Daud was 10 when I first met him in 1984. Just arriving as a refugee from Afghanistan he was put to work by his father to earn a living from a small shop they had opened. There was not much in the shop but with the little they had they tried to support their family. Daud was a young ambitious boy, and whenever I visited him he wanted to practice English with me. We became well acquainted and during my time in Pakistan, I made constant visits to his little shop and got to know his family quite well. The last contact I had with Daud was in 1986.

During my recent travels to Pakistan and Afghanistan, I tried many times to locate Daud but could not find him. The night I returned from Kabul I was told that a young man was looking for me. Sure enough late that night Daud walked to the guesthouse. We looked at each other and gave an Afghan hug. Now he is twenty-six years old, looks healthy, and has five children. The next few hours we were catching up on our lives. Hearing Daud's story saddened my heart.

His father was beaten by robbers and was left in a coma. It cost all their savings to save his life. Due to poverty and stress his brother-in-law became mentally ill and left his home leaving five children and a wife. They lost their small shop, and Daud had to look for a job to support his family. He had younger brothers and sisters who he wanted to receive an education in order to better their lives. He began looking for jobs in other cities of Pakistan. He found a job carrying and crushing rocks, but almost lost his life due to an accident at the plant.

He is supporting 22 family members on this meager amount. "It is hard," he said, "I leave early morning and come back late at night. I would like to send the young ones to a better school, but I can't afford it. Medicines for my father and mother are costly. My brother is smart and loves to study the computer, but I can't afford one for him. My other siblings and my own children stand first in the refugee school, but there is no future for them without a better education somewhere else. This is our fate, what can I do?" Daud exclaimed with tears of desperation in his eyes.

As I left to return to the USA, I knew the aid I was able to provide through Operation Blessing was the only hope of survival for Daud and others. I pray that friends will read this true story.with open hearts to help these innocent people who are barely subsisting in a war-ravaged land.

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