By Libby Daghlian
Imagine the start of a perfect school day. You might envision the faces of smiling children waving goodbye to their parents. There might be a bell ringing and open doors to a sturdy and welcoming brick building. Inside, the walls and floors would be smooth and clean, and the temperature would be just right. The classrooms would be bright and cheery, and the students would have space to sit comfortably and store their belongings. On this perfect school day, students and teachers alike would have a clean, private bathroom space to use and water that is safe for washing hands and refilling water bottles. In this kind of environment, teachers feel confident in welcoming their students, and children feel safe and ready to learn.
Unfortunately, in Tajikistan, many school buildings have gone decades without renovation or regular maintenance and they are not only uncomfortable but unsafe. The impact of these conditions extends to long-term educational outcomes. According to a 2019 Word Bank report,1 inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities at schools were directly tied to student absenteeism and dropout rates, especially as adolescent girls deal with the additional task of managing menstruation.
For more than two decades, Central Asia Institute has built and renovated school buildings across the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan, providing children with modern, safe educational facilities where they can learn and thrive.
In 2024, Central Asia Institute will open the newly constructed Preschool #2, which was supported by generous and caring donors like you. Preschools are critical to early childhood development and can contribute to a child’s success, not only in primary school but later in life as well.
My name is Amira. I am 5 years old. The new school will be red. There will be lots of lamps there. Our old school was broken. There wasn’t a place for games. The new preschool will have slides, stairs, toys, and a playground.
We spoke to some of the teachers and students who are part of the Preschool #2 community to learn what the new school means to them.
Retired teacher Shogunbekov Amrikhudo recalls when the original Preschool #2 building was erected. “The construction of the old building started in 1960 and was opened in 1964. I was a fourth-grade student at that time. After several years, the building slowly started to deteriorate.”
Shogunbekov is excited that the community will finally have a new school after 60 years. “In the future, the kids will live and study in very good and modern conditions, learn languages, and become good specialists that could create a better world for the people of this country.”
Maqbulova Gashnis, a longtime teacher at Preschool #2, has experienced firsthand just how difficult and frightening it can be to work in a building that has not been well maintained. “Our school building was in a state of disrepair. During the earthquake of 2016, we were very scared because the earthquake was strong, and we took all the children and ran out. We still keep that fear in our hearts.”
My name is Soro and I am 5 years old. I like playing with toys and dolls. In the old preschool, there was wind, and we went to the toilet in the snow. The new preschool will have a place for eating and playing. It will be beautiful.
Shogunbekov is excited that the community will finally have a new school after 60 years. “In the future, the kids will live and study in very good and modern conditions, learn languages, and become good specialists that could create a better world for the people of this country.”
Maqbulova Gashnis, a longtime teacher at Preschool #2, has experienced firsthand just how difficult and frightening it can be to work in a building that has not been well maintained. “Our school building was in a state of disrepair. During the earthquake of 2016, we were very scared because the earthquake was strong, and we took all the children and ran out. We still keep that fear in our hearts.”
She also cites the challenges with properly heating an old building, which is crucial during the cold winter months high in Tajikistan’s mountains. “We have very challenging winters. Since it is very cold, we have to burn coal, which makes smoke in the classrooms, and that smoke is certainly harmful for children.”
Maqbulova is optimistic about the new building: “When I imagine a new building, it is spacious, clean, and warm, with nice windows, no coal smoke or dust. We don’t have to worry about heating anymore. Our hands are clean, and our children are neat and tidy.” She says the children are equally curious and eager for the grand opening. “When we come to work in the morning, the children ask us: What will happen in the new preschool? Everything will be new? New toys, new books, new beds? When we go out, will there be a playground?” With amusement at their curiosity, she assures the students daily that yes, it will all be new.
1 “The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning.” The World Bank. 2019. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/853821543501252792/pdf/132579-PUB-Impact-of-School.pdf#:~:text=The%20potential%20benefits%20of%
20improving%20the%20spaces%20where,enhanced%20in%
20schools%20with%20better%20physical%20learning%20environments.
