Unlock Women's Potential: Afghanistan & Pakistan

Leading Change in Afghanistan

In 2025, Ascend continued to deliver our Strong Health Empowered (SHE) core program to 150 young women, equipping them with vital knowledge and skills in health, leadership, and resilience. Outcomes from the program continue to demonstrate powerful, lasting impact. In a recent survey of more than 100 Ascend alumnae:

• 98.1% reported improved self-confidence, with the majority indicating a significant boost.
  
  
• 75% feel “a lot” or “very much” a part of a network of empowered women through Ascend.
  
  
• 95.5% have shared what they learned about health and wellness with others—multiplying Ascend’s reach far beyond direct participants.
  
  

Building on this strong foundation, we also launched a new Entrepreneurship Training, in partnership with the University of Central Asia, graduating nearly 240 women. Many graduates have already started their own small businesses — from mushroom cultivation and poultry farms to environmentally sustainable enterprises such as producing bags from recycled materials.

Our alumnae network remained highly engaged, with women gaining access to online resources, English language courses, mentorship, and writing clubs. Collectively, program participants and alumnae reached nearly 2,000 community members, sharing critical information on mental health, personal hygiene, first aid, and more.

In Afghanistan, while the de facto shutdown of internet services in late September disrupted many women’s programs that operate solely online, Ascend remained resilient. Because our center offers a safe physical space for women to gather, programming continued uninterrupted. Even when the internet is down, young women continue to learn, grow, and access opportunities through face-to-face sessions.

Training New Leaders in Pakistan

In Pakistan, Ascend welcomed a new cohort of Instructor Trainees, drawing women from across the country and the Gilgit-Baltistan region. These trainees are committed to leading the next generation of women leaders through outdoor education, health, and leadership. In Skardu, they are undergoing intensive training in mental and physical health facilitation, developing advanced rock climbing skills toward Single Pitch Instructor Certification, and delivering hundreds of hours of community service focused on health, wellbeing, and environmental stewardship. Upon completing their training, they will join Ascend as staff — leading after-school programs, summer camps, and leadership retreats that strengthen leadership and resilience among women and girls.

Afghanistan: Your support is giving young women and girls confidence and motivation to not give up on themselves and their dreams

Ascend has given me hope and a new perspective in life.Through the program…I’ve learned to believe in myself, to set goals and to keep moving forward - even when it’s hard. Now I no longer ask if I can do something. I ask what I [can do] next to become the best version of myself.” - Roqia

Our fifth cohort of 50 girls has completed the four-month Strong Healthy Empowered (SHE) Program, which equips participants with life skills that bolster communication, leadership, self-confidence, mental health, and body awareness.

Building on this success, our new Entrepreneurship Program launched in January 2025; 80 women have already completed the one-month course, with many leveraging their new knowledge to launch businesses that provide both income and self-determination.

Meanwhile, our advanced leadership team—more than 270 SHE graduates and counting—continues to refine their professional skills, maintain healthy lives, and deliver hundreds of hours of community engagement sessions. Their outreach ensures that entire communities benefit from Ascend’s health and wellness training.

Pakistan: Growing the Next Generation of Women Instructors

This spring, we welcomed eight new instructor trainees who are literally and figuratively learning the ropes of becoming Ascend instructors. This fall, these trainees will take the lead in delivering the afterschool program, reaching even more girls across the region.

In addition to expanding our instructional team, Pakistani instructor Zeba made headlines this past spring by summiting a 6,000-meter peak alongside an all male team from her home village. Zeba credits her Ascend training for both the physical readiness to summit and the mental fortitude required to be the expedition’s sole woman—an inspiring example of what confidence, skill, and opportunity can achieve.

Links:

• Townlift Park City News: Empowering women through mountaineering
• From Kabul: A New Beginning