Ahmed’s Path to Freedom

Product Description

Canada

URGENT: Help Ahmed Escape Syria Before It’s Too Late

Ahmed (name changed for safety) is running out of time.

Every second he remains in Syria, his life is in danger. A young gay man who is Kurdish living in Syria, Ahmed faces triple the danger: persecution for his sexuality, violence for his ethnicity, and the constant risk of being mistaken for, then forcibly conscripted or executed, as a “militant.” If he doesn’t escape soon, he may never escape.

This Is a Life-or-Death Emergency

* Snipers and drones target young men like Ahmed daily. He’s now too terrified to leave his home after dark, even to attend classes.

* With the Assad regime’s collapse, Syria is a powder keg. A new wave of violence could erupt any day, trapping Ahmed indefinitely or worse.

* LGBTQ+ people in Syria face torture, imprisonment, or execution. Ahmed has already tried to flee once and failed. He may not survive another attempt without help.

We Have Days, Not Weeks, to Act

There’s a brief window to get Ahmed out before borders close or fighting escalates. He needs: Emergency visa fees (before applications freeze) Smugglers’ payments (to avoid checkpoints where men are abducted) Safe passage to a country that protects LGBTQ+ refugees

Ahmed’s Plea: “I Just Want to Live”

“I dream about a life where I can wake up and have a job to get ready for. Have breakfast in a safe home and wear what I want to without being a target. I would love to have peace and safety, and meet other men like me. I have no true friends here in Syria that know the real me. I have to hide my real feelings.

I am trying so hard to keep hope but I don’t know how much longer I can survive. They [militias] are taking us. They are forcing us to fight their war when we don’t believe in fighting. They are stopping us when we are on the road, they take us away in buses and we don’t know where. I only want to get out. Somewhere, anywhere, just far away from here so I can be safe.” — Ahmed

I first met Ahmed through my work as an English tutor, and over the years, we’ve built a bond that goes far beyond lessons. I’ve seen him work tirelessly to build a future for himself, even amidst unimaginable challenges. Against all odds, he became the first in his family to attend university.

Ahmed has grown up in the chaos of war – bombings, food shortages, earthquakes, fuel crises, and poverty. Ahmed and his family struggle to survive, with limited access to basic necessities like water and electricity.

The uncertainty of their future is unbearable – they never know when the country’s next power shift might leave them homeless, or worse. Ahmed once told me, “I never asked to be born here. I don’t have the mentality to fight. I only dream of a life where I can be myself, and be safe and have a good life. But instead, I live every day in fear, wondering if it might be my last.”

You Can Be His Lifeline

$25,000 will cover Ahmed’s escape route. If 250 people give $100, he’s free. If you can’t give, please share – this campaign must reach its goal as soon as possible.

Donate or share now. Every hour counts.

Please help us save Ahmed. Your support could give him the opportunity to escape to safety and start a new chapter one filled with hope, freedom, and the chance to thrive.

With gratitude,

Joe H.

Hello generous ,

I am reaching out with good news and bad news about our fundraising efforts to rescue our friend Ahmed.

I will start with the bad news: we are running out of time to meet our fundraising goal, and help Ahmed out of Syria safely and legally. We’re extremely concerned that if we don’t move now and fast, it will be too late. Ahmed has been accepted to a university in a safe, LGBTQ+ friendly country, and we only have until the end of June to raise the funds for him to qualify for a study visa. This is the best opportunity he’s had in years to exit Syria safely and completely legally, and the only thing that’s missing right now is funding. So please, help us save our dear friend’s life. You can help by sharing Ahmed’s story and the link to our fundraiser as much as possible: http://chuffed.org/project/119042-save-ahmed

Now the good news. We have chosen a place, date, and time for our contest draw! Patricia Killawee will be drawing a winner for a year of free English lessons LIVE on facebook on Wednesday, June 18 at 2 pm EDT.

Thank you for your support. We appreciate each and every one of you so much!

With gratitude,

Patricia K

We are on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @ahmedspathtofreedom

We are excited to share that Ahmed has been accepted to a university! With admissions deposit deadlines approaching, and the visa application process ahead, we are looking to meet our fundraising goal by the end of June.

To help promote our campaign, we are currently offering a PERK that gives donors a chance to win free English lessons for a year! For every donation of $50 (Canadian dollars) between now and June 15, 2025, donors will be entered for a chance to win 50 English lessons with a teacher who has 15 years’ teaching experience. This is a value of $2500 (Canadian dollars)!

Please consider donating, and share the link to our campaign page as much as possible.

If you have already donated, we thank you sincerely from the bottom of our hearts, and ask that you continue to help us by sharing our campaign with as many of your contacts, and as often, as possible.

Thank you for your support, and let’s get Ahmed to safety!

– Patricia

Garrison Brewing Company

5 weeks ago

– Offline donation

$86

Anonymous

5 weeks ago

– Offline donation

$10

Tory Star

5 weeks ago

$26

Anonymous

5 weeks ago

– Offline donation

$20

Heather Nunn

6 weeks ago

$10

Sally Janes

6 weeks ago

$50

Anonymous

6 weeks ago

$10

Angela Hiltz

6 weeks ago

$50

Anonymous

6 weeks ago

– Offline donation

$20

Anonymous

6 weeks ago

– Offline donation

$20

Scott Deal

6 weeks ago

$20

Janet Killawee

6 weeks ago

$50

Paula Fisher

6 weeks ago

$25

Scot Klingmann

7 weeks ago

$25

Carter Burke

7 weeks ago

$6

Jackie Nguyen

7 weeks ago

$20

Andrew Killawee

7 weeks ago

$50

Markus Finster

8 weeks ago

$100

Tansy Rudnicki

8 weeks ago

$50

Lillan Østensen