For the teachers of Central Asia Institute’s Afghan Girls Education (AGE) program, environmental stewardship and education go hand in hand. This spring, classrooms in four Badakhshan districts launched a new initiative to plant one tree for every student in class. Their goal: to make Afghanistan green.
Mrs. Bashira, a teacher from Dehqan Khana, was thrilled to take part in the “One student, one tree” campaign. She and her students planted five trees in their classroom area, sparking joyful reactions from the children.
Marjan, one of Mrs. Bashira’s students, was excited to be a part of the campaign and said that it was the first time she had ever planted a tree. For her and her classmates, it was a unique experience and has become a source of pride as they tend to the young trees.
The campaign similarly received a warm welcome from the surrounding communities. Mr. Namaz, a teacher from Kata Dara reflected: “Children are like newly planted trees. They require nurturing, attention, and care. It is crucial for families and parents to take responsibility for their children’s education and growth. Only then can we hope to achieve a green and prosperous Afghanistan.”
With more than a third of Afghanistan’s forests lost in the past three decades, there is a long journey ahead to bring back the greenery. However, education about climate change and the conservation of natural resources is one important piece of the puzzle. These teachers and students are helping lead the way to a greener Afghanistan.
Barushan is a small town nestled in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) region. A poor and isolated province, GBAO grapples with neglected infrastructure and limited economic opportunity. Many of the schools in the region have not been renovated for decades, putting children and teachers at risk of building-related illness and injury. Despite the perilous conditions, families have remained steadfast in their commitment to education.
Since its establishment in 1962, Preschool #2 has been the only preschool in Barushan, serving the 3 to 5-year-olds of the community. Even with sagging ceilings, mold, and smoke-stained walls from coal-burning stoves used for heat, there was a waitlist to get in. That’s when you stepped in to help.
Fresh on the heels of constructing and opening a model school in Udit village in 2019, Central Asia Institute broke ground on Preschool #2. Although the work is now in its final stretch, the path has not been easy since construction began in 2021. Supply chain limitations of the Covid era exacerbated the existing challenges of high mountains, dangerous roads, and harsh winter weather.
The completed school will contain five classrooms, a kitchen, a nurse’s office, and art and music rooms. It will have central heating, indoor latrines, piped water, and electric power.
During 2021 and 2022, construction crews laid a strong foundation for the two-story building that will serve 125 3 to 5-year-olds. Spring of 2023 has seen progress on completion of the second story as well as interior plastering, heating, and eletrical work. Throughout the summer and early fall, the building will continue its transformation into a safe and high-quality educational environment for Barushan’s youngest learners.
The impact of Preschool #2 will be monumental for the 125 preschoolers, their families, and teachers—and it won’t stop with them. As a model school for the region, the school will be home to training workshops for teachers and administrators and serve as an example for future projects in the area. With a built-to-last design and materials, the school will serve these 125 preschoolers along with hundreds more in the years to come.
Support from the friends of Central Asia Institute has made this work possible—and there is still time to help this project get to the finish line. Please consider a gift to Preschool #2 today.
During Ramadan 2023, Central Asia Institute partners, staff, and program participants shared their reflections on the holiday. From finding strength in fasting to putting more passion into work, their reflections carried messages of faith, peace, joy and togetherness. Eid Mubarak, from everyone at Central Asia Institute!
For eight-year-old Gul Naz, the thawing of winter in her remote Afghan village meant more than just warmer days ahead—it meant a new adventure! Gul Naz was delighted to learn that she had been promoted to the second grade and would begin her studies following the winter break. The teacher at her community-based school, Mrs. Roshan Gul, noted the enthusiasm among all the students in the start of the new school year. “Students attend class with great passion and joy,” she remarked.
This school is one of 191 schools that Central Asia Institute is supporting in northern Afghanistan. Based in the heart of the community and situated in a community space, these schools provide primary education, especially for girls who otherwise would be out of school.
After the winter break, the students were enthusiastic about starting grade two. They were ready for the second year! And for me, speaking as a schoolteacher in a remote location, this project has significantly improved my financial condition. – Mrs. Roshan, teacher
Parents, community elders, members of village shuras (councils), and schoolteachers have been actively engaged with the project, offering support, insight, and participation in training workshops. While community involvement is essential for schools anywhere in the world, it is especially important in these mountainous villages where insecurity and cultural restrictions can pose substantial challenges.
