power and changed the lives of millions of people. 'I wanted to do something for my motherland.'
Donations
'At first, I wanted to donate money and contribute from home, but sending money from the United States quickly proved impossible,' Mahnaz explained. When the donation did not go through, Mahnaz decided to take the matters into her own hands. 'I decided to follow my heart and went to Afghanistan by myself'. Mahnaz thought up a solution to help the people personally. She started a GoFundMe page where people could donate money. Mahnaz then gives the money directly to strangers she meets on the street.
'At first, I was afraid because I was traveling alone as an American woman. With that, I heard horrible news stories. These were stories about the takeover of Afghanistan. My mother would not let me go because of this. Nonetheless, my feelings remained strong, and so I informed my mother that she never went back to her homeland'. As a result, Mahnaz has never visited her motherland, so this would be her first time to visit. 'I trusted my intuitions and was willing to take that risk for the sake of my country and people'. Mahnaz posted a donation request on her social media channels. She set up a GoFundMe page where people could donate. The video quickly went viral, and many people offered to donate money. This empowered Mahnaz to help multiple people at the same time.
Mahnaz helps random people she meets on the street. Consider children who sell goods or snacks. Most children who work as street vendors do not attend school because they cannot afford it. They hope to earn enough money to live by selling goods or snacks. With this, most children are the breadwinners at home. Mahnaz also donates money to people who are sick. She posts videos on the TikTok app in which she shows how she helps people in need. She grants them the opportunity to speak so that we, as her followers, can hear and comprehend their stories. We also learn more about what is going on in Afghanistan.
Mahnaz helps people in a variety of ways. According to her social media, she occasionally treats children to dinner. In doing so, she introduces children to something they could fantasise about. Sometimes, Mahnaz buys products that are desperately needed for the children she meets. For example, during the cold winter days, Mahnaz helped a young girl who was wearing damaged shoes. The girl was crying because it was freezing outside. Mahnaz bought that girl a new pair of shoes and helped many other children. Of course, Mahnaz only does this with the consent of their legal guardians.
Rescued by Taliban
Mahnaz is now well-known in and around Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. The words are spreading like wildfire. 'I went live on Instagram when I was on my way to my hotel. I'd just left a restaurant and was surrounded by beggars and other people who knew who I was. They knew me as the donation girl. Everyone knew that I was the one who occasionally distributed cash, and 99% of people living in this area experience poorness. I was surrounded, and a massive group had gathered around me. I needed to get to my hotel, but I didn't want anyone knowing where I was residing. I took a taxi and told the driver to take me away from here. I had an unpleasant feeling because it was late in the evening. I abruptly became aware of another vehicle following us. We pulled over at a gas station, and then I noticed a couple of guys following me.'
'Fifteen minutes later, I was being followed by another car. That's when I got absolutely terrified, because I was carrying a lot of money. I went to a checkpoint where everyone who passed by was questioned. I knew nothing about the Taliban or whether they knew who I was', Mahnaz stated. The Taliban were stationed at the checkpoint. 'You're safe here,' one of them assured her. 'I began to tremble with fear, because I assumed that it was their plan'. They could also rob me; anything is possible. I've heard awful stories about what the Taliban has done', Mahnaz clarified. 'Listen, sister, let's go for a drive and see if they're still following you,' the Taliban person said. He got into the car Mahnaz was in. 'Fortunately, I was still on the livestream, so if anything happened, there would be plenty of witnesses. We resumed our ride, and the followers kept going. How did they have the courage to do what they did? How did they not fear the Taliban? I even assumed they were planning something together, which made me feel anxious. I kept questioning whether they were official and if they truly wanted to protect me', Mahnaz stated. 'I'm here to protect you. My duty is to keep our people safe', said the Taliban operative. 'I thanked him because I wanted those followers to leave. I had a lot of money in my pocket, and anything was possible. In the end, he proved to be of great assistance to me. As a result, it wasn't a trap'.
'At one point, we pulled into a parking lot, and the Taliban man got out. Those followers continued, of course, so they were also in the area. The man jumped out of the car and punched the followers. One of the followers attempted to steal from me but that was completely unsuccesful. They drove away and gave me another terrifying look, but that's how the Taliban saved me. 'I thanked him, and he kept saying that it was his duty to protect his people,' Mahnaz said. The Taliban man walked away. 'It is indeed mind-blowing,' Mahnaz said. 'The taxi driver insisted that we were fortunate to be at the checkpoint'. He also told Mahnaz that she had put her life in danger. 'You have a lot of money in your pocket and you walk around at midnight like this', the taxi driver said, adding that 'this is one of the most dangerous places in the city'. Mahnaz returned to her hotel, and, as unbelievable as it may sound, the Taliban saved her today.
Life in Afghanistan
'Thanks to all the sponsors, we have a big project coming up', Mahnaz said. For Mahnaz, it is essential to change the future of the youth in this Afghanistan. 'We're also in the process of setting up an orphanage'. Furthermore, Mahnaz has been in Afghanistan for three months, attempting to help as many people as possible. She is also very busy outside of Kabul. 'When I first arrived in Afghanistan, I went to Mazar-i-Sharif '. Mahnaz has also been busy assisting others there. 'I am well known now. I try to keep a low profile and frequently surprise the people I help'. Mahnaz accomplishes this by visiting smaller villages where she is unknown.
Mahnaz is currently residing in a hotel in Kabul. 'I'm not doing this alone, anymore; I've assembled a team. This team works with the same goal in mind, and I pay them on a monthly basis. We are working on a number of projects and intend to open an orphanage soon. My day also consists of getting up early and leaving at 7 a.m. After that, I won't be done until midnight'.
‘
