By Richard Montgomery | Executive Director
Dear supporters,
We are proud to share important news about the growth of our Afghanistan program and to be transparent about what this growth requires. Your support has helped us deliver education, food security, and dignity to families in Northern Afghanistan during one of the most difficult periods in the country’s history. Our work is now expanding at a scale that reflects both strong results and growing need.
A strong vote of confidence from UNICEF
In 2025, UNICEF awarded Global Roots a $100,000 grant to support education for children in Badakhshan Province. At a time when access to learning, especially for girls, was shrinking, this partnership allowed us to stabilize and strengthen our learning centers. Teachers were supported, classrooms remained open, and children continued to learn despite severe restrictions on formal schooling.
In 2026, UNICEF more than doubled its investment. This year, UNICEF is providing $228,000 to our program to enable us to add 1,000 new children to our learning centers. This represents a 100 percent increase in enrollment in a single year. It is a clear endorsement of our approach, our accountability, and the trust we have built with families and partners on the ground.
UNICEF’s support allows us to expand the educational core of our program. These funds are dedicated entirely to education. They cover teachers, learning materials, safe learning spaces, and monitoring to ensure children are attending regularly and making progress. Without this support, expansion at this scale would not be possible.
What this support looks like in a child’s life
Beshra is a 15-year-old girl from the Jurm District of Northern Afghanistan. Like millions of Afghan girls, her dream of going to school was abruptly cut short after grade six by a nationwide ban on secondary education for girls.
Beshra’s parents strongly believe in education, but belief alone cannot overcome the restrictions that now shape daily life. As the eldest child in her family, Beshra felt the loss deeply. After being denied access to school, her days began to blur together. Purpose faded, joy disappeared and hope felt distant.
That changed when Beshra was selected to join a small but vital food and education initiative managed by Global Roots. Her admission into the program was made possible by her informed and determined mother, who took the necessary steps to secure her daughter a place.
Over the past six months, Beshra has rediscovered direction and confidence. In a classroom shared with other girls her age, she has strengthened her math skills, learned basic English, and studied the science of agriculture. Just last week, she received a certificate of completion, marking an important milestone in her learning journey and a reminder that her future is not closed.
While Beshra has been learning in the classroom, her family has been supported at home. Global Roots provided her mother with training and supplies to grow vegetables in a small greenhouse. Beshra now helps her mother increase production, and together they sell vegetables at the local market to earn a modest income. Education and livelihood support are working side by side, reinforcing one another.
Beshra’s story shows what becomes possible when education is paired with practical support. A single opportunity can restore hope, dignity, and direction for a girl who was at risk of being left behind.
The gap that education funding cannot fill
It is important to be clear about the limits of this funding. UNICEF’s grant is fully restricted. One hundred percent of the funds must be used for education activities only. They cannot be used to address other needs that affect whether children are able to learn.
In the districts where we work, poverty remains severe. Food insecurity is widespread. Families struggle to afford basic medical care, and many children lack warm clothing. Health services are limited, and even small illnesses can keep children out of class for weeks.
Education alone cannot overcome these realities. When children are hungry, sick, or cold, learning becomes fragile. Attendance drops. Concentration suffers. Motivation fades. Classrooms can exist, but education cannot succeed without stability at home.
As we prepare to welcome 1,000 additional children into our program, this challenge grows alongside the opportunity. More children in school means more families who need support beyond the classroom. Without funding for food, clothing, and medical care, many of these children will struggle to benefit fully from the education UNICEF is helping to provide.
A whole-family approach to learning
From the beginning, Global Roots has taken a whole-family approach. Education is at the center of our work, but it is supported by practical assistance that helps families survive and stabilize. When families are supported, children stay in school. When basic needs are met, education becomes meaningful and sustainable.
Today, 850 children are enrolled in our learning centers, and 73 percent of them are girls. They study English, math, Dari, and life skills. Alongside education, families receive support that helps them meet daily needs and cope with ongoing hardship. This combined approach has proven effective in keeping children engaged in learning, even under extremely difficult conditions.
Why matching the UNICEF support is now critical
UNICEF has committed to education. That commitment has opened the door for dramatic growth. Now, flexible donor support is needed to match that investment by covering what restricted funding cannot.
Your continued support will allow us to provide food assistance so children can focus in class, warm clothing so they can attend during winter months, and basic medical care so illness does not interrupt learning. These elements are not optional. They are the foundation that allows education funding to succeed.
Without matching support, the full impact of UNICEF’s investment cannot be realized. With it, education becomes stable, attendance improves, and families are better able to protect their children’s learning.
In the coming months, we will expand enrollment, support new teachers, and closely monitor attendance and learning outcomes. At the same time, we will continue to respond to the basic needs that shape whether education is possible at all. Our goal is not only to enroll more children, but to ensure that every child who enters our program is able to learn with dignity.
Thank You
We are deeply grateful for UNICEF’s confidence in our work and for your continued partnership. Growth brings promise, but it also brings responsibility. Together, we can ensure that education is not just available, but truly accessible to the children who need it most.
Thank you for standing with Afghan children and families at this critical moment.
With gratitude,
The Global Roots Team
By Richard Montgomery | Executive Director
By Rick Montgomery | Executive Director
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