Comox Valley photographer raising funds to help guide who took him around Afghanistan

Courtenay, B.C. -

A Comox Valley man who has captured amazing photographs of people, locations and animals around the world is now selling some of his images of Afghanistan to raise funds for a guide who helped him when he was in that country.

Seth Scott says he was in Afghanistan for a two-week period nine months ago and witnessed problems the people living there have been experiencing first hand.

“I really wanted to see this nation,” Scott says. “I got in touch with a tour company and I met my guide and I spent around two weeks in the country travelling through mostly the Afghan-government-controlled areas, and what I found was some of the kindest people.”

Scott says he had been reading about Afghanistan for years before travelling there. He says there are temples, ancient castles and fortresses there that most people don’t know much about.

He says he’s been following recent events in the country and has been posting updates about the situation on his website.

“With the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan again, the humanitarian crisis is going to happen, it’s going to be something I can’t even comprehend,” he says.

Scott says the guide who assisted him is now fearing for his life.

“He reached out to me for any help, if anyone knows any government officials, if anyone knows anything, because he’s the only one with a passport in his family right now,” Scott says. “It’s just a terrible situation.”

Scott is selling prints of photographs he took in Afghanistan for $50, with all of the proceeds of the sales going toward assisting his guide. As of Wednesday, Scott had already raised his first $1,000.

Photo Tech Foto Source in Campbell River is printing the photographs for free. The store’s owner, Sarmad Almouallem, says it’s his way of paying forward the assistance he received when he came to Canada as a Syrian refugee.

“Coming from a country destroyed by war and this type of conflict, lots of people helped me to get out and I want to be part of helping other people or give back,” Almouallem says.

Seeing what’s happening in Afghanistan is bringing back painful memories for Almouallem.

“It’s a little bit emotional because at a point you’re there and you need any rope just to hold on, or an airplane, as we saw, so I felt like this is a simple thing I can do,” Almouallem says.