Shortly after seizing power on August 15, 2021, the Taliban announced, “We are going to allow women to study and work within our framework. Women are going to be very active in our society.”1 But over the following two years, they failed to deliver on this and numerous other promises. In fact, they proactively instituted a set of inhuman edicts to achieve the opposite—a society in which women are brutally forbidden to participate, study, and work.
While the Taliban acted with boldness and impunity, we must not assume the people were complacent or accepted these new policies. Afghanistan is a complex and diverse country, and opinions about women’s role in society vastly differ between cities and rural areas; between the country’s north, where CAI implements most of its programs, and its south, which is the Taliban’s power center; and even within communities and families.
As Central Asia Institute and our partners on the ground continue to navigate the new environment under Taliban rule, we’ve seen this struggle play out. Yes, the Taliban’s bans on secondary education for girls and university for women have forced us to narrow the scope of our programs, predominantly to focus on primary school. But we’ve also found a huge demand for our community-based classes—including for girls—in areas where there are no schools and where many adults have little to no education. And in several instances in which the Taliban sought to interfere with these classes, it was the communities themselves that fought back. Today’s Afghans are not the same as they were 20 years ago. In cities and rural areas alike, most highly value education as the best chance for a better life. Despite the challenging operating environment, we’ve continued to deliver education programs to girls, including in remote, rural areas that are culturally conservative.
The timeline below presents a snapshot of events that reflect both the Taliban’s campaign to strip Afghan women and girls of their rights to education, work, and freedom of movement, as well as big and small ways Afghans are fighting back.
Taliban fighters take control of Kabul as Afghan government officials flee amid a chaotic and deadly withdrawal and evacuation effort by U.S. forces.
Despite assurances that all schools would reopen for the new academic year, girls returning to secondary school are ordered to go home, and their schools are closed until further notice.
Women in Kabul are banned from public parks, gyms, swimming pools, and public baths, leaving them nowhere to recreate or take their children to play.
Women are banned from attending university.
Female students protest outside Kabul University as their male counterparts return to classes. 5
Afghan women increasingly take their protests indoors and online, posting pictures and videos on social media to keep the world focused on their plight and allow human rights organizations to document Taliban abuses. 7
By Molly Shapiro
When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban took over, one of the biggest questions was whether women and girls would lose their hard-fought rights—from freedom of movement to education to career opportunities. Tragically, that question was answered quickly, when the Taliban began issuing a rapid succession of severe edicts that drove women from the workplace, forbid them from education beyond the sixth grade, and banned them from all aspects of public life.
In a little over a year, women had lost almost everything they had gained during the two decades without Taliban rule. No more high school or university. No hope for a job to make money or a meaningful career. No opportunity to go to the gym, a park, a swimming pool, or a public bath. The one thing that remained—the chance to gather and socialize at the beauty parlor—was taken away in July 2023.
Not surprisingly, this desperate situation has led to an alarming rise in mental health issues for many Afghan women and girls. As their freedom to do anything beyond farming and household chores swiftly dwindles to almost nothing, many women and girls are losing hope. A Washington Post article detailing the crisis quoted Shafi Azim, a psychiatrist working in a mental health facility in Kabul, who explained: “They fear they will never be able to go back to work or school. They are isolated and become depressed.”1
CAI and our partners in Afghanistan are finding similar feelings among the women and girls in the regions where we work. “We used to enjoy going to school,” said Leila, a 17-year-old girl from the Badakhshan region. “But now we’re saddened because the schools are closed, and we can’t continue our studies.” Leila has to spend all of her time working in the fields and doing chores for her family. However, she has not given up her dream of one day restarting her education. “Our hope is for schools to reopen, providing opportunities for girls like us.”
Even amidst the sadness and despair, there are still many signs of hope and progress. Young women like Leila are holding on to the idea that one day they can resume their studies. And these glimmers of optimism are what keep CAI and our partners going—determined to do whatever we possibly can to keep hope alive for women and girls.
