My heart aches with Afghanistan. It’s one of my favorite countries in the world and I’m devastated by what’s been happening. Many of you have been asking about Noor — my beloved Afghan friend and tour guide. I spent every moment of 4 weeks traveling around Afghanistan with him by my side — he’s one of the most sincere and down-to-earth people I’ve ever met, who has a passion for sharing the beauty of his country.

I’ve stayed silent to protect Noor’s safety, but now I’m so happy to break the news that he and his family have arrived safely in Melbourne, Australia! They managed to get on one of the final evacuation military airplanes out of Kabul. I was able to catch up with Noor via zoom yesterday, and he shared the harrowing details of escaping Kabul at the last second. Here is our full conversation.

ORGANIZATIONS TO DONATE TO:

If you’d like to donate to help those in Afghanistan, please see the following 2 links. If you aren’t able to donate, don’t worry because just by watching this video you are helping — all proceeds will be sent to both fundraisers.

1. https://fundly.com/support-afghan-guides-and-fixers-1

This was started by my friend Matt with an attempt to get all Afghan tour guides, fixers and drivers to safety (Noor’s colleagues). All funds will support transportation, resettlement, and general humanitarian needs for those displaced or trying to leave the country.

2. https://www.stimulus.app/campaigns/afghan-women-in-danger/

This was started by my friend and fellow traveler Omid. It’s urgent aid for Afghan women refugees. They have partnered with “Women For Afghan Women” to identify refugees who have recently landed in the US. All donations go directly to these women and families. They provide cash grants starting at $300 per person to help with their transition.

Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you on Sunday with the next episode from Mauritania.