CAI Board Member Profile – Eileen Shield-West
By Tonya Andrews For Eileen Shields-West, the mission of CAI is more than a cause—it’s a calling. A longtime advocate for displaced communities, Eileen’s deep humanitarian experience and personal connection to CAI’s Executive Director, Alice Thomas, brought her to the organization five years ago. “Our first hire at Refugees International’s climate displacement program was Alice,” […]
CAI Board Member Profile – Moin Khan
By Tonya Andrews For Moin Khan, education is more than a professional interest—it’s a personal mission shaped by years of experience, family history, and deep ties to Central and South Asia. As a CAI board member, Moin brings a rare blend of international development expertise and on-the-ground connection that gives him both clarity and conviction […]
Celebrate With Us: CAI Turns 30
By Marianne Monoc In 2026, Central Asia Institute will turn thirty. For three decades, we have provided sustained support for education and economic opportunity in some of the most remote, impoverished, and underserved communities on earth. Since its founding in 1996, CAI has made quality education possible for countless children and adults, especially for girls […]
Give More, Owe Less? The Benefits of Charitable Giving
By Brittany Heater Philanthropy is more than just making a gift—it can also be part of a savvy financial strategy. When we think about smart money moves, we often focus on cutting back, but what if the smartest way to save more was by giving more? One of the most powerful saving tools may be […]
The Ripple Effect of Educating a Girl
Why her empowerment benefits everyone. By Alice Thomas Central Asia Institute’s mission has long been to promote education as a pathway to opportunity. Since our founding nearly 30 years ago, we have provided countless males and females with education, job skills, and the agency to live a better life. Leveling the Playing Field for Girls […]
Nurturing Safe Learning Environments in Tajikistan
By Seelai Karzai For many years, Central Asia Institute has supported early childhood education across remote, mountainous communities of Tajikistan, particularly in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region. This support includes building preschools, renovating classrooms for safety and optimal learning, and training preschool teachers. Why Early Childhood Education is Important Many studies have documented the […]
Shining the Light on Shining Star
By Natalie Meyer* When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, decades of progress for Afghan women and girls came to an abrupt halt. Since then, girls have been banned from attending school beyond sixth grade. Women have been barred from studying at universities, most jobs are now closed to them, and they can […]
Not A Lost Cause: The Fight for Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
By Rida I grew up in Balochistan, Pakistan, a community where education was a luxury girls had to earn. Every school I attended, every exam I took, every degree I obtained, were made possible because someone, somewhere, believed in the importance of investing in girls. Scholarships carried me when circumstances could not. From my earliest […]
More than Education: Breaking down Menstrual Barriers
By Bella Pich Imagine being a young girl growing up in a remote mountain village in Pakistan, with access to few resources. While there is no government school located close enough to your village for you to reach on foot, you are overjoyed to be enrolled in a community school established by Central Asia Institute. […]