Solace for the Children

It’s incredible they were never caught. They would seek huge donations from churches, separate children from their parents in war torn countries, use volunteer surgeons to work on random issues, then have “host families” sign contracts that Solace for Children wasn’t liable if they kept the child. They raked in tons of cash and trafficked many children into the USA away from their biological parents. Any “foster” or adopting parent who obtained a trafficked child from this organization should turn themselves in before they are found out the hard way.

Solace for the children is an amazing organization with an amazing team of people that work together to bring hope to children and their families. ❤️

Wonderful organization with a unique and significantly important mission- they truely strive to build peace on a foundation of health. I was involved with Solace as a benificiary and then volunteer, upon completion of my treatment. Treatment was only one aspect of it, I also got to experience living with a kind and supportive family who I learned a lot from. I would always admire how solace has affected my life and will always be there to support their vision.

The best support and medical and humanitarian center for the needy and injured children. Thanks Solace

My family served as host family for a child from Afghanistan that needed surgery. This was an absolute joy to get to know this sweet girl. We were blessed more than we could ever help her. We loved getting to know the culture of these children and loved watching them thrive in this environment. We were blessed and enjoyed every minute with our host child and had a ball making new friends with the other Solace families. It truly becomes a family working together to bring peace through the foundation of health.

My Life in Solace____________________________________
I was first introduced to Solace for the Children Organization in 2009 by my uncle. He gave the address of Solace in Kabul. Dad and I came to Kabul for the registration. We gave them all the information about my illness which was needed. After that they told us, we are going send this application to the United States of America and we will call you about it.
Two months letter they called and said “Ashrafullah has been accepted to go to the USA for medical treatment.” Well I went to the USA Jacksonville Florida in 2010 in 28th of May first time. I met Dr. Loveless, who was my orthopedic doctor. He checked my leg and said “I will meet him next year. His surgery will take some time.”
I came back to Afghanistan and wanted started school again. I figured out that I was dropped, so I start 6th grade from the beginning for the second time.
Well in March 2011 I went back to the USA and had my very first surgery that year, and it took four months. After that I had another surgery which also took four months too. I went to hospital and the doctor told me “You can go now back to your country, and you are going to come again to see the result of the operations.” This time I stayed for 11 months and after all those surgeries I returned back.
When I came to Afghanistan, I was dropped again in school. I also could not make to go to school that year, because I had pain in my left leg. The school was an hour far from our home.
Well in 2012 I went to the USA for the third time, in order to see how I have changed. The result was positive. The doctor said “I want to see him again to do one more surgery on his left foot to be straight.”
Before I back to the USA, in school they gave my promise and said “We will not drop you again and you can start from where you lift.” But the broke their promise. I was dropped for the third time, so for three years I had not study.
In 2013 Omar Ehrari call to my dad’s cell phone and I talked with him. He told “Do you want to study here Kabul?” I was very glad when say that. Bay the way I agreed and came to Peace House. Fortunately start my lessons in a private school. Now I am so proud to be given the chance to study here in Kabul. I learned a lot here in Peace House.
Except studying in Peace House I am also a volunteer for three years. I am helping other students of Peace House with their lessons especially with English. I had Cloths Drive to help the poor people with warm cloths, which lives in tents. Blood Drive and gave my blood and flowers and fruits. I had school drive and distribute school supplies for the students and some tents to study in it.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was involved with the Peace Corps program in Afghanistan. In those days not many Americans had heard of the country, its people or its customs. How pleased I was to learn several years ago that my daughter and her family were serving as a host family for the organization, Solace for the Children (Solace)! It is through their participation in this program that I learned first-hand of the many dedicated doctors who perform, without compensation, life-altering, and in many cases, life-saving procedures on Afghan children every summer. Hospitals have provided operating rooms, ICU units and nursing staff free of charge. Families have opened up their hearts and homes for six weeks, and in some cases for many months, to these children as they prepare for and recover from their medical treatment. But, it is not only the Afghan children who benefit from this program; it is the host families and the larger community who come into contact with these children that benefit. After spending the past year sharing holidays, birthdays and vacations with my daughter's family and their beautiful Afghan "daughter" whom they have hosted, I am privileged to say that I am known as Nina or "grandmother" to Noor who is now healthy and returned to her family in Afghanistan. Thank you Solace for all that you do!

