Literacy Classes & Books for Afghan Women & Girls

Dear GlobalGiving Donors,

Thank you so much for supporting the Afghan Institute of Learning’s (AIL) various projects on GlobalGiving. Over the years, the Global Giving donors have become invaluable to AIL. Through your generous support, AIL has been able to provide Afghans with education, health care, training and more.

It is your continued support that is now allowing AIL to evolve along with the young people of Afghanistan. We’d like to share with you the story of how one young woman’s life has been changed thanks to one of AIL’s programs:

I am a 19-year-old woman with two children. I had always wanted to go to school and learn to read, but there was not a school close to my home. It was not safe for me to try and travel to another village to go to school, but I always told myself that if I could go to school, I would be able to get a job and reach my goals.

It was painful to me when my brother learned to read and write, but I couldn’t. One day I watched some women and children who were going somewhere. When I saw that one of them was a woman who had an 8-year-old girl with her, I stopped her and said “Excuse me. Where are you going?” She answered, “A learning center has been established for illiterate women and their children recently. I am going to register myself and my children.”

When I heard this, I was so happy and I said to her, “Please wait a minute. I want to go with you and start to take classes too.” I joined them on their way to the learning center. When we arrived, I was so excited because I saw a lot of women there who had been learning.

Now, I can read and write and I can say proudly that I am literate. I have also learned to be healthy and to be a leader. I am reaching out and touching my wishes and goals. I thank AIL for this opportunity to reach my goals.

Thank you for the support that you give to AIL. We are so grateful to all of our supporters for their continued support of our projects on GlobalGiving. Thank you!

AIL is committed to improving literacy rates in Afghanistan as literacy is the gateway to improving life circumstances and economic opportunity. As part of its literacy drive, AIL provides books to libraries including the Citadel Library in Herat which regularly receives book donations each month. Approximately 300 students and members of the public now use this library each month for research and pleasure

AIL’s printing and publishing operation recently produced 200 invitations which were donated to the local Literary Association and two banners for workshops. AIL in Herat published 3000 copies of a 68 page book for students to use calligraphy. AIL plans  to distribute this book in Kabul and Herat  to teachers and students of regular schools and some will go to AIL Learning Centers.  The Education Department of Herat thanked AIL for producing this book and for pursuing the goal of improving writing.  The Culture and information Department of Herat also praised this effort. Calligraphy is an important historic art in Afghan culture and reviving this helps people to connect with their history and traditions.

During the last few months AIL has been gathering together articles for its magazine which will be published soon and details will appear in the next report.

 Thank you for your continued interest.