Learning Centers for Rural Afghan Women

Dear Friends,

AIL’s successful Learning Center program helps thousands of girls and women each year. In Herat there are 26 Learning Centers which served 12,546 people in the last six months. This number includes 7,994 women and girls. 9 of the centers are urban and 17 are rural. Most centers are co-ed but there are 3 which serve only females.

One of those female only centers is at an orphanage. There are approximately 150 girls (numbers fluctuate as girls age out and new ones arrive) being cared for in the orphanage. Each day AIL staff make sure that the 90 girls who are of age, go to school, and when they return to the orphanage they are offered tutoring. There are cooks who ensure that each girl is given healthy, nutritious food to eat.  Health care is also provided by the girls and health education. 

The girls have the opportunity to attend classes offered by AIL after their school day. There are 9 classes taught by 4 AIL teachers at the orphanage. The classes include Arabic, sewing, computer and English. Twice a year each girl is supplied with cloth and is taught how to make a pattern and sew the cloth into clothing, giving her a skill, which she can use to help earn an income when she leaves the orphanage and goes out into the world as a young woman. AIl wants every orphan to leave as an empowered young woman with skills that will help her look after herself.

Habiba, a young girl that has been raised by the orphanage since she was five years old. In ten years of life she has faced many challenges in her past. She was born into a poor family of 5 members. Her father was killed on a road side bombing when she was 2 years old, and her mother and three of her siblings were working to pay for their livelihood.  To add to her devastation, Habiba’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed as well. Shortly after, her older sister married and Habiba and her brother were brought to the orphanage due to the financial constraints of staying with relatives. At the orphanage she is living like other children having nutritious food, someone to look after her, friends to play with, clothing to wear and a school to learn and grow. Currently a 4^th class student, Habiba’s intelligence is evident in her interest in learning computer skills. When we asked her what she thinks about the computer, she answered us in this way: "Computer was a new thing for me and I didn't know it before I saw it the first time. I knew nothing about the keys, the hardware and the software and how to use it. From the day I started, it was amazing for me and I can do many things with it. I can paint, draw, write, read, count and do many things. During the sessions I learned many things and I am not that girl of years ago. I wish I can be an elite student and then an elite person in this country and change the destiny of children like myself. I am going to achieve all my goals by studying and critical thinking. Today my dreams are coming true at AIL orphanage. I am going to change my life."    

Your support makes a difference in the lives of girls like Habiba. Thank you.

Dear Friends, 

TODAY June 15TH -9:00am ET TO 11:59pm! 50% Matching funds available for donations made to AIL projects on GlobalGiving.org! Donations up to $1,000 per individual donor per organization may be matched while funds available. The money runs out fast- so donate now!

Are you a UK donor? GlobalGiving.co.uk has its own bonus day. Donations up to £1,000 per donor per organization may be matched 50% while funds last. Match starts 14:00:01 BST on June 15th and ends at 4:59:59 BST on June 16th.  

AIL update

The AIL education program is going well and classes are being held at 43 Learning Centers (LCs) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including 15 rural centers around Herat. A diverse range of subjects are offered including: math, literacy, Arabic, English, sewing, miniature painting, computers and physics. So far 13,888 students (including 9,044 females and 4,844 males) participated in Learning Center education. There are 150 females in 4 month long mobile literacy classes. AIL staff maintain libraries in many LCs to help students with their studies and expose them to as varied a selection of reading matter as possible. Here is a typical story from one center, “We could solve the family problem of two students this month.  One of them is a young woman; her husband is an opium user. He didn’t let his wife join the center.  But we talked with them and were able to get his agreement. After a lot of talk and face to face contact of the center’s manager and elders of the area he did agree with her.  Now the woman is learning in our center. She is very happy about this and thanked AIL staff for changing her life.”  This story reflects the growing problem of opium addiction in the male population and its devastating consequences on both the men and the female members of their families. AIL's education program gives women and girls hope for their futures and means to earn a living if needed to support their families.

TODAY, your donation can go further!  Donate between 9:00am and 11:59pm and help AIL continue its valuable work providing education.