Solace for the Children is one of the best organizations I’ve ever seen for the impact it has made on the lives of many Afghan kids! It is is non-political organization and really seeks to help those in need. While it has transformed the lives of many kids with severe health problems for better, unfortunately, it has not received the credits it deserves to! So if you are looking for an organization to make your donations, I strongly encourage you to consider Solace for the Children.

Solace truly has impacted the lives of many Afghan children and families. They provide medical care for the war victim and needy children who have no access to medical resources in the region. Once the children are cured and are back home, the organization then helps them get educated to fulfill their dreams and empower their local communities. I have had a great opportunity to see some of the children who are now leaders in very remote areas of the country. Thank you everyone who is involved in this initiative...

Working as a peace ambassador at Solace for the Children office in Kabul, I felt how the commitment of every individual involved in this mission gives hope and changes the lives of many children forever and with them the attitude of their families. I was astonished to observing how the organizational slogan of Solace for the Children;building peace on a foundation of health, truly translates into the real lives of so many people in a war torn country.

Great organization with wonderful people involved who truly care about the care of their clients.

Solace is a charity and an organization that has helped the needy children and has always helped the needy in the ward. I find this office a great place, and this office is where we can reach our goals and give our human responsibility. And we can always help the needy

Working as a volunteer for Solace for the Children was a very valuable experience for me. This organization brings hope to the most innocent victims of war. I learned from this organization that we, as humans, have responsibilities toward each other and we can bring beautiful and impactful changes if we want to.

I started volunteering for Solace for the Children in 2012. I work with Solace because I believe in their mission and cause. through out the years I have seen many Afghan war children who benefited from Solace, how their lives have been changed, and how they are working hard now to change the world to be a better place.
I am proud to be part of Solace family and see the changes solace makes in children and Afghan and American families. I highly encourage everyone to learn more about the program, you won't be the same person after you know Solace.

Best organization I have ever worked in. What Solace for the Children has been doing for the past 12 years is inscredible and very appreciative. Children who did not have any support, their parents almost gave up on them and they might have died if Solace for the Children was not actively involved in Afghanistan. Saving the lives of children and helping them with their education is the only organization I came across in Afghanistan and I feel blessed being a part of it for the past six years now.

Solace for the Children brings together people from all over the world to provide medical care, Peacebuilding and education to children of war torn countries. It not only saves lives but builds hope for a better future. Doctors, host families, medical providers, corporate sponsors, solace leadership and the families and children that live in countries affected by war build a partnership and collaboration to make change. Such a positive and life changing grass root organization.

I have known this organization for years now. Omar and his team are the backbone of this organization. They do their best in making sure children get the best medical care possible. Thank you guys for being awesome.

Hello all. I am Sherzad I just want to say that I love solace for the children alot. It helped me to go to america for me treatment and now it sends me to school to get good education.Thank you solace.

Thanks to Solace for the children which helped me and is helping Afghan kids. A special thanks to Peace House Academy for helping me in my studies. I love to be with Solace because Solace for the children helped me alot and I want to help Solace as much as I can.

Solace is a great program to help the children in Afghanistan. I though that I will never get my life back but I was wrong because Solace helped me to go to USA to get healthy again and it gave me my life back. I am so happy from Solace. I learned alots of things about helping others and I learned about my life. Thank you so much solace for the children, Patsy, Omar and Sajid for helping Afghanistan.

I am Fahima and I am one of the children at Peace House Academy. Solace helped me to come to kabul from a very far province of Afghanistan to study here and to continue to my education. I study English and going to school. I also want to thank solace for sending me to the states after getting injured in a suicide attack. I believe now that I will have a very bright future.

I am ajeebullah one of the students at Peace house academy of Solace for the children. Thanks to Solace for the children which helped to go to USA for my treatment and then after when I came back to Afghanistan they brought me to peace house to go to school. In peace house i am learning alot of things about many things.