There is no doubt that the Taliban restrictions have resulted in a tremendous loss of learning for the girls and women of Afghanistan, and the path forward is uncertain. Despite this, the demand for education among families is higher than ever. Our project currently serves 5,696 students, of whom 4,074 are girls; and our partners receive calls from villages throughout the region asking for educational support. Beyond the Taliban restrictions, the lack of education services has been exacerbated by poverty, a lack of government schools and qualified teachers , geographic barriers, and natural disasters.
Gul Naz’s father takes great pride in his daughter’s achievements. He reflects on the days before she was enrolled in school, and how joyous the change has been. “Before, the walls of our house were dark, but now they are bright and colorful with drawings, paintings, and calligraphy hanging on the walls. It cheers us up and gives us hope for a bright future,” he says. As for Gul Naz, despite her young age, she already is well aware of how deeply Afghan women value education. “We girls are so motivated to study and learn.”
The news stories from Afghanistan continue to be grim. Growing poverty and hunger. Increasing repression of women and girls. A devastating earthquake.
What you may not be reading in the news, however, are the important gains that are being made; gains that wouldn’t be possible without the enormous courage of ordinary Afghans, the tireless work of CAI’s partners on the ground, and the dedicated support of CAI’s donors.
It’s true that, despite international pressure, the Taliban regime continues its war on women and girls. Since banning high school girls from returning to school last fall, the Taliban’s leadership has mandated women to wear head-to-toe burqas, prohibited them from going outside or traveling abroad without a male relative to accompany them, and further restricted their right to work. Draconian edicts like these are designed not just to wrest the most basic of human rights from female Afghans, but to erase them from Afghan society altogether.
But a lot has changed in the 20 years since the Taliban was last in power. Today, there is greater recognition among ordinary Afghans, including those living in rural areas, of the enormous value of education. Mothers, fathers, local community leaders, and religious scholars – not to mention youth and children themselves – are standing up for education, especially for girls. And thanks to your support, CAI is standing with them, and helping to meet that demand for education and for a better future.
Take Lobna. Lobna lives in a remote village in eastern Afghanistan along the border of Pakistan. By the time she turned 10, Lobna had never attended school because the only school in her district was too far away. When the Taliban took over her country last August, she began to lose hope altogether of getting an education and fulfilling her dream of one day becoming a doctor.
But that changed last March when CAI’s partner organization came to her village to establish a community-based school. By bringing teachers and classrooms to areas where no schools exist, community-based schools fill the gap and overcome the obstacles that girls like Lobna face in accessing education. The community provides a safe, private place for the classes to be held and CAI recruits and trains teachers and provides books, lesson materials, and school supplies.
I am very happy because this is my first time going to school. Before this CBE class, school-age girls in my village couldn’t attend school because it’s too far away from my village. Now, every morning, I get up filled with happiness and am overjoyed as I walk 20 minutes with the other girls to get to the class. – Lobna
Over the past four months, with CAI support, more than 180 community-based classrooms have been established across remote and impoverished parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan. More than 5,700 children – the majority girls – are now enrolled in these schools. And next year, CAI hopes to increase that number.
From time to time, local Taliban members have tried to interfere. However, because the community-based schools are established with the strong support of parents and village councils, the whole community becomes an advocate for education. When issues have arisen, it has been the local community that has negotiated with the Taliban and we’re happy to report that so far, these issues have been resolved successfully and peacefully.
CAI is also supporting Afghan women and girls in other ways. We’re recruiting young women to be teachers and piloting at-home learning for high school girls in parts of the country where the Taliban has forced them to drop out of school. The Taliban may continue to throw up roadblocks but as long as there is a demand from Afghans for education, CAI will work to do all we can to make education available.
With all the crises at home and abroad, it can be hard to keep focused on the plight of Afghan women and girls. But now is not the time to close our ears, to turn away from our Afghan sisters, or to give up hope for a more peaceful, equitable Afghanistan. Rather, this is the time for us to stand in solidarity with Afghan women and girls as they face dark forces who seek to take away their choices in life and the possibility of a better future. They are holding out hope because CAI supporters like you are making education possible, despite the challenges.
At CAI, never before have we been more inspired by the people we serve; by children like Lobna who despite the Taliban, is imagining a better future for herself and her country because she now has access to education. We hope you’ll be inspired too.
Attending school is very important for all Afghans because we learn everything in school which enables us to serve our country and people in the future. Like boys, it is also important for girls to attend school because they become teachers, doctors, and engineers like boys do. I would like all families to let their girls to attend school. All girls should have the opportunity to learn to read and write and become who they want to be. – Lobna
Take a moment and imagine what it’s like to be a girl or young woman living in Afghanistan today…
Even before the Taliban took control of your country last summer, the odds of learning to read or pursuing a career were stacked against you. Assuming you are one of the millions of girls who live in a remote, rural area, education was already most likely not an option due to an insufficient number of teachers and schools where you live. Or perhaps ongoing war made it too risky for you to travel to and from the nearest school.
