Meet CAI’s New Board Members
By Tonya Andrews Central Asia Institute is proud to welcome two new distinguished individuals to its Board of Directors: Ambassador Richard A. Boucher and Raja Akram. Richard’s career has been marked by significant roles in diplomacy, including serving as U.S. State Department spokesperson and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. His extensive […]
How Will You Be Remembered?
By Marianne Monoc A legacy in many ways symbolizes our life, values, and dreams. Whether we hope to be remembered as a caring parent, a trusted friend, a loving spouse, a concerned citizen, or even a philanthropist, we all wish to make a positive, and hopefully lasting impact on the world. Many of our dedicated […]
New Ways to Give
By Marianne Monoc Marsha Williams first heard about CAI from her son, an avid mountaineer who had read a magazine article about CAI founder Greg Mortenson’s climbing adventures and the harsh, often unforgiving living conditions experienced by the communities he visited in his travels. As a high school counselor for many years who was passionate […]
The Women Reviving the Folk Crafts of Tajikistan
By Lynzy Billing High up in the Pamir mountains of eastern Tajikistan, 65-year-old Alimabonu Dovutova’s nimble fingers carefully thread her needle. Dovutova lives with her husband, son, his wife and her two grandchildren in the village of Khidorjev in the Roshtqala district of Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region. She leads me into a small room in her […]
The Fight of All Fights
Closing the gender gap is critical to global development. By Alice Thomas The countries of Central and South Asia face enormous challenges. While there are notable differences between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, the countries where Central Asia Institute works, all suffer from high rates of poverty, unemployment (especially among youth), illness, disease, insecurity, and conflict. […]
Harvesting Hope for Women in Gilgit-Baltistan
By Rida Pakistan ranks 143rd out of 146 countries in achieving economic participation and opportunities for women in the 2024 Women’s Economic Gap Index.i This places Pakistan among the most challenging environments globally for women seeking economic empowerment. Despite comprising nearly half of Pakistan’s population at 48.76%, women are significantly underrepresented in the labor force, […]
Afghanistan: Amid the Challenges, CAI Continues to Provide Education and Hope
By Alice Thomas One of the most common questions we get from our supporters is, “Is Central Asia Institute still working in Afghanistan?” The question is not surprising given that it seems the only news coming out of Afghanistan these days is grim. Since taking control three years ago, the Taliban has imposed increasingly harsh […]
Tahmina’s Business Stands the Test of Time
Tahmina is starting 2024 with a hard-earned title: businesswoman. Her journey to entrepreneurship was filled with starts, stops, lessons, and achievements. These days, Tahmina can support her family through her business, and she is meeting a community need. It is a far cry from where she found herself in the mid-2010s with a college degree […]
The Power Couple of Jagir Basin
For Maria Bono and her husband Raja Naveed, the endearing “power couple” label applied by their community is one they can wear confidently. Together, they have dedicated themselves to creating lasting change in their rural community. Maria worked in a government job, and Raja spent years teaching at urban, private schools. But they couldn’t shake […]
Bibi Finds Her Path
Bibi Kashmira knows firsthand the difference that an education can make. At just 25 years old, she has navigated uncertainty and economic instability, but always saw her education as the light towards a better path. After finishing university, Bibi struggled to find work in her rural village in Badakhshan province, but she didn’t stop networking […]
Progress in Pakistan
The towering mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan are serene against the bustling villages below. For Central Asia Institute the activity is truly nonstop. From repairing schools to mobilizing the library van, running IT training sessions, or supporting preschoolers, the community is always engaged. Below, take a photo tour through the work that you made possible by […]
URGENT APPEAL for earthquake survivors in Herat, Afghanistan
In the wake of the recent devastating earthquakes in Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people and left nearly 10,000 injured, the situation is dire. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and more than 66,000 people were affected across multiple districts. These communities are in urgent need of assistance. While CAI doesn’t […]
Watching Shabana Shine
As the sun rises over Parwan District in Afghanistan, 8-year-old Shabana wakes and joins her parents and eight siblings for breakfast. The day will be busy as usual, as Shabana helps her mother and prepares herself for school. But Shabana relishes it. As a young girl, she didn’t know if she would ever get the […]
Event Report: An Evening in Vermont
This August, roughly two years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Central Asia Institute hosted an intimate discussion on the future of Afghan women and girls. Situated at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont, the panel featured three incredible women, and drew an audience of more than 100. As the state with the highest number […]
Sulhiya’s Story – Tajikistan
Growing up in the Gorno Badakhshan region of Tajikistan, Sulhiya was known her for compassion and outgoing personality. When she was looking for direction after graduating in 2007, her family encouraged her to pursue teaching, which was a natural fit for her skillset. Sulhiya immediately developed a deep connection with her students and picked up […]