Afghan Institute of Learning Empowers Afghan Women

Dear Friends,

The Afghan Institute of Learning and Creating Hope International have photos in this year's GlobalGiving's Photo Contest!

We need your help!
Please vote for these photos NOW until Friday, May 26th at 12:00:01 EDT.

AIL Photo     CHI Photo

Your vote will help us win a $1000 bonus prize and the opportunity to be featured on the GlobalGiving homepage and in their social media outreach! Thank You.

Updates from programs!

Girls team wins Technovation Challenge with Education App!
Professor Sakena Yacoobi High School , Herat has won first place in the girls  Technovation Challenge competition creating mobile phone applications.
The 5 girl team beat 36 other teams from Afghanistan with their education app Amozgar, that teaches literacy. Sponsored by AIL, they worked on this project for 3 months creating an app with the alphabet with audio and words and sentences.  Their message, “With Amozgar we change homes into schools.”
The team and their app now move on to the semi- final round of judging with 100 teams from around the world. Six finalists will be picked from this round to compete for the final prize.

Radio Meraj wins more Top Awards in Media in Western Afghanistan!
The Afghanistan Institute for Research and Studies held a contest for 161 media outlets. Meraj was permitted to enter 3 categories and won all 3!  Meraj won best news package, best analysis and speakers, and best innovative programming. In addition, a photographer working with AIL won the best photography prize for one of his AIL photographs.
The competition attracted media outlets from all over the western zone including the well- known stations that have been operating for decades. Meraj’s success is remarkable in that it has been in operation for only two years yet won awards usually associated with stations of 5 plus years of experience. It won the most awards among all the existing media.
Radio Meraj is many years ahead of its strategic plan and has gained popular and professional credibility and success making it one of the top three Herat stations.   The station operates 20 hours a day reaching 9 out of the 15 districts of Herat.

Dear Friends,

AIL has always approached helping the needy in Afghan society with a multi- pronged approach combining health care and education with education and skills training. AIL’s health program is a strong and sustaining element of this philosophy. Women cannot be empowered if they are unwell and lack the necessary knowledge to be healthy and keep their families healthy.  AIL has 4 fixed clinics and outreach units at one Learning Center and an orphanage. So far in 2017, AIL has treated 51,446 (70% women and children) and given health education to 38,404.

Health education is given whenever and wherever possible such as at clinics, at Community Health Worker (CHWs) visits, at schools and Learning Centers. Health messages are part of everyday and every class at the centers. For example, students studying mobile literacy send text messages about health to their class mates.

AIL oversees 15 CHW posts which are manned by two person teams. Their job is to give basic care and advice and health education as well as referred people to clinics. They tend pregnant women in their villages giving the necessary information about pregnancy and safe delivery. In 2017 CHWs have already visited 10,099 families expanding the reach of AIL’s health program and empowering women to take care of their health.

AIL also provides healthcare and health education at an orphanage. Here is a story from that facility:  Hamida had this to say, “When I was playing in the nursery playground I slipped and  fell  from the top of  the walk way.My right foot hurt a lot as it hit an iron rod. I felt that my foot bone was broken.  My friends took me to the health department of the nursery immediately.  Fortunately, the doctor was there.I was crying from the bad pain. He immediately injected me with a painkiller to help calm me. After the examination, the doctor told me fortunately, my foot was not broken. However, it was injured badly. “I will prescribe you some medicine and analgesic ointment to apply it once at night in order to get well soon. You must rest and do not stand on your feet for at least ten days.”I really do not know how to express my feelings toward Professor Sakena Yacoobi  who made these facilities for the orphans.  I really had no idea what to do with an injured and painful foot if there were not a health department in the nursery. I do not have anyone who could help me. Thank You! “

Thank you for your support for women and girls in Afghanistan.