On top of that, you’ve probably been confined by conservative cultural norms – which have long prevailed outside of cities – that relegate you to the domestic realm and prioritize education for boys. If you did go to school, you likely were unable to advance beyond a few years and were forced to drop out, perhaps even to marry at an early age.
If you were lucky enough to have reached high school, the new ban on girls’ secondary education has likely dashed your dreams of continuing your education. Or if you were luckier still to be attending university, new rules requiring you to be educated by a female teacher may mean you can no longer attend your classes and complete your degree because there’s no female professor to teach your class.
And if you are any one of the 3.7 million Afghan females who had beaten the odds and were enrolled in school before the Taliban took control, you’re probably bewildered by why you – an innocent child who longs only to read books or study math, or to become a teacher or doctor – are so threatening to a group of men armed with guns and bombs.
Most of us may find it hard to imagine how girls and young women in Afghanistan muster the strength to keep going; to keep fighting to beat the odds. Yet at CAI, we are amazed and deeply inspired by what we are seeing in Afghanistan today: despite the odds, Afghan girls are fighting harder than ever to pursue an education.
Thanks to your generosity, this spring, Central Asia Institute is doubling down on efforts to support education programs for girls and young women in Afghanistan.
Working closely with our local Afghan partners, CAI is focused on investing in projects that will safeguard access to education – ensuring thousands of girls and young women living in remote, impoverished regions of the country have the opportunity to pursue an education.
Our strategic priorities include:
Thanks to you, as spring gets underway, approximately 4,200 children – more than half of whom are girls – are being enrolled in over 140 community-based schools supported by CAI. These classes will accommodate both primary school-aged children and older girls who will benefit from accelerated learning programs to help them catch up with their peers.
CAI is also working to meet the urgent need for more, better-trained teachers. We are prioritizing female teachers given the Taliban’s rules on female-only instruction for girls. In the coming weeks, approximately 140 women and men who’ve been recruited from the communities where these classes are located will be trained to become teachers. This support offers them the opportunity to not only pursue a profession but also earn an income at a time when their country is facing an economic crisis and poverty is rife. In addition, CAI is supporting training for an additional 320 teachers at local government schools in these areas to improve the quality of education the children living in remote villages receive.
Given the enormous challenges that have arisen over the past six months since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban seized control, we couldn’t be more committed to these programs or more thankful to you for making them possible.
At the same time, CAI and our local partners are well aware that new challenges and obstacles are likely to arise in the future. If anything, our 20-plus years of experience working in Afghanistan has taught us to be prepared for adversity, skilled at adapting, and resilient in the pursuit of our mission. In the coming months, we’ll do our best to keep you posted on the progress of our programs and changes on the ground. In the meantime, we are always here to answer any questions you might have.
Once again, we are so deeply grateful for your steadfast commitment to Central Asia Institute, and the people we serve. Thanks to you, Afghan girls can again dream of a better, brighter future.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions that you might have. You can reach us at info@centralasiainstitute.org or 406-585-7841.
Updated December 9, 2021
In the past several months, many of you have contacted us to ask pressing questions. What’s the latest news from Afghanistan? What is the situation regarding Afghan girls’ education and Afghan women’s right to work? How have recent events impacted schools and students supported by Central Asia Institute? Will Central Asia Institute continue to work in Afghanistan?
Below we tackle these questions – and also share what Central Asia Institute is doing to help thanks to your caring and support.
We are deeply grateful for all who have expressed your concerns and/or donated to support CAI’s efforts in Afghanistan. Your generosity, words of encouragement, and support bolster our spirits and reassure our Afghan friends that they’re not alone in this dark time.
Four months since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, its people continue to face a precarious future. When the U.S. evacuated in mid-August, the humanitarian situation was already serious due to the compounding impacts of conflict, the persistence of COVID-19, and a second year of severe drought.
Alarmingly, the situation has only worsened since then. Hundreds of thousands of people displaced during 2021 are facing dire conditions as winter sets in. The economy – which was almost entirely dependent on foreign aid – is in crisis pushing the majority of the population below the poverty line. Government employees including the police, healthcare workers, and teachers, have not been paid and in many places, basic services like healthcare and education are unavailable. As winter sets in, more than 22 million people are struggling to put food on their tables and an estimated 3.2 million children face life-threatening, acute malnutrition.
