Learning Centers for Rural Afghan Women

Hi everyone! The Afghan Institute of Learning is off to a great start this year. They now have 19 Learning Centers open and providing education in Herat, up from 17 this time last year. In order to keep up with the influx of new students attending these centers, teachers in the Herat Learning centers now number in the hundreds. Thanks to your support, AIL educated 13,000 students in Herat in 2013, nearly 10,000 of those students were women and girls. Herat Learning centers are experiencing healthy growth, and many communities are requesting learning centers of their own. As more numbers come in for 2014, we will be able to provide you with an even clearer picture of just what kind of impact you are making on the lives in women in Herat.

In December, one of AIL’s centers saw 22 women graduate from that center’s tailoring courses. Many of these women are in the process of starting their own businesses so they can make clothes to sell at their local market. They were very appreciative to AIL and supporters like you for giving them the chance to not only become independent, but also to be able to provide for their families.

Four students in another center took and passed the entrance exam to go to the University in Herat with flying colors. One of the girls who passed had this to say about her success:

“I have never imagined I could be able to read and write, but AIL managed to convince me to believe in my ability. Today I am a student of a university, which was beyond my expectations. I am going to change my life and the life of everyone in the community, the same as Professor Sakena Yacoobi does.  I feel myself in different world, full of energy and abilities that were given to me by AIL. I owe all my success to AIL.”

We would like to thank you again for your generous support of AIL’s programs. Without supporters like you, we couldn’t have accomplished what we have or what we plan to do in the future. Thank you!!