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How to Leave a Lasting Impact: CAI’S Legacy Society

How to Leave a Lasting Impact: CAI'S Legacy Society By Marianne MonocWe all strive to find purpose and meaning in our lives. One impactful way is through supporting charitable causes,...

Unlocking a Treasure Chest of Knowledge: Women’s Economic Empowerment Programs

Unlocking a Treasure Chest of Knowledge: Women’s Economic Empowerment Programs By Bella Pich and Tonya AndrewsAt CAI, we believe empowering women is the most effective way to reduce poverty, strengthen...

Not the Lesson I Planned

Not the Lesson I Planned: Rethinking Impact in Education By Claire Mei Chevallier When I was 18, I attended a talk by a mountaineer who became my role model. Nearly...

CAI Board Member Profile – Eileen Shield-West

CAI Board Member Profile - Eileen Shields-West By Tonya AndrewsFor Eileen Shields-West, the mission of CAI is more than a cause—it’s a calling. A longtime advocate for displaced communities, Eileen’s...
CAI Board Member Moin Khan

CAI Board Member Profile – Moin Khan

CAI Board Member Profile: Moin Kahn By Tonya AndrewsFor Moin Khan, education is more than a professional interest—it’s a personal mission shaped by years of experience, family history, and deep...

Celebrate With Us: CAI Turns 30

Celebrate With Us: CAI Turns 30 By Marianne MonocIn 2026, Central Asia Institute will turn thirty. For three decades, we have provided sustained support for education and economic opportunity in...
Charitable Giving

Give More, Owe Less? The Benefits of Charitable Giving

Give More, Owe Less? The Benefits of Charitable Giving By Brittany HeaterPhilanthropy is more than just making a gift—it can also be part of a savvy financial strategy.When we think...

The Ripple Effect of Educating a Girl

The Ripple Effect of educating a girl Why her empowerment benefits everyone.By Alice ThomasCentral Asia Institute’s mission has long been to promote education as a pathway to opportunity. Since our...

Nurturing Safe Learning Environments in Tajikistan

Nurturing Safe Learning Environments in Tajikistan By Seelai KarzaiFor many years, Central Asia Institute has supported early childhood education across remote, mountainous communities of Tajikistan, particularly in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous...

Shining the Light on Shining Star

Shining the Light on Shining Star By Natalie Meyer*When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, decades of progress for Afghan women and girls came to an abrupt halt....

Not A Lost Cause: The Fight for Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

Not A Lost Cause: The Fight for Girls’ Education in Afghanistan By RidaI grew up in Balochistan, Pakistan, a community where education was a luxury girls had to earn. Every...
Photo of Pakistan student

More than Education: Breaking down Menstrual Barriers

More than Education: Breaking down Menstrual Barriers By Bella Pich Imagine being a young girl growing up in a remote mountain village in Pakistan, with access to few resources.  While...
Tajikistan Mountain Range and village

Traveling to Tajikistan: A Photo Journal

By Alice Thomas, Executive Director, CAIThis August, I traveled to Tajikistan, where Central Asia Institute has been supporting access to quality education and women’s economic empowerment since 2012. Posing for...
Afghan students

Central Asia Institute in Afghanistan: The Fight for Education

Educating the next generation of Afghans CAI is one of the few international organizations still working in Afghanistan. By continuing to enroll Afghan children, especially girls, from poor, marginalized communities...

Why Every Girl Matters

By Natalie Meyer As a college student, education profoundly changed and shaped my life. My classes have taught me to think critically, ask questions, and imagine new possibilities for myself....