To address this, donor countries have pledged over a billion dollars in humanitarian aid, and the United Nations and international aid groups are scrambling to deliver emergency humanitarian assistance. To avoid catastrophe and save lives, the Taliban and the international community will need to work together with the best interests of millions of innocent people in mind.
CAI has been working closely with its local partners to address the greatest needs of the Afghan people. In November, we launched a project to assist displaced women, men, and children who fled with few, if any, belongings and are living in makeshift shelters in informal displacement sites as winter conditions set in. Three hundred vulnerable families were identified and provided with key essentials including mats, blankets, cooking utensils, and books, pencils, and toys for their children.
Emergency aid kits – including blankets, mattresses, backpacks, toys, and books – ready for distribution.
Displaced young girl and baby who are living in a camp for displaced people.
Women and children waiting in line to receive an emergency aid kit.
Families claiming their emergency aid kits provided by Central Asia Institute.
Over the winter months, our support will continue to target the most vulnerable people including children, people with disabilities, and pregnant and lactating women. An additional 360 households (approximately 2,500 people) will receive winterization assistance including fuel to heat their homes, winter clothing, and blankets.
Taliban leadership is allowing girls to attend primary school. Older girls, however, are not so fortunate. In September, the Taliban stated that boys could return to secondary school (6th grade and up) but girls must stay home until certain conditions for girls’ education could be worked out. Since then, the spokesman for the Taliban has reiterated that the new government supports girls’ education and will provide opportunities for girls and women to work and go to school. But the Taliban leadership has yet to announce when and under what conditions older girls will be allowed to return to middle and high school saying only that their religious scholars “are working on it.”
In the meantime, limitations have already been placed on female students – including that they must be educated separately from boys and taught by a female teacher. Given the country’s lack of all-female schools and female secondary school teachers, these restrictions threaten to put school out of reach for many Afghan girls.
Universities opened on September 5th. Women in some regions have been allowed to attend as long as they comply with gender-based education restrictions. In addition, women attending university are being forced to adhere to strict dress codes – they must wear burqas or long, black abayas that cover their entire bodies, gloves to cover their hands, and a niqab over their faces, leaving just their eyes uncovered. In some regions, there are reports that women are being turned away from university altogether. Others have been told they cannot take certain classes, like engineering, government studies, or courses that would lead to a career path “unsuitable for women.” Unfortunately, it looks like even restricted access to education may become unavailable to women moving forward. On September 28, the new Chancellor for Kabul University announced that women would be banned from the institution either as instructors or students. Many women fear that it is only a matter of time before the Taliban completely bar them from education.
Our education programs for pre-school and primary school-aged children, including community-based education, wound up in November. At present, Central Asia Institute’s education projects are on hold while we work to ensure that procedures are in place to address risks and challenges that have arisen under the new Taliban regime. In the meantime, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance targeting the most vulnerable, especially children and women. With pressure building both on the Taliban to allow all girls to attend school and women to work, and on donor governments to ensure that restrictions on assistance don’t end up further harming women and girls, we remain hopeful that access to education for all Afghans will improve in the coming months.
Right now, the greatest concern is the humanitarian situation as described above. CAI and our partners are working hard to meet the most urgent needs of the Afghan communities we’ve long served. We’re fortunate to work directly through local Afghan partners, who can tell us what they’re seeing and hearing as conditions on the ground change. These organizations have a history of working in districts under Taliban control and have experience safely and effectively delivering humanitarian and development assistance. With their guidance and support, we will continue to do all we can to address the needs of those who have been impacted by this crisis.
Although our programs may require modification, or stop and start, we’re committed to standing with our Afghan sisters and brothers for as long as we’re able. Their bravery and determination to fight for a better future for themselves and their children motivate and inspire us daily.
CAI is committed to keeping our supporters informed about the evolving situation on the ground and how we are responding, and we welcome your inquiries! To dive deeper, please connect with us via email at info@centralasiainstitute.org or phone at 406.585.7841. We look forward to speaking with you.
Resources: How to help Afghans
*Reference in this site is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Central Asia Institute.
It’s been nearly four months since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, and the Afghan people continue to face incomprehensible hardship and an uncertain future.
With your support, we are lending a helping hand in this time of tremendous need. We’ve begun distributing emergency assistance to 300 displaced families – primarily women and children – forced to flee conflict and drought with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Thanks to you, as winter arrives, these families will have mats to sleep on, blankets for warmth, utensils for cooking, and books, pencils, and toys for their children.
Emergency aid kits – including blankets, mattresses, backpacks, toys, and books – ready for distribution.
Displaced young girl and baby who are living in a camp for displaced people.