One of the most important things we can do is to provide education to primary school children, particularly young girls living in the most remote parts of Afghanistan. With the help of our donors, CAI continues to open and support community-based schools—local facilities in small rural villages that are converted into classrooms.
In 2023, we helped establish 252 classrooms, including providing furnishings and learning materials like pens, pencils, and notebooks. Through these schools, we’ve helped 7,700 primary school students—5,360 of them girls—get an education. We’ve also offered essential training to 191 women and 72 men to teach at these schools, giving them opportunities they would not have had otherwise.
One of our partners in this critical effort is WADAN, a local NGO that has been working to bring educational opportunities to all 34 provinces of Afghanistan for close to 20 years. With CAI support, WADAN currently supports 93 community-based schools in Badakhshan province in the country’s mountainous northeast. WADAN recently visited several of these schools to hear from teachers, students, and families.
Anas is a young boy from the village of Dehqan Khana who wants to grow up to be an engineer. While he is grateful for his school and the chance to learn, he is cognizant of all the children in his country who don’t have the same opportunity. “We request from WADAN that it increase the number of schools, so uneducated people can study,”
he said.
This little boy isn’t the only child with an impressive grasp of the needs of others and the desire to help his fellow community members. Several boys say they want their older sisters and female friends to be able to study as well. And many of the young people—boys and girls alike—express the desire of becoming a doctor.
“When I first joined this class, I couldn’t read or write, but now I’ve learned and made wonderful friends,” said Farzaneh. “I aspire to become a doctor and serve my community, as there are no clinics or doctors in our area, and people are in need.”
Some harbor the dream of becoming a teacher, so they can pass on their knowledge to their community. Zakia was able to fulfill that dream and is currently working as a teacher at a WADAN school.
“I’ve been teaching for two years, fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher to pass on knowledge,” said Zakia. “Afghanistan’s situation is challenging due to ongoing conflict, but education offers hope for a brighter future. We hope the gates to girls’ education will reopen, as it increases literacy rates and empowers girls to graduate from schools and universities.”
Another teacher, Basira Ahmadi, echoes that sentiment. “This marks my second year of teaching at the school, and I’m delighted to see my students’ progress,” she said.
“I aim to be a successful contributor to society. I call on the international community to support girls’ education, and I urge the government of the Islamic Emirate to provide education for girls. Many children still lack access to education, and I hope the WADAN office can establish more schools.”
The people of these villages are keenly aware of all they have lost, and they yearn to give women and girls the opportunities they once had. But they have not let their struggles and disappointment darken their hopes and dreams. They continue to take advantage of the community schools they do have, and to pursue the educational careers available to them. They ask the international community—those who care about their plight and recognize the value of education—not to lose hope either. The people of Afghanistan are counting on all of us to continue providing support, so that one day, they can restore their rights and freedoms and fully achieve their dreams.
By Shahzadi Imrana Jalil, Moawin Foundation
When Ayub was a boy living in Haiderabad, a remote village in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, he attended a primary school supported by CAI. Back then, the Haideria Central Asia Supporting School had no actual building, no walls, and no washrooms. While it lacked the basic infrastructure one would expect of a formal school, what it did have was the dedication and passion of caring teachers, who not only taught Ayub the basics of reading, writing, and math but also inspired him to become a teacher himself.
“I remember there was a teacher named Sir Nazeer, who had a very positive impact on me,” recalled Ayub. “He used to teach children with a lot of love and advised us to work steadily each day.” Another vivid memory that stands out for Ayub is the cricket tournaments the school would organize. “We were quite excited about it, and this made us look forward to going to school.”
Ayub acknowledges that when he was a student, the school lacked many of the facilities and tools children need for an optimal education. But for him, it was enough to get him to continue his education through secondary school and earn his bachelor’s degree. He was so grateful for his experience that he decided to return to his hometown and teach at his old primary school, hoping to give his students the same kind of transformational education he had received.
