The Closeness of the PFF Family

Arzoo, second from right, with her family and the PFF connection who took them in in Pakistan.

It was nearly 100 days that Arzoo, a PFF mentee, was stuck hiding from the Taliban in Kabul. Because of her work on women’s empowerment, work that we as an organization supported, she was a target of the group, which took control of Afghanistan when American troops departed in August.

During that 100 days, our team worked tirelessly with other organizations to try to bring Arzoo and her family to safety. There were two failed airport evacuations and one failed run to the Pakistani border, and suffice it to say it was all harrowing.

Then, with the help of Too Young To Wed, an incredible organization that took Arzoo and hundreds of other at-risk women under their wings, Arzoo and her husband and three children made it to Pakistan. That’s when the real story of the power of the PFF family begins.

Laurie Dejong, founder of the Paper Fig Foundation and CEO of LDJ Productions, believes that love makes a family. Everyone who works for her or with her ends up feeling that they’re a part of her extended family. Ali, a driver in New York originally from Pakistan, has been shuttling Laurie and her staff around New York City for twenty years. He’s a part of the team, helping out with New York Fashion Week and other major events that LDJ Productions is putting on.

As the PFF team prepared for Arzoo to evacuate to Pakistan, Laurie reached out to Ali to see if he could help. Not only did he help - Ali’s mother took in Arzoo’s family, housing them and feeding them for as long as they needed. Ali had never met Arzoo - but because of their mutual connection to Laurie, they were already family. That’s what the Paper Fig Foundation is all about. #weareallconnected.