Earlier this year, we put out a plea for help to repair damaged and crumbling schools and build two new structures for students crammed into small homes or studying in the open air. Hundreds of people from across the country and even across the world came together and pitched in to make sure students in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan have a safe space to learn.
Back to school is on the minds of many parents and children as the hazy days of summer shrink into cooler nights. Grocery store aisles of fresh pencils, colorful notebooks, and backpacks are replacing summer coolers, beach balls, and sun hats. Halfway across the world in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan students and their parents are thinking about going back to school too. Many schools have been on a summer break, and in some areas it’s too hot to go to school in summer, so they wait until the cooler months to start classes.
Bonnie Hough was dedicated to finding solutions for challenges - personally, locally, and globally. It was her nature to observe a problem from what she considered a scientific perspective, creating solutions based on her observations and understanding. She did something because it interested her and it needed to be done. This was simply her approach to life.
I, Yalda, daughter of Gholam Heydar, study Dari Language and Literature at the Teacher Training School of Seyed Jamaleddin Afghan. If I tell you the story of my life, you will see what a hard life I have had so far. I was six years old when my father was martyred and at the same time my brother lost a limb in a bombing airstrike. From this very moment, my life became grim and was left with a mountain of grief.
This year Pennies for Peace (P4P) raised $40,000 to rebuild the Dasht School in Tajikistan through penny collections completed by school children and community groups across the U.S. and internationally. While we often give credit to the kids for collecting pennies and accomplishing their projects, on National Parents' Day we want to say thank you to the parents behind the scenes encouraging and helping their children along the way.
“Tajik women must be educated for a healthy and a happy life. An educated woman can be a better human being, successful mother and a responsible citizen.” These words come from Ayperi Kubanichbekova, a shining example of determination and passion for learning exhibited by CAI scholarship students the keep girls in school.
This month our friends in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, as well as Muslims all around the world, are celebrating Ramadan. During this holy month, which began on May 27 and will last until June 25, Muslims honor the receipt of the 1st revolation by the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) through fasting from sunrise through sundown, prayers, and introspection. We sat down with one of our board members to talk about the importance of giving, not only for Ramadan, but to create change year round.
Today on Global Running Day people all across the world are celebrating the joy, passion, and sometimes pain of running. Running is an easy way to connect people all over the globe, and help them accomplish numerous goals, even goals like access to girls’ education. One person who will log a few miles today is Anna Robbins, a champion for girls’ education who is raising money for CAI during her first half marathon at the Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series in Philadelphia, PA this fall.
Today is a big day for CAI – we’re celebrating 21 years of providing education to some of the most remote areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. We’re marking this occasion with a huge announcement that honors our past as pioneers of innovation and looking to the future needs of the people we serve. Please welcome the Pioneer Fund.
For 20 years CAI has focused our efforts on educating people, especially women, in the most remote areas of the world, knowing they will have the biggest impact. This journey is long and difficult, and we’ve learned that even the best-laid plans sometimes need to shift. This is the case with the Ray-e-Abisham primary school in Ishkashim, Afghanistan, one of the featured projects we’ve been writing about in our Spring Construction Campaign.
