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.