Help Afghan Boys Trade Guns for Books

Dear Friends,

Boys are keen to learn computing both because it is interesting but also because it is a marketable skill for when they seek work. In the month of June in Herat Learning Centers, 387 students are studying computing, including 193 males. In the Kabul Province and other provinces there were 169 computer students including 87 males in 3 centers where the classes were male only. One of these classes is in Wardak Province which has a lot of security issues so the fact that the class is running is remarkable. Two of the Kabul classes are a combined English and computing 6 month course which is highly sort after.

Here is an inspiring story from one computing  student, “This student used to live in a village with family and although the parents were not educated people, they encouraged their children to study. In their village there was a school which was not of a high standard and the teachers were not experienced. So the parents wanted their child to study in the city school even though they were poor. The student started studying in the city school in order get a good education and become a highly capable person. After school the student attended AIL’s English and computer class. After graduating from school this student went back to the village and opened a learning center and started teaching English and computing to earn a living and to help change the lives of youth in the community.” 

What a difference good education makes in a life! Not only education but opportunity to learn modern marketable skills. Thank you for contributing to our work helping equip boys with skills they can use to make a better life for themselves and their communities.

Your support changes lives. Thank you.

Dear Friends, 

TODAY June 15TH -9:00am ET TO 11:59pm! 50% Matching funds available for donations made to AIL projects on GlobalGiving.org! Donations up to $1,000 per individual donor per organization may be matched while funds available. The money runs out fast- so donate now!

Are you a UK donor? GlobalGiving.co.uk has its own bonus day. Donations up to £1,000 per donor per organization may be matched 50% while funds last. Match starts 14:00:01 BST on June 15th and ends at 4:59:59 BST on June 16th.  

AIL update

The AIL education program is going well and classes are being held at 43 Learning Centers (LCs) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A diverse range of subjects are offered including: math, literacy, Arabic, English, sewing, miniature painting, computers and physics. So far 13,888 students (including 9,044 females and 4,844 males) participated in Learning Center education. There are 150 females in 4 month long mobile literacy classes. AIL staff maintain libraries in many LCs to help students with their studies and expose them to as varied a selection of reading matter as possible. Here is a typical story from one center, “We could solve the family problem of two students this month.  One of them is a young woman; her husband is an opium user. He didn’t let his wife join the center.  But we talked with them and were able to get his agreement. After a lot of talk and face to face contact of the center’s manager and elders of the area he did agree with her.  Now the woman is learning in our center. She is very happy about this and thanked AIL staff for changing her life.”  This story reflects the growing problem of opium addiction in the male population and its devastating consequences on both the men and the female members of their families. AIL's education program gives boys hope for the future and skills that they can use for work.

AIL also conducts trainings during the year including teacher training. So far in 2016, 398 teachers (234 female and 164 male) have undergone training in modern methods of teaching. 701 (341 female and 360 male) have been to trainings on other subjects such as leadership, health, violence, tax, administration, IT and computers. The AIL emergency aid program is currently maintaining its supplies ready for an emergency situation, be it natural or manmade. AIL’s legal clinic continues to see women helping them with issues such as marriage, property disputes, custody or business matters. 30 women aged between 17 and 56 were helped with their legal concerns in April. This year AIL’s health program has provided 79,048 patients with health treatment and 50,433 patients have participated in some form of health education. 

TODAY, your donation can go further!  Donate between 9:00am and 11:59pm and help AIL continue its valuable work providing education to men and boys.