Women and children waiting in line to receive an emergency aid kit.
Families claiming their emergency aid kits provided by Central Asia Institute.
For more information on the current situation in Afghanistan, please visit our FAQs page.
Your generosity makes a difference, and we are grateful. Thank you for your support and for continuing to keep the people of Afghanistan in your thoughts and prayers.
When Umeed Primary School in remote Pakistan ran into financial difficulty, Ghulam Nabi continued teaching. For nearly a year, he worked without pay.
Thanks to your support on Giving Tuesday last year, CAI was able to step in and reinstate Ghulam’s salary. Giving Tuesday is a national day of charitable giving celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. In 2020 CAI used Giving Tuesday to draw attention to the extreme hardship that teachers face in remote, impoverished regions of Central Asia. Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we raised more than $120,000 to pay Ghulam’s salary as well as the annual salaries of 80 other teachers.
“Teaching gives me satisfaction that cannot be purchased with money.” Ghulam Nabi
In addition to receiving his salary, Ghulam was selected to attend a CAI-sponsored capacity-building workshop that focused on improving classroom teaching practices. Being selected for the workshop was a real confidence booster. “I truly enjoyed the entire training session,” he says.
You and the other caring donors who contributed to last year’s Giving Tuesday should feel proud of the role you played in changing lives. You improved Ghulam’s life as well as the lives of another 80 teachers. Your gift helped to make quality education possible for girls and boys born into this remote, impoverished corner of Central Asia.
Ghulam turns philosophical when describing the impact of the funding. “I believe that with the help of such support, one day I will be able to bring my family out of extreme poverty and lead them to a prosperous life ahead.
“When we believe in tomorrow’s prosperity, we get the courage to endure today’s hardships.”
Next Tuesday, November 30th, we’re counting on you to once again. Help turn Giving Tuesday into Teacher Tuesday. Last year we impacted 81 teachers. This year we’re raising the bar and setting our goal at $153,600 which will cover the salaries of 100 teachers.
Thanks to your love for education, last year’s Giving Tuesday campaign was a huge success. In this season of coming together, we hope you’ll open your heart again and help us transform Giving Tuesday into Teacher Tuesday. We can’t do it without you!
Together we can replicate the impact of last year’s Giving Tuesday—and surpass it. No need to wait for November 30th.
Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving, celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Giving Tuesday donations to CAI are used to create positive change through education in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan.
When Umeed Primary School in remote Pakistan ran into financial difficulty, Ghulam Nabi continued teaching. For nearly a year, he worked without pay.
On Giving Tuesday 2020, Central Asia Institute seized on this national day of charitable giving to draw attention to the extreme hardship that Ghulam and so many other teachers living in mountainous, impoverished communities face. We reached out to our friends and supporters to ask them to help pay teachers’ salaries. And boy did they respond! We directed the $120,000+ in funds we raised to our overseas partners including in Pakistan. They, in turn, sent funds to Umeed Primary where Ghulam was teaching. His salary was paid, as well as the annual salaries of 80 other teachers in remote Central Asia.
“Teaching gives me satisfaction that cannot be purchased with money.” Ghulam Nabi
After graduation Ghulam was hired as a sweeper in a private primary school in the remote village of Chunda in Pakistan’s Skardu district. Schools are few and far between in this part of the world. The schools that do exist lack funding. While cleaning the floors, Ghulam would stop to help students with their studies. The school management took note. Impressed by the young man’s knowledge and interest in the students, they offered Ghulam an assistant teacher position at the school.
“This not only made me feel really appreciated and encouraged but was also a moment of extreme happiness for me,” says Ghulam. “I promised myself and the management to work hard to fulfill their expectations and contribute to the best of my level in the role of teacher.”
Ghulam’s salary was cut when the school went through a funding crisis. “Even though I was very disappointed, I chose to continue my teaching service on a voluntary basis for the future of those children,” he explains. “Teaching gives me satisfaction that cannot be purchased with money!”
But feeling satisfied at work doesn’t put food on the table. Ghulam was barely hanging on financially. He and dozens of other teachers caught in the same situation needed help.
“When we believe in tomorrow’s prosperity, we get the courage to endure today’s hardships.”
We reached out to our community of donors to raise funding for teacher support on a national day of charitable giving called Giving Tuesday. We used last year’s Giving Tuesday campaign to draw attention to the extreme hardship that teachers face in mountainous, impoverished regions of Central Asia, and raised more than $120,000. We sent funds to our partner in Pakistan. They, in turn, sent funds to Umeed Primary where Ghulam was teaching. His salary was paid, as well as the annual salaries of another 80 teachers in remote Central Asia.
