Laila’s story: how to save a mother and her five daughters from the Taliban

When refugee activist and author Mij Tanith was asked to help an Afghan woman and her five daughters escape the Taliban, she hesitated, burned out after years of emotional toil. But once Mij heard her voice over the phone she couldn't say no. The clock was ticking for 'Laila' - not her real name. She had escaped to Iran, but only had 12 months before she would be deported back to Afghanistan, where girls' schools were being bombed. Mij got a group of supporters together through a not-for profit called the Circle of Friends and they set out about raising the $140,000 they would need to get her visa approved, and get Laila and her daughters on a plane and safely housed in Adelaide. Guest: Mij Tanith, playwright, teacher, author of Laila’s Story (Spinifex Press, March 2026) and member of the Circle of Friends Australia refugee support networkProducer: Catherine Zengerer