INDIANAPOLIS — The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan is hitting close to home for some Hoosiers.
For Scott Kirby, it's personal.
"I'm almost coming up to brick walls and closed doors," Kirby said. "I don't know what else to do. I have done everything that I think are the right things to do, but I don't know."
Kirby previously spent ten months in Afghanistan in 2013, working in broadcasting. Even though the years have passed since then, Kirby explained how some friendships remain. It's why he's doing everything he can to get his friends out of the country before it's too late.
As the world witnessed the devastating images out of Kabul, people desperately trying to escape a country now left to many uncertainties.
"The pullout was so immense and so fast and that created as we've seen not only the entire country to fall but the city of Kabul to fall," Kirby said. "Now, all the focus is on Kabul, which that's where my focus is as well, given that's where my friends are either from or still have family there."
Thankfully, Kirby said all of his friends were able to get out of the country in time; except for two. Sayed Ramin and his family, and Hamid Sharifi. Kirby says he's been working around the clock to save their lives.
“It's devastating. It's emotional because I'm trying to do everything in my power that I can do. I'm contacting members of Congress. I've contacted our state representatives. I've contacted both of our Senators. I've contacted a refugee organization here in the city. I've been in talks with the US embassy in Kabul until they shut their phone lines down and I just keep hitting brick walls," Kirby explained.
Kirby said Sayed and his family did go to a US camp on Tuesday hoping to safely get his family out, but they were turned away.
“He says to me that he has come to the decision that this is his destiny," Kirby said. "That his destiny for he and his family is just to make it through."
As for Hamid, who works for an Afghan broadcasting company, he was set to leave in three weeks to move to another assignment in Germany. But now with the country in unprecedented disarray, his way out seems to be dissolving right before his eyes.
“I laid in bed, and I thought how I could do this. I'm in the comfort of my bed, my house, and my safety zone, and they don't know if anyone is going to break the door down and kill them any moment," Kirby added.
Kirby said from the account of his friends, the Afghan people are suffering greatly, and if we do nothing else, send them positive energy and prayers.
He also suggests contacting state and congress leaders and other people who are in positions of power to do something to help.