Due to the continued support of CAI and its partner, the Moawin Foundation, the Haideria School is drastically different today than it was when Ayub was a boy. “There’s a proper boundary wall, and the school building looks beautiful,” he said. And while his teachers mostly had just a basic education, today’s teachers often have advanced degrees. Ayub’s students also have the advantages of internet access and e-learning, which offer a plethora of new tools and resources to broaden their education. Ayub notes, however, that so much more is needed. “In Pakistan, there’s simply not enough budget allocated for education,” he laments. “The education budget should be higher so that children can conduct experiments, visit labs, and become more creative.” He notes that his syllabus often requires him to conduct activities without the proper materials. “For instance, in the science book, there are topics related to chemistry that involve creating solutions. To carry out experiments like checking pH using pH paper or teaching hydrogenation, we require specific items.”
Ayub is grateful for the way CAI and the Moawin Foundation have stepped in to provide meaningful education and proper schools to supplement what the government is able to offer. He is also appreciative of the professional development support he’s received that has helped to improve his teaching skills. “We received a five-day teaching training where we learned how to teach, manage a classroom, create lesson plans, and understand the principles of Bloom’s taxonomy,” he explained. He and his colleagues were also taught about holistic child development, preserving the environment, mitigating climate change, dealing with child emergencies, and first aid response.
Ayub’s daily routine demonstrates his strong dedication to teaching. “Before heading to school in the morning,
I prepare the lectures to ensure that I am confident while presenting in front of the students,” he said. “When students understand what they are taught, they respond actively. They attempt to solve questions on their own, which brings me immense joy. This continues throughout the day. Later, I tend to some tasks at home, and in the evening,
I also provide tutoring. This way, my day comes to an end.” While his workdays are long, Ayub shows no signs of letting up. For him, his job is just too critical not to give it everything he’s got. “I believe that we are currently in an era of intense competition,” he explained. “Every teacher should strive to make their students highly capable, preparing them to face future challenges successfully.”
By Marianne Monoc
Imagine a world in which women and girls have the education and skills to unlock their full potential and contribute to a better, brighter future for themselves—and for their family, community, and country.
Central Asia Institute believes in the transformational power of girls’ education to overcome many of society’s greatest challenges, whether it be poverty, poor health, environmental degradation, discrimination, or conflict. Our programs promote empowerment and independence, and the ability of girls and women to create healthier, more prosperous, more peaceful societies.
By generously including CAI in your estate plans, you can join a special group of individuals who recognize the value of CAI’s mission and are committed to supporting critical educational services. CAI donors share the common bond of philanthropy and are part of a community of givers who are making access to education an important part of their legacy.
I was a teacher before I retired and believe strongly in education. And what could be more important than supporting education for women in Afghanistan? We have made gains in the U.S. It is time to pass the gift on. That’s why I’ve chosen to include CAI in my estate plan.
– Louise Cameron
Helping to ensure the sustainability of CAI with an estate gift demonstrates your strong belief in the power of education. What’s more, your support of our mission will be an inspiration to others, enriching the communities we serve for many years to come.
Every donation makes an impact. When you include CAI in your estate plans, you’ll become a cherished member of our Legacy Society, which includes the following exclusive benefits:
Donors who document their legacy gift at the $25,000 level or above are specially recognized as members of CAI’s Legacy Society Catalyst Circle. Catalyst Circle benefits include those listed above, as well as exclusive opportunities to attend in-person and virtual special events, programs, and activities.
If you have already included CAI in your estate plans, let us know so we can officially include you as a member of the CAI Legacy Society.
Planned giving is one of the most meaningful ways to show your commitment to the long-term success and growth of our organization. It also offers many potential advantages, including federal estate tax savings, the elimination or reduction of capital gains taxes, and the opportunity to increase spendable income.
Including CAI in our will was an easy decision. The work CAI has done for many years with local communities to improve girls’ and women’s education is phenomenal. We hope the work will continue long after we are gone.
