An Angle on Sydney By Zaheda Ghani Oct.-Dec. 1998 Lemar-Aftaab The Afghan population in Sydney is considerably smaller than other places such as the USA. As a result, it is mostly recently that activities and organizations are beginning to take life. I met with the Afghan Women's Charity Group (AWCG) and from the interview, I am bringing a small, yet informative aspect of Afghan "goings on" in Sydney. This is a one-of-a kind organization, the only to have survived these last two years. WHY AWCG? The reason for the birth of the AWCG was to remedy the helplessness the Sydney Afghans felt when they encountered the harsh realities of their people living in war torn Afghanistan. Constant news coverage of the ongoing suffering through the media, stories of those who had witnessed the war, and the occasional letters from loved ones made for an atmosphere of depression. Australian Afghans knew they wanted to help, but there was no means by which they could reach out to their fellow Afghans and to each other. Although aid agencies do operate within the country, many feel they needed hands-on involvement. This, mainly, is the reason the AWCG was born. Comprised of women, most of them housewives, the group is trying to patch the gap between the feeling of loss and anxiety. AIMS? In order to apply for a charity license, the AWCG was required to set out a list of objectives to be sent to the state government. Here is what they proposed: To raise money for all war victims (especially women and children) in Afghanistan. This includes funds to pay for food and shelter. To raise funds for medical supplies and equipment for the ill and disabled and other war victims suffering war injuries. As a third priority, the organization will concentrate on raising money for the establishment of special homes and shelters for the homeless, the orphans, and the disabled. As the organization grows, and progress has been made in the other areas, the organization aims to help raise the literacy rate in Afghanistan by funding schools with equipment such as textbooks, stationary, etc. As a spokeswoman from the group stated, these aims will only be carried out by means that will serve the Australian Afghan community as well as those over seas. This means that the AWCG will raise funds through activities that promote multicultural values and ideologies within Sydney. The AWCG accepts donations of clothing, household items, books and furniture from Afghan families. These families have so far have donated most generously for the cause. These materials are cleaned, organized and made marketable by members and volunteers at meetings held by the group. The items are then sold at different stalls in and around Sydney. This is just one method of fund raising employed by the group; other projects such as a series of training courses are in the pipeline. WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? The money which AWCG raises, is donated to special appeals set up by the International Red Cross. This ensures that the funds reach those in need. For example, when the earthquakes hit Afghanistan this year, money donated by the AWCG went straight to buying blankets so those who had lost everything, could survive the freezing winters. Of the $4000 the AWCG donated, $0.20 was used for each blanket. The rest of the money was spent on other ways of helping those in need. The group hopes to donate more and more as it grows in size and funds. However, as Rahima, the Coordinator mentioned, they still need more assistance in order to achieve their goals. [click on the images to enlarge photos] top page Donations can be made at The Commonwealth Bank to the account number: 226210081269 Phone: (02) 9896 1338 Fax: (02) 9631 8981 Address: PO BOX 50 Toongabbie NSW 2146 Sydney Australia email:awcg@hotmail.com Related Link(s): Interview with Dr. Zieba Shorish-Shamley by Khaleda Atta (Jan.-March 98) Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.