Chaos broke out. Businesses shut down, and food and supplies ran low. Many people tried to flee the country, including Maryam’s grandmother. Relatives took her to the Kabul airport several times, but she—and thousands of others—were turned away. On August 26, the airport was bombed just two hours after Maryam’s grandmother left it. Thirteen U.S. soldiers and at least 170 Afghans were killed.
Maryam became determined to help the people of Afghanistan. With friends from school, she organized two bake sales in her neighborhood. The kids sold hundreds of treats, including traditional Afghan cookies called kulcha khatai that Maryam and her mom baked. The bake sales raised almost $6,000.
Maryam gave some of the money to a group that’s assisting Afghan refugees in the U.S. Other funds went to UNICEF, an organization that is providing food, medicine, and supplies to people in Afghanistan.
“I’m hoping it’s making a difference in people’s lives,” Maryam says.