Seelai Karzai, Author at Central Asia Institute

Announcing Our 2024 Impact Report

We’re excited to announce that Central Asia Institute’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Impact Report is now available! With the faithful support of caring donors like you, Central Asia Institute changed thousands of lives for the better in 2024. Your love of education opened the doors to new possibilities and opportunities for children and adults born into some of the most challenging circumstances on Earth, empowering them to be the change agents their families, communities, and countries so desperately need.  

Your generosity allowed us to send impoverished students to school, train teachers to be more effective educators, and renovate schools and classrooms into safer, healthier environments for students and staff. Thanks to you, CAI invested in the transformative power of girls’ education, as more than half of the students and teachers benefiting from CAI-sponsored programs were female. Below are just a few examples of the amazing accomplishments we were able to achieve last year, with your help: 

37,504 individuals across Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan were directly reached by Central Asia Institute’s programs.

More than 100 students received scholarships.

Nearly 1,300 teachers participated in professional development training or received salary support.

New or renovated classrooms and schools created safer, healthier learning environments for 2,450 children.  
Women’s livelihood programs allowed 258 women the space to learn entrepreneurial skills and, for many, jumpstart their own businesses.

Behind the program data and financial results are incredible personal stories of transformation, resilience, and hope. So, join us as we celebrate the individuals whose lives have been transformed because of the support of so many dedicated donors like you. We are deeply grateful for your belief in our mission.

Download your free PDF copy of CAI’s Impact Report or access the digital version now.

We have received emails and calls from many of our supporters regarding the recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid, asking whether it has affected CAI’s programs.

Fortunately, thanks to the generosity and unwavering commitment of individual Americans like you, CAI does not rely on the U.S. government for our funding. Instead, you are the ones that make our programs possible, and we are enormously grateful for the independence and flexibility your support allows us.

Amidst an ever-deepening global financial crisis, our work in these regions is more crucial now than ever. Your funding enables CAI to continue to assist women and children living in marginalized and underserved communities in Central Asia. We cannot thank you enough for your commitment to providing them with education and job opportunities that provide hope for the future and a path forward to a better life.

Beheshta’s Joyful Transformation

Nine-year-old Beheshta is a second-grade student at a CAI-sponsored community-based school in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. A bright student interested in learning, she quickly excelled in reading. However, Beheshta’s teacher noticed that the child was suffering and seemed to be in constant physical distress. She reported the situation to the local Child Protection (CP) team and a meeting was scheduled with her parents, during which it was discovered that the family had been struggling with Beheshta’s health problems for some time. Ostracized by classmates due to her poor health, Beheshta confessed, “I felt sad and isolated.” A medical appointment was quickly scheduled for her, and she traveled with her family to Fayzabad, the provincial capital, for consultation with Dr. Viktor Naziri, a urologist. His diagnosis revealed that Beheshta suffered from a kidney and bladder disorder. Dr. Naziri prescribed medication and scheduled follow-up appointments to monitor her progress.

Due to her teacher’s careful attention and intervention, Beheshta’s health and sense of wellbeing improved with her successful treatment. She has transformed into a joyful and enthusiastic little girl, eager to attend school and play with her classmates. Her father, Borhanuddin, expressed his happiness, saying, “We are grateful for the educational and health support provided by the CBE in our community.”

Beheshta now dreams of becoming a doctor so she can provide free medical care to poor children in her village. These days she is known for her outstanding academic ability and is recognized as one of the brightest students in her class.