As you know, Afghanistan is in crisis. The Taliban have taken complete control of the Afghan government and the Afghan people are fearful of what will come next.
At AAE, our top priority is protecting our staff and students. Schools have already been closed for in-person learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
We are currently working to determine the best and safest way forward to continue ensuring that women and girls have access to quality education in Afghanistan. One program we are working on is community-based education, where students attend classes in a teacher's home. We are also actively working to distribute learning materials to the increasing number of internally displaced persons and people in dire need, as we have been doing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We're planning to expand this program so every student in need can receive learning materials.
Since 2003, more than 2,500 students have graduated from AAE's accelerated education program. Nobody can ever take away their education, no matter what happens next in Afghanistan.
Thank you so much for your continued support of AAE. We remain committed to providing education for marginalized women and girls in Afghanistan, just as we have over the last 20 years.