This year, we've hosted and been part of several events celebrating the richness of Afghan culture:

Afghanaid's Cultural Festival with Elaha Soroor

This summer, we hosted our first-ever Afghan cultural festival alongside a host of talented Afghan creatives, and were blown away by the positive response! Featuring an incredible lineup of music and speeches from Afghan creatives and activists, the event got our attendees' feet moving, stomach rumbling, and brain whirring. 

With mouth-watering Afghan-BBQ street food from the 2LadsKitchen, charity merchandise from our online shop, outstanding performances from artists Elaha Soroor, Kaveh Bahrami and Farhot, and thought-provoking speeches from Dr. Homira Rezai and Sahar Fetrat, the evening was a glorious celebration of Afghanistan, all whilst raising money to support our life-saving and life-changing work.

Experience a glimpse of what our event entailed by watching our TikTok of the evening!

  

Fly with Me alongside Good Chance Theatre

In a mark of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan one year on since the Taliban takeover, thousands of people across the UK and Europe took to the skies to fly a kite, as part of Good Chance Theatre's 'Fly With Me' event, for which we were the charity partner. 

Kite-flying is more than just a past-time for the people of Afghanistan. As master kite-maker Sanjar Qiam, an Afghan refugee based in the UK, explains, “kite-flying is one of the world’s earliest art forms – there are depictions of kites in cave paintings in Indonesia which are 40,000 years old...In Afghanistan, kites occupy a unique space between national art form and national sport."

Previously banned by the Taliban when they were first in power, kite flying and kite fighting have remained a distinctive element of Afghan culture, making it the perfect act of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, as they face one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The event also shone a light on the treatment of Afghan refugees in many parts of the world, highlighting how more must be done to care for those fleeing conflict, hunger and insecurity. Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, co-artistic directors of Good Chance Theatre, said: “Kites remain attached to the ground through a single thread but fly free of the borders that define the land...Looked at collectively, on the stage of the sky, kites represent togetherness, our difference, and our shared humanity."

We were present at both the London and Manchester Fly With Me events, and were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support for Afghanistan on display. Thank you to all who lifted their kites in the sky. 

Want to be the first to know when we hold more events?

Sign up to our newsletter and we’ll send stories from the people we support, updates about our work, and info on our next cultural events straight into your inbox!

Eager to learn more about Afghan culture from the comfort of your home? Why not explore our Afghan culture page?