In addition to receiving his salary, Ghulam was selected to attend a CAI-sponsored capacity-building workshop that focused on improving classroom teaching practices. Being selected for the workshop was a real confidence booster. “I truly enjoyed the entire training session,” he says.
The Giving Tuesday funds were a lifeline for Ghulam and the other 80 teachers. Those funds made quality education possible for girls and boys born into this remote, impoverished corner of the world. Supporting teachers allowed the children to continue on their education path.
Ghulam turns philosophical when describing the impact of the funding. “I believe that with the help of such support, one day I will be able to bring my family out of extreme poverty and lead them to a prosperous life ahead.”
The Giving Tuesday funds were a lifeline for Ghulam and the other 80 teachers. Those funds made quality education possible for girls and boys born into this remote, impoverished corner of the world. Supporting teachers allowed the children to continue to learn.
Next Tuesday, November 30th, we invite you to help us turn Giving Tuesday into Teacher Tuesday. Last year we impacted the lives of 81 teachers. This year we’re raising the bar and setting our goal at $153,600, which will cover the salaries of 100 teachers.
Show your support for education this coming Tuesday by contributing to CAI’s Giving Tuesday campaign. By doing so, you’ll not only help pay the salaries of 100 female and male teachers, but also keep the hope for a better tomorrow alive for them and their students.
Together we can replicate the impact of last year’s Giving Tuesday—and surpass it. No need to wait for November 30th.
Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving, celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Giving Tuesday donations to CAI are used to create positive change through education in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan.
This Saturday, September 11, 2021, America will commemorate those who lost their lives 20 years ago during a series of terrorist attacks on the United States. This year, the pain will be particularly acute when coupled with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban – which once harbored Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.
Twenty years later, we’re able to reflect on the terrible toll the war has taken on us all. More than 70,000 members of the U.S., NATO, and Afghan armed forces lost their lives, along with close to 50,000 civilians caught in the crossfire. And, in August, when the last allied troops left Kabul, they diminished the hope of a free and democratic Afghanistan.
While the weight of this moment is heavy on our hearts, Central Asia Institute is also looking back on two decades of work in Afghanistan knowing that the seeds of hope and change that took root during this time were not in vain. There is an entire generation of educated Afghan women who have arisen in the past two decades – they are both proof and hope of what remains possible. They will play a vital role in the future of Afghanistan.
In the past 20 years, enormous strides have been made in Afghan women’s and girls’ access to education, jobs, and political participation. Most notably, literacy rates among girls have doubled. According to a recent report, by 2018, an estimated 3.8 million girls were enrolled in primary school, a vast increase from the estimated 5,000 girls enrolled in 2001.
Since 2001, the number of female teachers had also grown to approximately one-third of the nation’s teachers, and we saw improvements in women’s participation in the Afghan Parliament, police, and the judiciary. There are also more women-run businesses and more women employed than there were 20 years ago. While surely not significant enough, these are nonetheless important milestones of progress.
In short, since 2001, millions of Afghan women and girls have been empowered to fulfill their dreams, reach their full potential, and contribute to a better, brighter future for themselves and their families. And while the U.S. may have lost its “longest war,” each life changed by education has been a victory. Even as we reflect on the past, we must not lose sight of the myriad challenges that lie ahead – and the role Afghan women will play in their solution.
It is true that Afghanistan’s women and girls face a dark future. Yet, as I write, women across Afghanistan are protesting the Taliban’s misogynistic rule that threatens to ban them from holding government office and entering workplaces, and could limit girls from getting anything beyond a sixth-grade education. They are risking their lives, knowing that such protests have already been brutally repressed. But they have not been deterred.
This Saturday, as we mourn those we’ve lost and reflect on past mistakes and missteps, let us also look forward. The war came at a great cost. But because of the sacrifices that were made, an entire generation of women was educated. Both inside and outside of Afghanistan, education will empower Afghan women (and men) to fight for a better future for themselves and their families. In the darkest hour, they hold the promise for a better future.
Central Asia Institute is deeply shocked and saddened by the monstrous and unconscionable attack earlier today on the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. We wish to express our sincerest sympathies for the families of U.S. service members and Afghan nationals whose loved ones were killed or gravely injured in the attack.
At this dark time, our thoughts and prayers are with all Afghan people. Words cannot express our concern for their safety and welfare. Our hearts are with Afghan women and girls as they face an uncertain future. We are grateful for the brave members of the U.S. armed forces who are working to evacuate American citizens and those who are most at risk.
