***NEW*** A New Opportunity to Support Refugees

In 2023, Little Trinity made the decision to put our Refugee Ministry on hiatus, having come through an intense few years of sponsoring and supporting refugees. Now, we have a new opportunity to join in this meaningful work, by co-sponsoring a named refugee case.

The family in question is the Akbar family, a couple and their adult son from Afghanistan who are currently living in Pakistan. The rest of their children have been safely living in Canada for some time, and are eager to be reunited with their parents and brother. The primary sponsor group is headed by their daughter Elhama Akbar. She writes this:

“Our mother, Fawzia Akbar, dedicated more than twenty years of her life to educating women and girls and advocating for women’s rights in Afghanistan. She worked tirelessly to provide literacy and educational opportunities to women who were often denied access to schooling and participation in public life.

Following the Taliban’s return to power, our mother’s work and advocacy placed her at serious risk. She received threats from Taliban-linked individuals, participated in peaceful demonstrations supporting women’s rights, and continued to help girls access education despite increasing restrictions. In November 2024, Taliban authorities raided our family home after discovering that she was teaching girls who had been banned from attending school. Educational materials were destroyed, our father was detained and beaten, and our mother was ordered to report for interrogation.

Fearing for their lives, our parents and our brother fled Afghanistan and are now living in Pakistan without legal status. They cannot work legally and face the constant risk of detention, deportation, and ongoing uncertainty while seeking a pathway to permanent safety.”

The family is raising $21,000 (in addition to their personal funds) to bring their parents and brother to Canada.

For us, being a co-sponsor means that our responsibility is limited: we hold the funds for the primary sponsor group, and they do the work of fundraising and caring for the family once they arrive. We are welcome to support this family if we like through prayer, giving, and practical support, but all our support in this way is optional. As this is our only refugee project at the moment, any money directed to “refugee ministry” at Little Trinity will go toward bringing the Akbar family to safety in Canada.

We will have an opportunity in the summer to meet Elhama and to hear her story firsthand. But for now, please hold the Akbar family in your prayers.

For more information please contact Karen Koiter at .