War is a very scary thing. People are hurt, killed sometimes, and communities are destroyed. Here is a story about some friends of mine who escaped war in their own country by fleeing as refugees to another country. Fortunately, they found out that even in a foreign land they could find help.

Ajmal in Pakistan

Ajmal (Aj-mal) is 14 years old. He lives in a refugee camp in Quetta, Pakistan, a short distance from the Afghanistan border. He, his mother, four brothers, and two sisters are from Afghanistan. Ajmal is a very bright boy who loves to study. But because he is the oldest child, he has had to work as a carpet weaver to help support his family since fleeing his homeland.

“We did not have the freedom to live as we would like in our country because of war. After my father and my uncle were killed, my family and I were forced to come here. We had to start our life all over again,” says Ajmal.

Ajmal goes to night school for an hour after he’s worked a twelve-hour day, but he is very tired. Because of lost class time due to the war, Ajmal is only in the third grade. But even that one hour is precious to him. “One day, I want to be a doctor,” he says confidently.

Church World Service is helping children like Ajmal to get an education and stay healthy by providing CWS School Kits and Hygiene Kits to Afghan refugee boys and girls in Pakistan. Knowing that people in other parts of the world care enough to help makes life easier and gives Ajmal and his family hope — umeed (ooh-mead) is the word for hope in their language. CWS has also helped Ajmal’s mother by providing her and women like her with materials to create quilts. The quilts are then given to other refugee families in need. In this way Ajmal and his family are piecing together a new life step-by-step as they await the day when they can return home.

Did you know that giraffes have one of the largest hearts in the animal kingdom? A lot of big-hearted people in our country have gotten together to help families like Ajmal's with CWS School and Hygiene Kits. Want to lend a hand?