I am Zubaida Tahiri from Afghanistan. I have heard a lot about the activities of SOLACE and always see the posts that is shared in social media. I appreciate their support for kids in Afghanistan.

My husband and I started the Solace LA branch and feel like we are helping to make change in the world one child at a time. When the news is reporting on all of the crisis in the middle east and I start to feel overwhelmed I think of the children we have brought here and how their whole world view has been changed. They know us and our love for them and I can only believe that it will make a lasting impact on our world. I'm grateful for all the Solace does to help those who cannot help themselves. It has blessed us, our children and all who have been involved in Solace!

• Hello Everyone!!!
My decision to volunteer at the Solace for the Children is the most wonderful experience I’ve ever met with in my life. I have chosen Solace for volunteering because I believe that helping the children would be a great opportunity that can give people the capability to think broad about feelings of those people who suffer from illnesses or some serious sicknesses. This experience has been wonderful. I think that people who have the ability to help should help. Thinking about these kids conditions and sometimes they made me feel that I even forgot that they were sick with all the funny things they do every day.
Volunteering at the Solace means the world to me. Honestly I was really happy working at Solace; my duty was to fill the forms of applicants. These kids need all the help they can get. So by writing this experience, I would encourage you all to try to start volunteering at Solace. It will change you in so many ways. This was an amazing experience! And a big thank to the entire team of Solace!!

In a world of billions, progress is made in small steps, helping one child at a time in the case of Solace for the Children. Over the years, that has amounted to hundreds of children whose lives would be much worse - or even over - without the help and medical intervention of Solace. The mission of peace through health care is noble, and the lasting effects may never be known in my lifetime, but this international effort has to be making a difference. It would be even greater if the numbers could be magnified through increased donations. Solace would not exist without the dedication of a small group of people led by Patsy Wilson and her vision. Everyone can make a difference, and Solace is proof. The pictures of the successful medical procedures and the smiling faces of the children say it all.

In Aug 2012, I started to be a volunteer for solace for the children. My main responsibility was to work with children and help them with physical therapy in Afghanistan office. However, it wasn’t the only thing that I was doing. I also helped to fill application for new patients. Actually, this was one of my favorite parts, because I would see the patients, talk to them and see their families. The hope inside parent’s heart was incredible. The innocent smile on children’s face was pure. I learned how to be hopeful, respect, love, and help people.
In 2013, I got the chance to travel to the USA and bring some of those children with me. I stayed with them in hospital, talked to them, and was the one they could trust. My experience in Solace is one of my favorite chapters of my life. Every single step that I took for those children, reflected in my life. Those children, families, and love inspired me.

Zahra

We are a current host family that has been hosting a child for 5 months. Typically children only stay a few weeks in the summer, but a few children, like our host daughter, come for extended care. Our family has 4 children, and one of my daughters uses a wheelchair. My daughter plays wheelchair basketball, which is how we met our host daughter the first time she came to America through Solace. When we found out she was coming back, we applied to be her new host family. Over the past 5 months we have learned so much from each other! My children's world has been broadened. Besides just learning about and connecting with another culture, they have developed a genuine sibling relationship with our host daughter. Instead of having an awkward "visitor" experience, the kids integrated her right in- which was probably a good thing, since sometimes children with disabilities get treated differently, whether it is in a good or bad way, by other people. Our host daughter has been encouraged by having a "sibling" with a disability, and they have been able to do lots of things together. My other kids are used to living with someone in a wheelchair, so they automatically adapt what they are doing to modify activities. Our house is completely accessible, so she has been able to work on daily life skills, and problem solve for how to adapt to her environment when she gets home. My kids have learned a little Farsi, and you can often hear them singing to a CD of songs in Farsi that we found for our host daughter. I homeschool, so despite the fact that the children on medical visas aren't able to attend school, we have all been able to work together on schoolwork anyway. I truly believe that people have to know how much you care before they care how much you know. If we are trying to help children and their families learn how to care for and manage their health conditions, they have to understand that we care about *them* more than we care about the strict imparting of knowledge. You can see this in the families that host, and also in the volunteer staff at Solace. To accomplish as much as they do, it is amazing what percentage of the work is done on a solely volunteer basis. If you donate to Solace, you know your money is not padding the pockets of a big CEO, it is really being used to help children.

