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 into primary school, we are fighting back against the Taliban’s repressive regime. By learning to read, write, and understand basic math, these children will have the vital life skills they need for a chance at a better life. We are committed to standing by communities we’ve served for more than two decades. We are making education possible and championing the next generation of Afghans.
With the generous support of our donors, CAI currently supports:
- 171 community-based education classes across multiple provinces in Afghanistan
- 4,983 students served,
- 59.3% whom are girls
- More than 193 trained women teachers leading these classes
- Over 290 Afghan women trained to start their own small businesses in dairy farming, jam-making, pickling, and other sectors
Since 1996, Central Asia Institute has worked to bring education and job skills to some of the most remote, impoverished, and marginalized corners of Central Asia. From building schools, to training teachers, to supporting women to launch their own businesses, our education programs help to transform lives and make opportunity possible.
While CAI’s programs benefit women, girls and boys alike, we believe “she is key.” We believe in the transformational power of girls’ education to overcome many of society’s greatest challenges, whether poverty, poor health, or conflict, and create healthier, more prosperous, and more peaceful societies.
Our Mission
To advance education and livelihood skills, especially for girls and women, in remote and mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
Our Vision
We envision 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 their families, communities, and countries.
Educate a girl. Change the world.
This year alone…
- 17,164 people reached through direct programming
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14,593 students supported, 60.7% whom are girls
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293 women entrepreneurs assisted in starting their own small businesses
Give the Gift of Education. Change a Life Forever
At CAI, we believe education is the most powerful tool for transformation. When a girl learns to read, she gains the confidence to shape her own future. When a woman is educated, her family, community, and nation grow stronger.
Your gift today is more than a donation—it is an investment in hope for the women and girls of Afghanistan. Every dollar you give extends opportunity to those who need it most, and represents the promise of a better tomorrow.
Help us to remind Afghan women and girls that they are seen and supported:
- For just $75 you can fund one semester of education for one student
- $150 pays for one year of education for one student
- $250 provides jam-making & pickling start-up business kit & training for one woman
- $600 pays for supplies for a class of 30 students for a year
- $1,000 provides one cow for a woman to start her dairy business