Tributes Paid to Slain Christian Aid Worker in Afghanistan

By Jenna Lyle, Christian Today Reporter Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tributes have been paid to a Christian aid worker who was shot dead in Afghanistan on Monday.

Gayle Williams, 34, was shot and killed by gunmen who drove by on a motorbike in western Kabul, said Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary, as she walked to the offices of the charity she volunteered for, Serve Afghanistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the killing.

"She was a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled. Needless to say we are all in shock," said the charity in a statement.

Williams, a British South African, had worked for nearly two years in Kandahar and Kabul on projects to integrate disabled people into mainstream education and improve their prospects.

"Gayle will be remembered as one of the inspiring people of the world who truly put others before herself," said Serve Afghanistan. "She was killed violently while caring for the most forgotten people in the world; the poor and the disabled.

"She herself would not regret taking the risk of working in Afghanistan. She was where she wanted to be – holding out a helping hand to those in need."