Hello Everyone! I am Assila Afsharzada a former volunteer at Solace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Working with such an organization was a privilege for me. I experienced life-changing events with Solace Children. Seeing all those kids’ smiles and happiness made my days. All of them were a blessing for me. I hope anyone who is able to help this organization in any way do her/his best to give a hand. Those innocent children, who are born disabled or get injured during bombings, must not suffer from an illness that is curable. I believe these kids’ health and education are essential for a better Afghanistan.

Hello,
This is Alireza Waheedi. I am really blessed being part of Solace. In 2013, I began working with Solace as a volunteer. Shortly after, I had the opportunity to work as Administration and Finance Officer. Thereby, I got more involved with the incredible job Solace was doing for the needy children and their families. I was witness of the transformation of fearful and desperate eyes into hopeful and grateful eyes. It was very difficult for me to see parents, whom their beloved ones were suffering from hard diseases and they were unable to do something for them, either because of poverty or lack of medical equipments. I have heard many of these families, telling me their only hope is Solace with God’s grace. Although I live in Germany now I love to continue my contribution with Solace. Anyone who reads this, be aware that Solace incredible work is needed in Afghanistan, both in the area of education and health and of course their contribution to peace building. Solace brings hopes and change lives.
Thanks

I have been volunteering with Solace for the Children for over 15 years. The experience brings me so much joy and a sense of gratitude in my life. Because I photograph these children, sometimes more than once, I see the remarkable effects of health and love provided to them! Bridges are built between tribes, between girls and boys, never to be forgotten memories are created, giving these children hope for their future and the future of their country.

Hello Everyone!! My experience at the Solace for the children, I really enjoyed volunteering at this organization. I started working here since January 2014. My duty as a volunteer was to teach children. The children were always very happy and motivated to learn new things. They are really happy when some volunteers are around, they really enjoyed their presence.
Amazing volunteering experience at Solace! My time at the Peace House was rewarding one. It allowed me to integrate into the culture of helping rather than to be a spectator. Children were great! There are absolute bundles of joy and energy. My day to day routine consisted getting the children ready for learning computer skills. Thank you to entire Solace volunteering team and other related people for their kindness and great hospitality. This was a great experience. I would certainly recommend people to join Solace for affordable volunteering program in Afghanistan for life changing experiments.

Hello Everyone!

This is Fardin Pouya, a former Volunteer and Peace Ambassador in Solace for the Children in Kabul in 2013. In my review, I would like to quote an old email that I had sent to my fellow Volunteers on 18/06.2013. I believe that children are not the only direct beneficiaries of the program; likewise, the program offers life changing experiences for those who take part in assisting the great mission of Solace for the children.

Dear All:

Let me express myself through a couple of words and share my true feelings as a member of the great family of Solace. For me, Solace has been the beginning of a new journey to the world of my within and to the land of children who are the wealthiest of all! They donate you with beautiful smiles and remind you that this life is a good opportunity to go beyond yourself and see the others next to you.
Nowadays, I am experiencing the best moments of my life among committed Peace Ambassadors and children whose daily growth inspires me to put more efforts to help them.
The Solace family rewards everyone with something valuable. Children recover and gain health while a Peace Ambassador like me finds his mission in life.
Thanks to everyone who has given a hand in building this great family.

Best,

I wanted to take a moment to say how much I appreciated the hard work that the solace for children are doing. I had a great experience visiting Solace for children and meeting its wonderful employees. I must say that I am very thankful for your thoughtfulness Omar Ehrary, and many, many thanks for the outstanding leadership. I am Maihan Wali a social activist and women rights activist in Afghanistan. I run a program to empower girls through sport. I really am glad that I got the chance to visit and help those lovely kids. I am totally in love with each and every one of them. Best of luck to you all and keep it up.