– Ruth Abad
Gifts Through Wills or Trusts
A will or trust is one of the simplest and most common ways to provide for CAI in your estate plans. Gifts through a will or living trust leave a legacy that will benefit future generations for years to come.
Bequest
A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose, so you have the peace of mind of knowing that your gift will be used as intended. Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.
Sample Bequest Language
If you are considering making a bequest to CAI, we recommend the following language: “I hereby give, devise and bequeath _________ to Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit organization located at 2409 W. Main Street, Suite 1, Bozeman, MT 59718, Federal Tax ID #51-0376237,
for the organization’s general use and purpose.”
Bequest Policy
The general policy of Central Asia Institute is that all gifts shall be presumed to be unrestricted unless an explicit restriction is expressed. This allows the organization to apply the funds to the most pressing needs at the time
of funding.
Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
A donor advised fund is a type of giving program administered by a third-party sponsoring organization (e.g., the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, and the Schwab Charitable Fund) that allows you to combine the most favorable tax benefits with the flexibility to support your favorite charities. Created for managing charitable donations on behalf of an organization, family, or individual, DAFs are an excellent way to both simplify your charitable giving and facilitate your strategic philanthropic goals. Donors can make gifts of cash, stock, and other assets to the DAF. The donor receives an immediate tax deduction when the contribution is made. However, distributions from the DAF are not required immediately. Donors may take time to research and select grants of specified amounts to the charities of their choice before advising their DAF administrator to make a gift. You can also choose to have any remaining DAF funds distributed to CAI after your lifetime by naming CAI as a beneficiary of all or a portion of remaining funds.
Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable lead trusts allow you to combine a charitable donation with gifts to children or other family members. The lead trust pays income to the charity for a specified number of years. At the end of the trust’s term, the principal is transferred to family members. This type of trust is often used to make intra-family asset transfers with substantial gift and estate tax savings.
Gifts of Real Estate or Personal Property
You can make a gift of real estate or personal property to CAI, removing a large taxable asset from your estate and benefiting by receiving an income tax deduction equal to the appraised fair market value of the property, with no capital gains tax due on the transfer.
Gifts of Securities
Publicly traded appreciated securities that you have owned for more than one year can be transferred to CAI. CAI would then sell the securities and retain the proceeds, which can be applied to a purpose you designate. As the donor, you receive an income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities while also avoiding capital gains tax.
Gifts Through Life Insurance
You can designate CAI as a life insurance policy beneficiary. This allows you to provide a gift while also benefiting your heirs, because policy proceeds distributed to a nonprofit are exempt from estate tax.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
Also known as IRA charitable rollovers, QCDs are funds from your IRA that can be donated to a qualified nonprofit organization like CAI without first recognizing it as income. If you are above the age of 70.5 and have a traditional IRA, you are eligible to make a QCD. Up to $100,000 in IRA funds can be counted as QCDs annually, or $200,000 for married couples. Funds go directly from your IRA to the charity without needing to be withdrawn, and the QCD is excluded from your taxable income.
Gifts Through Retirement Plans
Like a gift of life insurance, you can name CAI as the beneficiary of an IRA, 401(k), or other retirement plan. The amount designated passes to the nonprofit, and your heirs avoid income and estate tax.
We feel that our lives have been blessed in many ways. We want to be a blessing to some who need the education and opportunity provided by CAI. That is why we have designated CAI for a legacy gift from our estate.
– John and Claire Young
We recommend that you consult your legal or financial counsel as you plan your gift. They can help you make the largest possible gift at the least expense to you. Personal financial circumstances may vary and must be carefully considered to receive maximum benefit from existing tax laws.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss how your estate gift can play a transformational role in CAI’s mission and perpetuate your personal values for generations to come. For more information about creating a legacy or to notify us of an estate gift that you have already made, please contact:
Marianne Monoc, Director of Development
Email: mmonoc@centralasiainstitute.org Call: 406-551-9945.
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.
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