Finding hope, one stitch at a time

Sara* lives in Afghanistan with her family. Already disturbed by war and uncertainty in her day-to-day life, at the age of twenty she found herself responsible for her family. With a father struggling with addiction and brothers unable to work due to disability, Sara and her mother were expected to provide. This was only amplified as droughts kept them in a tight grip, with surrounding farmland unable to produce enough to provide for their region. Struggling to cope with it all, Sara had sought support from BMS’ local partner and was receiving medication and counselling.

Then, on 6 October 2023, an earthquake hit Herat province in western Afghanistan, and her life got infinitely more complicated.

The streets fell quiet. The only noise, people scrambling to find their loved ones, pleading that they would be safe. Grief of a life once known, now vanished, already bubbling to the surface. Once the quakes had finished, many like Sara found their houses destroyed. As livestock live in the downstairs of houses like Sara’s, when the shocks began to destroy homes, it meant many animals were lost. There were jobs lost too, basic necessities to live lost, livelihoods lost. A sense of home. Lost.

Living in a tent and already struggling to cope with her family’s challenges, and now with a destroyed house and no income, Sara found that her battles with her mental health began to get worse. Depression and feelings of overwhelm became Sara’s normal as she did what she could to support her family.

But when hope seemed all but extinguished, help came.

BMS-supported work through local partners and agencies kept going even after the devastation in Herat. Sara continued working with BMS’ partner, attending therapy sessions and meeting with a social worker who enrolled her on an embroidery training programme. She was taught basic skills such as tapestry and needlework which she honed, creating complex and beautiful works of art. Taking it day by day, the centre workers met with Sara, and gave her hope, counselling her for her mental health, giving her a monthly wage, and providing her with resources to help her family.

In 2025, a nation still struggling to rebuild experienced another earthquake, this time in eastern Afghanistan. Last month, Bruce Clark, BMS’ Relief Lead, visited Kunar Province, where the earthquakes hit hardest. He met with numerous survivors, including Nasrullah, who lost his nephew when their family home was partially flattened. In the terrifying moments and hours after quake, which struck just before midnight, Nasrullah said he thought there had been a rocket attack. “The kind of horror people must have felt…” reflects Bruce, “Pitch black… earthquake… family members dead, injured.”

Because of your support and willingness to help, BMS World Mission pledged an incredible £40,000 as part of the disaster recovery fund to help families like Nasrullah’s. This has led to BMS-supported projects being able to give emergency cash across multiple projects. The initiative reached 280 families and helped some of the most vulnerable survivors, such as widows, the elderly and children who had lost their parents across the most affected areas.

“Some families might need blankets, some families might need cooking pots, some may need hygiene products for the girls,” explains BMS worker Reeta*, who leads on project development for BMS’ partner. In this instances, giving cash is the best way to help, reaching people with vital support when individual needs vary. By giving cash-in-hand, your generosity went further still. As many families tend to live together under one roof in Afghanistan, the money given to one family would get shared with those they were living with.

From cash for vulnerable families to ongoing psychological support, you’ve stood alongside survivors of two appalling tragedies. You’ve demonstrated that hope is possible, and through their own resilience and skill, so have survivors like Sara.

Over her time on the embroidery project, Sara developed her skills, and found that she loved working on the needlepoint she’d been taught. Practicing for up to four to five hours a day, she found that her embroidery got quicker. The project also ensured that she was given the revenue and ability to earn money through her needlepoint work. Sara now can earn money in safe ways to help support her family and feels seen and known.

Thank you. The support you gave from the disaster recovery fund and from longer term projects like the needlework programme has allowed BMS’ partner to help those affected by the earthquakes in Afghanistan, whether in Herat or Kunar, and has brought hope in hopeless situations.

*Names have been changed for the safety of those involved.