My name is Maliha, And I volunteered at Solace for the Children in Afghanistan for about a year. This was a wonderful experience for me that changed my view to the world, from that time I believed in kindness. I learned from Solace that we are responsible to help other people who needs our help. I could see how Solace could bring big changes in some children's life and I felt happy and enjoyed each second that I was working there, because taking part to give meaning to those innocent children's lives, gave also meaning to my own life. I wish I could help them more, but now I am not in Afghanistan, yet I would certainly do whatever possible to those children at the Peace House.
Solace can never be forgotten from my heart because it gives new lives to war victim and seriously ill children. I wish Solace For the Children improves much more and take those hands which are waiting for help all over the world. Lets hope that maybe what solace do brings more peace and kindness to all hearts and we have a peaceful future all over the world.

I have been with the program since 2002 as a physical therapist. Every summer we volunteer our time to help these amazing children from a country we only hear about in the news. The children work their way into your heart. Within minutes you are affected and your life is changed. Most of us will admit that we get so much more out of our time than what we put in. If you are considering volunteering .. step out of your comfort zone and do it. No one regrets their time in this program.

Our kids have been involved since they were ten and my wife has also been involved as a nurse. To see your own children eager to help so selflessly it makes you very proud as a parent. All talents can be used at Solace, with administrative costs less than 7% most every dollar goes directly towards helping these children.

"I talk three languages and I am good in sciences, I want to be a doctor in the future and help my family and people." One of the very bright kids said that to me in very early moment that I just met him. Ashraf was from south part of the country-Khost province- where he was not able to go to school. He had a great sense of learning and so open with smiley face. His sentence stroked me in head and I thought "I can only speak two languages, not much comfortable with science, and still not sure what my destiny is." By providing the opportunity for education to bright kids like Ashraf, Solace for the children creates hope and invest a great asset like Ashraf in the future for his family as well as for the country. I applaud all efforts of every individual who allocates his time to pave the way for these bright children. Solace for the children builds peace by the peace house, providing opportunities to learn, education materials, and is the source of health foundation by taking children diagnosed with illness to U.S. for cure. All the effort are paying off when children come with happiness from U.S., when kids in peace house can go to school, and when every volunteer like me thinks that they are doing something to their country. May my God grant them tireless ability to continue their wonderful work.
Peace
Jalal Jamshidy

This was our second year as a host family in Mooresville, NC and what a wonderful experience it was. The impact this little girl made on our lives, and the love that she gave to all of us in return was a life changing experience, especially for our 12 year old daughter who now has gained a sister that lives in Afghanistan. These precious children are so grateful and helping them to heal and sharing life with them is beyond comparison.
God Bless Solace for the Children for all that they do~ Amazing!
John Steelhammer

To whom it may concern,
My name is Waheed and I used to be a volunteer in Solace for more than a year. I believe the most precious gift before everything is life itslef and I can confidently say lives are revived and changed in the most positive way in Solace for the Children. I experienced in several ocassions that beautifully spirited kids who were affected by war in one way or another would regain and recover from the worst possible health conditions which is the most humane outcome imaginable. I really appreciate the efforts made by the ones behind this organization and that these efforts are 'indeed' life.changing.

Sorry for spell and gramatical errors since I wrote the above post by my phone.

Love
Waheed

In early 2013, I started volunteering for this wonderful community in Afghanistan, aiming to be an assistant in building peace in a foundation of health. I started with teaching music, specifically violin, to the Peace House's students. In the meanwhile, I have been helping Solace through working as volunteer coordinator scheduling volunteers for office tasks as well as peace house courses. Solace has been such a great and honorable experience of my life and I really appreciate the work that they do and the achievements that they have had since their startup in Afghanistan. They really are a source of practical and visible service for Afghan children, and building trust and peace among the people and I, in my turn, appreciate the job of people who have initiated this great house of care for Afghan Children. Also, thanks to all those people who are behind this cause.

