'They are hopeless': Saskatoon family desperate to bring sisters to Canada

(Stacey Hein/CTV News)

Two Saskatoon women are desperately trying to get their loved ones out of Afghanistan, as the Taliban continues to oppress women.

The Zahedi sisters, Homa and Setara, say their nights have been sleepless, constantly worrying for their mother and sisters in Afghanistan, who have lost many human rights including the right to education, the right to work, and the right to speak in public.

“In a simple way, they don't give any value to the women in Afghanistan. They face lots of difficulties, and everyday they put new rules for the girls in Afghanistan,” Setara Zahedi said in an interview with CTV News.

The Taliban, classified as a terrorist group by the Canadian Government, returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Setara Zahedi said since then, her sisters – ages 15, 21, and 25 – have felt hopeless. She said her oldest sister had to quit going to university, while her youngest sister only has her grade 6 education.

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She said her other sister is in Bangladesh for university and cannot return home because of the hostile situation.

Homa Zahedi said she tries to call her sisters everyday, encouraging them to stay strong and keep studying.

“It's very important for me, especially for the girls to have their future, their freedom, to have the rights to study, to work, to have a dream. But unfortunately, any time I am talking to them they are hopeless,” Homa told CTV News.

Homa and Setara’s worries were heighted after their father died, leaving the family without a breadwinner. Homa said her mother can’t financially support the family, because she’s not allowed to work. She said they also have two brothers, but they aren’t old enough to support the family.

Homa said she fears her family is a target of the Taliban, because she used to work with the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan.

Homa and Setara have organized a fundraising campaign through GoFundMe in hopes of raising enough money to give their family a new life in Canada.

“It's not easy for us, for my siblings, that we lost our father, but at least we can give them that opportunity that they can come here,” Setara said.

The family currently has raised a quarter of the funds needed.