Dear Friends, 

AIL just completed its latest monthly review of the Learning Center (LC) program in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the progress is overwhelmingly positive.  In Herat, 10,223 students (including 6,751 females 4,313 of them adolescent girls) participated in Learning Center education last month.  In much of rural Afghanistan, schools are either inadequate or nonexistent.  AIL centers often provide the only academic and life- skills education that many of these adolescent girls and older women get. 

As a result of AIL training and classes, many students are able to apply for professional jobs after school and earn money for their families.  Here is one story from a rural LC in Herat: One of our center’s achievements this month is that one of our students, Zahra was the only applicant selected from a pool of about 100 persons for a job as an employee for an organization.  She completed English and Computer learning programs at our center.  She was usually the best in all her classes.  We are very happy for her success and that she can now help her family.  Her whole family is illiterate and suffering from the weak economy.  Zahra’s new salary will help them to have a better life.  She is thankful for the AIL Learning Center that created this change in her life. 

Thank you for your continued support of the LC program that equips women and girls with the skills they need to better themselves and their communities. 

Dear Friends, 

Matching funds are available for donations made to all Creating Hope International and Afghan Institute of Learning projects on Global Giving. 

TODAY ONLY 9am ET to midnight March 16th! Donate anytime within these hours, up to $1,000 per individual donor per organization.

Here are links to our projects on Global Giving: CHI projects and AIL projects.

All donations are final.  The match is pro-rated so we will know the percentage of match at the end of the day, but everyone gets some matching funds from a pot of $75,000.

Special Alert!!  Two of our projects are eligible for 2 different matching funds  TODAY! 

Donations to these two projects get a 50% match under the Safer World Fund AND a  match on this March 16^th Bonus Day!!  Check the SWF leaderboard! SWF allows matching by unique donors up to $1,500 per donor per project with project max of $15,000 in matching. 

1073 Save Rural Afghan Women and Children with Healthcare

1155 Fast Tracking Education for Afghan Women and Girls 

AIL has started the year 2016 with a full roster of education classes in many subjects as diverse as, literacy, English, carpet weaving, computers and physics. In the month of January, there were 9,682 students (6,132 female) in classes at 42 Learning Centers (LCs) in Afghanistan and 1 LC in Pakistan.  The health program has provided 19,226           patients with treatment and given health education to 11,854 people. Here is a story:

“My name is Somayeah and my twin sister is Masomah. We live in a poor family and we are both interested in learning, but we always missed the chance to study because people were laughing at us. Fortunately AIL’s teachers promoted self-confidence and self-esteem in us with great advice. Now we are happy and no longer ashamed. Our minds changed since attending AIL’s literacy and sewing classes. We also found out about the dignity of women in the community and we are proud to be twins. We also made very good educational decisions about our future.” 

Your donation will help AIL continue its valuable work providing education and healthcare, emergency relief and legal aid to poor Afghans. 

Thank you.

Dear Friends,

AIL runs 24 Learning Centers in Herat Province which served 17,813  people including, 11,592  women and girls in 2015. One of the centers is for the disabled and there are 30 residents including 5 women. The center provides them a place to learn and receive care as there are 3 nursing staff on hand. Most recently the center opened a library to help with the residents' education and for enjoyment. This resident’s comments explain what the center means to the people.

“My name is Fariba. I am a 21 years old woman. I am disabled because of my legs and I can’t walk. I am not feeling any mental disability since I came to this center. The nurses helped me get out of a dangerous depression. I never believed in my abilities and I thought I was useless, but I found out about my capacity here. I have a lot of new friends and study literacy here. My mind has changed I have got good feelings about myself and I believe that I can do a lot of good things. I go to the city in my wheelchair a few times a week and attend classes where I learn to live happily and love others in the community. I have also learned about leadership and I have made big decisions for my future.”

This center helps women cope with their disability and look to learn new skills. Many students are now attending regular school and 11 are at university.

Please read the attached CHI 2015 Newsletter featuring AIL for information on activities last year. 

We are thankful for your continued support for Learning Centers for women in Herat. Together, we are making a difference in lives of the women and girls.

• CHI_Newsletter_2015.pdf (PDF)