Provide Care for Afghanistan's Abandoned Children

Dear supporters,

 We are excited to share how your kindness is changing lives in rural Afghanistan. Thanks to you, hundreds of families in Badakhshan Province, mothers and children who once struggled with hunger, now have hope. With your support, they are learning to grow food, earn income, and send their children, especially girls, to community learning centers. Your kindness is bringing real change to families who have endured years of hardship.

Fighting hunger with gardens

In the districts of Baharak, Jurm, and Shuhada, food insecurity is a daily struggle. Markets are distant, prices are high, and jobs are scarce. For many families, fresh vegetables and fruit were beyond reach.

This year, Global Roots launched the Home Gardening Project, which is reaching more than 200 families. We provided seeds, fertilizer, tools, and small greenhouses so households could grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables right at home.

We also introduced beekeeping to 20 women-led households and gave them hives and training. Honey is now adding nutrition to family meals and giving women a new product to sell in local markets.

The story of Zainab

(All names in this section have been changed to protect identities)

Zainab (not her real name), a 38-year-old widow from Baharak, remembers days when she skipped meals so her four children could eat a little bread with tea. Vegetables were rare, and meat was almost unheard of. When she received a greenhouse, seeds, and training, everything changed. She planted cucumbers and tomatoes, carefully following the guidance of our trainers, and now her garden is overflowing.

Her family can now eat fresh vegetables daily, and the surplus goes to market. With her earnings, Zainab can buy school supplies for her children, who are learning in a local community learning center.

“I never imagined I could grow food like this,” she told us. “My children eat better now, and I am proud that my daughters are learning skills I never had the chance to learn.”

Her words capture what this project is about: restoring nourishment and hope. In Jurm, another mother named Farida (also not her real name) uses her garden income to buy clothes for her children. In Shuhada, a young girl named Parwana (also not her actual name) shared that her new love of English has inspired her to dream of becoming a teacher. These stories show how home gardening can bring hope to families.

Education for girls and children

While mothers like Zainab attend agricultural training, their children, especially daughters, are not left behind. 850 children, 73% of them girls, receive free education in our learning centers, where they learn English, math, Dari, and basic business skills.

At a time when so many girls are denied access to secondary school, these centers provide a safe and supportive space to learn. Beyond reading and writing, the lessons connect directly to life: agricultural vocabulary, simple accounting, and problem-solving.

This dual approach (empowering mothers through farming while educating their children) ensures that entire families rise together. Mothers gain confidence and food security, while daughters gain knowledge and the courage to imagine brighter futures.

Our project does more than hand out seeds and tools. Families receive training in:

• Greenhouse farming and pest control
• Beekeeping and honey harvesting
• Organic gardening practices
• Food preservation and storage
• Basic business skills such as pricing and record-keeping
• Financial literacy and market access

These skills help families save money, generate income, and plan for tomorrow.

The impact stretches beyond individual families. Surplus produce is reaching local markets, creating more economic activity. Children who once had no access to learning now study daily.

Most importantly, women are gaining both income and respect. For a long time, these women have been excluded from economic life.

In the coming months, we will expand training, monitor progress, and help families make their gardens sustainable year-round.

Thank You

None of this would be possible without you. Together, we are proving that even in the hardest places, change can take root when communities are given the tools, knowledge, and opportunity to grow.

With gratitude,

The Global Roots Team