I am working as a volunteer for Solace for the Children since 2011, my first trip was to Jacksonville FL, USA, that we brought 15 ill children for medical treatment. Now I am preforming my duties as an Interpreter/Solace Ambassador for peace in Los Angeles, California. First of all I would like appreciate Solace for its humanitarian supports and thank all American families who are involved with Solace team. The children who have been cured by Solace efforts would not ever forget Solace’s profuse and extra ordinary ministration and services, and Solace is being the cleverest way to reach the bridge of Peace and happiness between Afghans and Americans. I believe that there are thousands of American families that feel fortunate and pleased to support Solace with its wonderful objective. We all will defiantly try our best to help those who are in need and wait for its virtual compensation and reward from God.

My wife and i hosted a young girl named Hila in 2010. The experience was wonderful and she continues to inspire me with her strength, hope and desire for peace. Solace For The Children is an incredible organization building Peace on a Foundation of Health for the children of Afghanistan. A non-profit that provided over $2 million in services with a mere budget of 200,000. Where else can your donation be so impactful? Please join me in supporting an organization that is focused on grass roots efforts for healing wounds and changing hearts.

I was a volunteer interpreter for Solace from 2011-2012 in Jacksonville FL. The impact that Solace has in life of the Afghans and the Americans are great. My family get to know about Solace from a US. Air Force adviser that worked with my father who is in the Afghan National Air Defense. I started to comprehend about Solace's mission (Building Peace on Foundation of Health) more, as I get to know people from America. There are people in Afghanistan that don't like the Americans, and it's the same thing in United State, But my point is that Solace is trying to build peace between these two culture based on true love, care, health and this really motivates me be a better person in my own life and life of many others. I think Solace should be supported by the people of United State, or in another word, More communities and other world organizations should support Solace's mission to make this one the few non-profit organizations that is making world a better place to live. I learned this from Solace: "No matter what color we are, what we believe, or where we are from, we can just simply use Love as a tool to build peace and hope."

I am hosting an interpreter in Jacksonville, Fl. Abed Arian has been a blessing to me. He has a great ability to see people as they are inside and he is not influenced by money or good looks. I am involved in Solace because of my daughter and son-in-law, Sara and Bryan Coker. But then I developed a passion for Solace because of the tireless work of the volunteers, host families who provided homes, and the Doctors who provided care and treatment.

Sometimes a child's needs cannot be met in six weeks. Our family has been blessed to host a child through a series of surgeries and therapy. Solace and the medical community have been there to support and guide us. Our Afghan child has been amazing - resilient, positive and inspiring. She is an ambassador of hope for Solace and Afghanistan. My children call her their sister.

Our family hosted a child for the first time this summer. Our child had dental and orthdontic needs and was served by some wonderful dentists and an orthodontist who all volunteered their time and seemed to love being a part of the program. The administrative volunteers who coordinated the medical and dental communities, the fun activities, the interpreters, the travel arrangements, the respite families and all of the other support provided to the host families were phenomenal. It made being a host family much easier to know all of the "details" were taken care of so that we could focus on our child's needs for love and emotional support. It was challenging at first to find foods my child liked to eat, and to communicate with each other due to the language barrier, but as the days went by, it became easier as we each learned important words in the language of the other and as we learned to gesture and demonstrate more. There were also "apps" (of course-- there's always an app) on my daughter's Ipod that helped with some translations. My 11 year old was so important to the process-- since our child was very modest, but was comfortable with another child showing her how things worked in the bathroom, for example.

For the second consecutive summer, our family has hosted children from Afghanistan in our home. It continues to be a positive, peace-building initiative that brings together many in our community — from the medical providers and supporting businesses to families spanning a wide range of religious and cultural backgrounds. It has been a life-changer for our family, and the children experiencing American life and medical treatment in our country.

For 6 weeks two years ago, our family hosted an 8 year old boy who arrived with a large mass beneath the skin covering the back of his head. Through the generosity of one the surgeons in our area, and the hospital she practices at, the mass was removed and found to be non-life threatening. Not only did the surgery change his life, but sharing our summer with him changed ours. Solace for the Children changes lives in the same way a stone cast upon a lake changes its surface... spreading outward until the whole surface of the lake is changed.