Singapore | Three times. Three times a group of friends scattered across Europe and Asia sent their former classmate to the airport in Kabul as they tried to pull off what armies of diplomats have struggled to do: find safe passage for an Afghan family that have many reasons to fear the Taliban.

The six friends were already adventurers, choosing to leave their homes and countries to spend their final two years of school at United World College (UWC) in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. That’s where they met Haseen Fatima Amini. Back home, when it became clear earlier this month that the Taliban were advancing across her country, Amini reached out for help.