Update from Kabul

It’s been a week since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. And it’s been a week full of panic, fear, tears and uncertainty.

If you haven’t yet watched our Founder & CEO, Marina Legree’s, interview on CNN this morning then we encourage you to do so. During the interview she explains the struggle of the girls’ attempts to get to safety at Kabul Airport: people ‘can’t get in the gates, and they are dying in their attempts’. You can find the interview on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts.

We did have some good news this week, and many of you know this already, our Norwegian country manager Kaisa managed to get out safely and is now at home with her family. We didn’t share this sooner as we want to give her a chance to recover from the ordeal it has been and we ask that everyone respects this. She is safe and unharmed and we are eternally grateful for the support she’s given to the girls, and continues to give. If you would like to get in touch with Kaisa please contact Ascend via our official channels.

The struggle continues and we will continue to fight to get the girls out of Afghanistan and as always we need your help:

1. Spread awareness and lobby your local representatives. We need civil action and political will to get our girls out.

2. Donate to Ascend (https://fundrazr.com/81oSy1?ref=ab_eABog7). Donations will go directly to helping Ascend-affiliated girls and their families leave Afghanistan. This involves paying for visas, plane tickets, and travel expenses, and local currency in cash for wherever they land.