Book Description

In a recent Sydney Morning Herald cover story, Mahboba Rawi was featured as one of the 50 leading Australians who matter to the rest of the world. When you read MAHBOBA'S PROMISE you'll understand why. An Afghani refugee who found a new life in Australia only to lose her beloved son in a tragic drowning accident, today she is the driving force behind 'Mahboba's Promise', a groundbreaking aid organisation that delivers desperately needed food, shelter, medical attention, education - and hope - to hundreds of children and women whose lives have been destroyed by war in her native Afghanistan. This is the ultimate feel-good story of how one woman can make a difference, but it is also the story of an extraordinary woman's life. Forced to flee Kabul after leading student protests against the Russian invasion, Mahboba learned first-hand what it's like to be a refugee in Pakistan. How despite the best of intentions aid organisations are rarely able to deliver aid directly to the people who need it most - and by the time everyone has taken their cut there is little or nothing left to give. After the tragic death of her son and being ledt alone to bring up two children alone, Mahboba faced a crossroads. Instead of giving into grief she fought back, slowly piecing her life back together by helping other Afghani women, pioneering English classes and even a learn to swim program. But it was a letter from a young Afghani doctor begging for help to save refugee orphans dying on the streets of Kabul that changed her life - and thousands of others. She and her friends raised $120 that day. To prove they received the money, the young doctor sent back the children's fingerprints. That did it. Mahboba knew she had to do more. Soon she became 'mother' to 35 children, supporting them single-handedly through her own fundraising. Today she is mother to hundreds. The work of 'Mahboba's Promise' has already inspired thousands of ordinary Australians, initially through two stunning documentaries for the 7.30 Report and Australian Story, and it has even captured the attention of Oprah. With this book we will not only spread that message but help the cause - part of the royalties raised from sales will go towards the ongoing work of Mahboba's Promise. When some days the world seems to be heading to hell in a bucket, we need stories like this more than ever.