More than 100 women attended a long table lunch on Friday at the Alida Restaurant to spread awareness and raise money to support people in Afghanistan affected by the ongoing crisis.
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The Promise for Afghanistan organised by eight local businesswomen, raised more than $50,000 for Mahboba's Promise, a not for profit organisation working in Afghanistan assisting 900 families in the Kabul region.
Rosevears Liberal MLC Jo Palmer was the event's emcee and said like many of the women who attended the lunch she watched the crisis in Afghanistan unfold as a sobering moment and a catalyst for action.
"We were faced with the most horrible images coming out of Afghanistan, scenes of absolute desperation," she said.
She said watching footage of people clinging to the outside of aeroplanes as they took off from Kabul Airport resonated deeply with her.
"You see each one of those people have a name and have a family and so many of them were children," she said.
"To say that we have been shocked and horrified by what our world has witnessed is certainly an understatement."
Afghan woman Asiyeh Heidari who moved from Afghanistan to Tasmania in 2014 said the support from the community had been beyond anything she expected.
"I'm just really proud and glad that the community can support and help my country and the woman and children in my country, it just makes me proud," she said.
She said watching the crisis unfold in her homeland and not being able to help her friends and family made her feel hopeless.
Ms Heidari said after being approached to speak at the event she called her family and friends back in Afghanistan and to share the message of support.
Director for @home Property Management Michelle Williams was one of the eight businesswomen who organised the event.
She said the community support behind the event was amazing.
"We have 100 guests which is pretty impressive and we sold out within a day and a half of advertising so the community really got behind that which is fantastic," she said.
Ms Williams said the generosity had overwhelmed organisers after the initial benchmark of $30,000 was exceed by $20,000.
She said with the obvious threat to women in the region the funds would go to helping women and girls most affected by the crisis.
"It's a women's event and we're targeting the most disadvantaged, which is girls and women who are the most vulnerable at the moment," she said. Ms Williams with donations still open on Eventbrite until 12 pm Saturday she hoped more donations would follow.
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