'Afghan Girl' Sharbat Gula Safely Evacuated to Italy Via Efforts of Photographer Steve McCurry, Metagood/OnChainMonkey Crypto Community & Future Brilliance Charity

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The legendary 'Afghan Girl' photographer, Steve McCurry, and his sister, Bonnie McCurry, are delighted to announce that, together with the British-American charity, Future Brilliance, and with the support of the Italian government, and NFT for Social Good platform Metagood, they have been able to bring the famous icon for Afghan female refugees, Sharbat Gula, to safety.

Background:
Six weeks ago, Bonnie McCurry reached out to Future Brilliance founder, impact pioneer, and investor Sophia Swire who has a 30-year track record of empowering women in Afghanistan. She told Sophia that Sharbat Gula wanted to be evacuated with her family. After considering all the various country options, they confirmed with Sharbat that her family hoped to seek asylum in Italy. Sophia and her team activated the Future Brilliance network in Afghanistan and, together with the McCurry family, arranged the necessary paperwork, visas, and logistics.

The NFT for good platform Metagood (who worked with McCurry to display his latest work during COP26) donated funding to this effort that was raised during its highly successful sale of its NFT collection, OnChainMonkey. Metagood will be working with Steve and Bonnie McCurry to raise additional funds from the crypto community for Sharbat Gula and her family’s resettlement in Italy through the sale of NFTs in 2022.

Steve McCurry is "grateful for the humanitarian gesture of the Italian government, the operational excellence of Future Brilliance, and the generous financial support of Metagood. "

“This was the most incredible news to receive on Thanksgiving Day,” said Bonnie McCurry. “It is truly a godsend; this rescue mission has been a group effort from the start. It’s a dream come true. Sharbat is incredibly grateful to the Italian people, and we are all deeply grateful to the Italian government for their support and generosity.”

“We are so proud of our Metagood and OnChain Monkey community - their support helped make this incredible achievement possible,” said Bill Tai, Metagood chairman and co-founder. “The Metagood Giving Fund was designed precisely for initiatives like this - to harness the power of crypto communities for real-world good.”

About Metagood
Metagood is a platform for auctioning & purchasing digital collectables and NFTs with a cause. OnChainMonkey was their first NFT collection launched in September 2021. The Metagood Giving Fund is the philanthropic arm of Metagood. To learn more, visit us at metagood.com and onchainmonkey.com.

About Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is an award-winning American photojournalist. His 1984 photo Afghan Girl has appeared on magazine covers around the globe.

About Future Brilliance
Future Brilliance is a dynamic, women-led, non profit organisation that fosters stabilisation in vulnerable communities through workforce and enterprise development. Since August 2021, they have supported safe passage for more than 300 Afghans, mainly women and children. Donations to Future Brilliance can be made here.