We reaffirm our commitment to stand with the people of Afghanistan and provide support as long as we are able to do so. At present, we are mobilizing emergency aid to meet the urgent needs of women, children, and families who have been caught up in this unfolding humanitarian crisis.
As always, we remain extremely grateful for your ongoing compassion and support.
In solidarity,
The Central Asia Institute Team
For additional updates on the situation in Afghanistan visit our main blog page.
Along with so many people around the world, CAI’s staff and board are deeply distraught by the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan and gravely concerned for the safety of the Afghan people. The collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul over the last 24 hours have put the country’s future on a highly volatile and ominous path. There is little certainty about what will happen next – or of what life under Taliban rule will look like.
Already those who have most to fear – Afghanistan’s women and girls – are fleeing for their lives. Our hearts go out to the innocent civilians who’ve been caught up in the violence or who are at risk. We’re deeply concerned for the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve already been forced to flee their homes, 80 percent of whom are women and children.
At this dark time, Central Asia Institute remains committed to doing all we can to continue our education programs. But for now, we’re shifting our immediate focus to the urgent needs of those who are most vulnerable. At present, we’re working with our local partners to assess the most immediate needs of the displaced, especially children, many of whom lack food, water, shelter, and healthcare. Please keep an eye out on our website and Facebook page for updates on how CAI is responding.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to express their concern and offered their help. Your expressions of support and solidarity mean so much to us.
Never before in CAI’s 20-year history of working in Afghanistan has more been at stake for the Afghan women, girls, and families we serve. Yet, as always, we remain resolute in our commitment to do all we can to respond to this crisis and stand with the Afghan people. Thank you for standing with us.
If you would like to support our efforts and help meet immediate needs, please consider making a gift now.
With deepest gratitude,
Alice Thomas
Executive Director, Central Asia Institute
UPDATED as of August 11, 2021
With the news of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan in recent weeks, many of our friends and supporters have been contacting us to express their concern, and to ask questions about how recent events might affect CAI’s programs. While the situation is precarious and changing day-to-day, we are here to answer your questions and provide as much information as possible. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions and Central Asia Institute’s responses. If you have further questions or would like additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@centralasiainstitute.org or call Hannah Denys, CAI’s Communications Director, at 406.585.7841.
How have recent events affected Central Asia Institute’s programs in Afghanistan?
At present, Afghanistan is facing crises on two fronts: A resurgence of the deadly coronavirus and the rapid escalation of violence as the Taliban battle with government forces for control of the country.
Earlier this summer the Afghan government ordered schools to close again in an effort to fight the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, As a result, CAI was forced to put its educational support programs on a temporary hold. Recently, the government switched course, announcing that schools would reopen despite that most Afghans have not been vaccinated or even had access to the vaccine. In response, CAI launched a program to help protect vulnerable communities and is providing PPE, raising awareness about how to avoid transmission of the disease, and dispelling misinformation about the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have continued an aggressive campaign to gain control not only of rural areas but provincial capitals as well. Tragically, civilians – including women and children – have been caught in the crossfire and more than 400,000 people have been displaced, 50% of whom are children.
How the escalating violence and attacks on civilians will affect CAI, its partners, and the communities we have long served is not yet clear. To date, several districts where CAI supports educational programs have fallen under Taliban control. Yet the Taliban’s policy on girls’ education can vary depending on local commanders. As of writing, the Talibs in the areas where CAI has programs have not stated that girls cannot be educated.
Nonetheless, it is well known that the Taliban, at the very least, want to impose restrictions on how girls are educated, on what subjects, and to what age. For example, in June, a Taliban spokesman indicated in an interview that the Taliban want “separation between girls and boys, women and men, in universities, schools or madrassas,” and in many parts of the country that are already under Taliban control, it is reported that girls are being prohibited from going to school beyond elementary school.
CAI will continue to work with communities to confront these challenges to female education as they arise. In fact, many of CAI’s existing programs are designed to work around existing barriers to girls’ education, for example, through establishing community-based (or home-based) schools for girls and by training women to be teachers, especially in the remote, rural areas where we work.
What will happen if the Taliban takes control of the entire country?
It is unclear what types of rules or edicts the Taliban will impose – generally or in any one district in which we work. But it is likely that women’s rights and freedoms will suffer and that girls’ access to education – especially beyond primary school – will become even more challenging.
Yet in our experience, the people of Afghanistan, especially its women, are determined not to give up without a fight the hard-fought gains over the last two decades, especially in terms of education. Today, even in rural areas, most Afghans value education. A 2019 study found that 87 percent of Afghans strongly support female education. They recognize that education is the key to a better, more prosperous future for their families, communities, and country.
