In the land-locked, glacier-studded mountainous regions of remote Afghanistan, elementary schools are a recent luxury. In a country where only 21% of women are functionally literate (per World Factbook 1999 figures, the most recent available), improving the education of girls is one of the most lasting ways to increase stability, prosperity, and peace. When girls have the opportunity to further their education, their standard of living rises, and their families have a better chance of escaping the crushing cycle of poverty.
$20.00 will outfit two girls with school uniforms and the necessary supplies for a year of school, affecting their lives profoundly by giving them an opportunity that so many of us take for granted -- the opportunity to learn and build towards a better life.
Uniforms are provided through Central Asia Institute (CAI), a non-profit supporting community-based education programs in remote mountain regions of Central Asia. CAI involves local people in all phases of these projects -- planning, implementation, and evaluation. A committee of elders and experts guides the process. Before a project starts, the community matches Central Asia Institute funds with equal amounts of local resources and labor. Such commitment ensures each project's viability and long term success.
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