One of the major barriers to education in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan isn’t what you might think. As populations grow and the education revolution takes hold, there simply aren’t enough classrooms to hold all the students who want to learn. This simple lack of classrooms is holding thousands of children back, and many of them are girls. How do we know? Along with research from various global relief organizations, we seek out counsel from the people living in the villages who are experiencing these problems first hand.

In Tajikistan, poverty is one of the largest barriers to higher education. All too often promising students must end their academic dreams early, or their families take out loans they can never pay back and are often not sufficient to put their children through school. With help from donors, CAI’s partner in Tajikistan (CAIT) gives scholarships to students based on need and merit, ensuring poverty does not derail the dreams and careers of some of the country’s best and brightest students. Each applicant must submit their school grades and their family’s income information, complete an interview, and submit recommendations from village elders and teachers.

“I have long believed that the best way to fight terrorism and poverty is to educate women.  When women have knowledge they begin to realize they have power. They begin to transfer that to their children. They teach their daughters that women are valuable and can make a difference. They teach their sons compassion. They teach their children that there is more than one way to look at the world.” - Elaine Olson. Read about what it's like to be a Dream Maker in our monthly giving program from two women who believe in the power of education.