For our part, CAI will do what it has always done in Afghanistan, which is to work closely with our partners and communities to adapt to the changing needs on the ground. Whether it is a drought, COVID-19, conflict and insecurity, or restrictions on girls’ access to education, we will work to provide programs that meet the needs of the communities we have long served and unlock the transformative power of education to help solve the country’s many problems. We may need to stop and start up again, but we are committed to standing by the Afghan people as long as we’re able to do so.
How can people help?
While the U.S. military may be leaving Afghanistan, it is more important than ever for the people of Afghanistan to know that the American people stand with them. What’s happening in Afghanistan might fade from the news cycle, but you can stay informed and help inform others – share news updates with your family members and friends, or post about it on social media. If you need more information, please reach out to us here at CAI.
Second, you can reach out to your representative in Congress and express your concern about the people of Afghanistan, and your support for Afghan women and girls. Ask them what they are doing to support Afghan women and girls and to protect and promote access to education in Afghanistan.
Third, you can support organizations like Central Asia Institute that provide educational and other development and humanitarian programs in Afghanistan – and ask your friends and family to support them as well. For more information on how to give, please visit our donation webpage or contact us at info@centralasiainstitute.org or 406.585.7841.
Thank you all again for your commitment to education, and for keeping hope alive. Please keep your eyes open for additional information from us including updates from the field and how you can help.
By Sonja Bahr
Trying to understand philanthropic giving, retirement fund requirements, and tax deductions can feel overwhelming. But making a donation to Central Asia Institute through your individual retirement account (IRA) is easy, can save you money on taxes, and, most importantly, will help provide education for girls and women living in the regions we serve.
Individual retirement account (IRA)
An account set up at a financial institution that allows individuals to save for retirement with tax-free growth or on a tax-deferred basis.
Qualified charitable distribution (QCD)
An otherwise taxable distribution from an IRA owned by an individual who is age 70½ or older that is paid directly from the IRA to a qualified charity.
Required minimum distribution (RMD)
The smallest amount you are required to withdraw from your tax-deferred retirement accounts every year after a certain age.
“Contributing to CAI from my IRA account was easy. It is a total win/win way to donate. The withdrawal of funds satisfies all or part of my required minimum distribution, and it is not reported as taxable income for me. I love it when things are easy, I accomplish something worthwhile, and it’s nontaxable. What could be better than that?”
– Claire, CAI donor for nine years
Growing up, Barbara’s parents encouraged her to be frugal with her money. But when her mom stepped in to support an impoverished family in Colombia who she had never met, Barbara learned another important lesson. Each week, her mother sent money for the family to buy food, and Barbara went from feeling overwhelmed by heartbreaking poverty to witnessing how one person—her mother—was making a profound difference in the lives of others. Barbara carried that lesson with her all her life, and after learning about CAI’s mission, felt as though she had found a way to give back as an adult.
“CAI’s efforts make a difference in the lives of people who I will never meet. … I feel grateful to know my economic privilege can be such a powerful tool for good. My parents taught me to be careful with my money, and I have a secure retirement. So when I needed to start taking the required minimum distribution from my IRA, I was dismayed to learn that it would likely push us into a different tax bracket. Fortunately, if I give that money away directly through my IRA, I don’t have any negative tax consequences. At tax time, I report the RMD and that it was a qualified charitable distribution. Go ahead. Use your retirement account to make the world a better place. Your mom will be proud.”
-Barbara, CAI donor for 11 years
Q: Can I just take the funds from the IRA myself and then donate that amount to CAI?
A: How you process a QCD is very important if you want to benefit from the tax savings. If you withdraw money from your IRA yourself, or receive your RMD directly and then make a donation to CAI, the QCD will be disallowed. Funds must go directly from your IRA to the charity of your choice to qualify as a QCD.
Q: How much can I give each year from my IRA?
A: Individuals 70½ years of age or older can make QCDs up to the annual limit of $100,000. This limit applies to the total distributions within a calendar year, regardless of whether the distributions are made at the same time or to one or multiple nonprofit organizations.
Q: My spouse and I would like to give more than $100,000. Can we do that?
A: If you have a spouse (as defined by the IRS) who is 70½ or older, they can also give any amount up to $100,000 from their IRA.
Q: I have more questions or would just like to talk this through. Who should I contact?
A: We are honored to help you reach your philanthropic goals and are here to answer your questions!
For more information, please contact Sonja Bahr, senior development officer, at 406.585.7841 or sbahr@centralasiainstitute.org.
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