Adopt-A-Minefield Launches Farah Appeal In Honor Of New AAM Youth Ambassador Farah Ahmedi

Adopt-A-Minefield Launches Farah Appeal In Honor Of New AAM Youth Ambassador Farah Ahmedi

Adopt-A-Minefield has launched The Farah Appeal, a campaign to raise mine action funds in honor of newly-named AAM Youth Ambassador Farah Ahmedi.   Farah, who lost her leg to a landmine ten years ago, recently won ‘The Story of My Life’ competition, sponsored by ABC’s Good Morning America and Simon & Schuster.

After winning the competition, Farah met with First Lady Laura Bush at the White House on May 5^th, to discuss her experiences as a landmine survivor.  At the White House, Farah was accompanied by AAM Board Chair Ambassador Nancy Rubin and AAM Executive Director Nahela Hadi as well as representatives from Simon and Shuster and “The Story of My Life.”

Learn More About The Farah Appeal

Following Farah’s appearance on Good Morning America in late April, where she learned that her autobiography was to be published, she visited the UNA-USA New York office and met with the AAM staff before beginning her busy book tour. She spoke with us about her personal story, from stepping on a landmine at the age of seven to the present excitement surrounding the contest she has just won. Farah expressed a desire to use the opportunity she is now being given to help rid the world of landmines. She will be speaking about her experiences in several cities across America, and she will encourage people to join AAM’s efforts. In honor of Farah’s new role, Adopt-A-Minefield is launching a special appeal to raise funds to clear a minefield in Afghanistan in her name.

Farah’s journey began in Afghanistan when she was seven years old. She stepped on a landmine while walking to school, and the local hospital could offer nothing in terms of aid. By the time a humanitarian group transported her to Germany, her legs were beyond repair: one was amputated below the knee, and the other remains rigid to this day. After two years in Germany, Farah returned to Afghanistan, where she found a changed nation. Her brothers fled the country to escape conscription by the Taliban and were never heard from again. A bomb landed on her family’s home, killing her father and sisters. Without the protection of a male family member, Farah and her sick mother escaped to Pakistan, where they lived alternately in refugee camps and slave-like conditions for four years. After gaining passage to America, Farah and her increasingly ill mother met their volunteer “mentor” Alyce Litz, who rallied her church and home community of Wheaton, Illinois. She helped Farah and her mother make a home, and has been instrumental in helping build a future for a remarkable young girl who is now being recruited by universities such as Harvard and Yale.

In her role as AAM Youth Ambassador, Farah will act as a spokesperson for That Landmine Thing—AAM’s and Landmine Survivors Network (LSN)’s joint student fundraising campaign. A 17-year-old high school student herself, Farah brings home to students living in the United States the reality of landmines for youth around the world. We are very excited that Farah has joined the team as our Youth Ambassador and we’ll be sending you more info about her in the autumn editions of the Deminer and the That Landmine Thing 2005/2006 newsletter.

For more information on Farah’s autobiography, please visit www.simonsays.com.

Read The AAM Press Release

Read the ABC Press Release

Read An Excerpt From Farah's Book