Peace
Torch Foundation
(De Solay Daywa)
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(De Solay Daywa) |
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'Torch Of Peace'ABC7 Salutes
Feb. 21 — Afghanistan's winters are notoriously harsh. This winter alone, 78 children have reportedly frozen to death. One South Bay group is trying to help the Afghan people stay warm, and in return, it's gotten an avalanche of support.
Sophia Omar smiles when customers come to her cafe in Palo Alto. But in her heart, she feels the sadness everyday, the sadness that has plagued her since she visited Afghanistan — her homeland — last November. While she and a friend were bundled up in freezing weather she saw children without shoes, little girls without coats. Sophia Omar, De Solay Daywa Club: "I call it a naked nation. I saw men, women, children … they're almost naked. They don't have anything." Omar is founder of the non-profit group De Solay Daywa. It means 'torch of peace' in Persian. With help from the Hayward Rotary Club, six months ago, De Solay Daywa started a clothing drive for the people of Afghanistan. The donations have been pouring in, the boxes piling up in a room behind her cafe. Mittens, hats, sweaters and blankets for children and backpacks, and toys — even laptop computers. These will go to a vocational school for girls in Afghanistan. Sophia Omar, De Solay Daywa Club: "When we went to Afghanistan, there were 40 students, they had one broken typewriter. One of those manual typewriters from the 60 or 70's." Maurene Viele brought tiny mittens to give away. Maurene Viele, Palo Alto resident: "I've been keeping my eye out for a good cause to give them to and when I saw the ad in the newspaper about the drive for the Afghan refugees, I went 'this is what I've been making them for.'" Omar and her friends say even the tiniest donation can save a life. Fatima Hotaki, De Solay Daywa Club: "We give one hat to the kids, they appreciate it. They take it, they say thank you. It's going to help a lot." Fatima Hotaki and Zohra Keshawarz grew up in a very different Afghanistan, before the Taliban. This a picture of their high school girls' basketball team, in uniform in the 1970's. They also skied, wore short skirts… Today, many Afghan women are still wearing the Burqa, too afraid to show their faces, let alone their legs. Zohra Keshawarz, De Solay Dayw: "We want all the children, like when we were growing up, to have the same things we had. I hope we can help them." They are helping, not by a drop at a time, but by truckloads. De Solay Daywa has collected so many items it has to store them in a warehouse in Fremont. In just six months, the group has collected at least 70 tons of goods, everything from computers to clothing to food. The group Assist International is donating an ambulance and 25 fully-equipped hospital beds. De Solay Daywa plans to turn an abandoned hospital in Kabul into a clinic. It's still working on a way to get all the supplies to Afghanistan — quite a journey for a clothing drive with humble beginnings. Sophia Omar, De Solay Daywa Club: "The first thing that came to mind was to put an ad in the paper. In three days, I can't believe how much stuff I got from people, how much support I got on this one." And so ABC7 Salutes Sophia Omar and her group De Solay Daywa for their tireless efforts to help the Afghan people. If you would like more information on the group, visit the De Solay Daywa Web site. |
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Send mail to Dwayne Brown webmaster(at)daywa(dot)org with
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