Afghan Institute of Learning Empowers Afghan Women

Thank you so much for supporting the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL)! As the situation in Afghanistan continues to develop and change, your support becomes more important than ever to helping AIL educate, train and provide healthcare to Afghan women. During the first 6 months of 2014, your support helped AIL to provide education to 9,456 Afghan women and girls in Learning Centers and schools in Afghanistan and the refugee camps of Pakistan. You also supported training in subjects such as leadership, peace, human rights and the election for 1,694 women and girls during this time period. Finally, nearly 84,000 women and girls have received healthcare and health education through AIL’s health programs.

The AIL Learning Centers offer a variety of classes, from literacy and math, to sewing and embroidery, English and Arabic, cosmetology and even computers! Recently classes of computer students were promoted to the next level in their studies. At the promotion ceremony, a young woman named Sima was thrilled to share that because of her computer skills, a construction company had hired her! Her husband is a day laborer, and is not able to earn enough to support his family. Now, thanks to the AIL computer class, she is able to work and earn an income. Sima realizes that she might face challenges being a woman working outside of the home, but feels that she is ready to face them. She said, “I know that I might face problems because I am a woman, and there are some who feel that a woman shouldn’t work outside the home, but I want to work and will ignore whatever is said about me. I thank AIL for giving me this chance to change my life.”

Another wonderful success story came from Farima, a woman who decided that she no longer wanted to be illiterate. She came to AIL’s literacy classes, and after 6 months was able to read and write. Soon, a relative hired her to work in their supermarket. She is so pleased to be able to help support her family. Farima says “AIL has changed my life. Before attending the AIL literacy class, I stayed home every day and wasted my time. I lost so many chances in my life because I was not educated, but now, because I learned to read and write I have a job. Now, I can read, write and communicate with all sorts of people.”

We want to thank you again for your generous support of AIL and our programs that empower Afghan women. We hope that you are inspired by the hard work and determination of Sima and Farima and will share the stories of Sima and Farima with your friends and family. Thank you again for your support.