Help Educate Women & Girls in Afghanistan

Dear Friends of Sahar,

GlobalGiving’s continuous support and generous donations helps Sahar reach 23,000 Afghan girls annually and helps sustain our signature programs including Early Marriage Prevention, Coding, and Teacher Training Centers. As a donor you are ensuring that girls in rural Mazar-e-Sharif will keep learning computer skills, raise awareness of early marriage issues, and train female teachers in local communities to increase literacy rates. Sahar’s work helps girls stay in school.  This in turn raises literacy levels, improves family income, and provides opportunities to tackle significant poverty rates. For each girl educated, it is estimated seven family members are positively impacted.

Early Marriage Prevention Program (EMPP): As we enter our sixth year, EMPP continues to thrive! The students are inspired and enthusiastic in part because topics of mental health and trauma, art therapy and human rights are explored. So far this year we have an incredible 274 students enrolled! They post messages and write journals to express how this program has impacted them.

“The painting session was very interesting: when the teacher played music, we painted. I painted things that inspired me. I want to be a leader one day, the seminar helped me so much.” Madina 10, 6th grade

Coding Program: 36 students graduated from the program in 2019. The reputation of success and the avenues for girls to continue in information technology fields has put our program in high demand– including the need for a waiting list! More girls are entering technology, architecture, and engineering fields after graduating from the  Coding Program. In effect, our coding classes provide students with a stepping stone to university. Sahar coding graduates are making historical progress in male dominated professions.

“I will be the first in my family to pursue the technology and computer science field. My interest in this field grew as I began taking computer classes, and then Coding classes. These classes have helped sharpen my skills and knowledge that I am confident will help me in building my career. I am hopeful to someday be able to publish my own website and showcase my activities to my clients.” Mursal, 14, 8th grade

Teacher Training Center (TTC): Students enroll to become a certified teacher in the rural community of Dowlat Abad. Their energy and enthusiasm can be seen in their attendance, despite local security issues and social rules that ban women and girls from getting an education. Currently we have over one hundred students undergoing the two-year TTC training. TTC graduates take their lessons into the local community and are raising literacy rates among the local women, creating jobs in their communities, and improving their family income. As a result, the TTC is also impacting the local economy and empowering women.

On behalf of all Sahar program participants, elders in the communities, and Sahar staff we thank you for your generous donations and continuous support to Afghanistan women. Thank you! 

Best,

Ginna Brelsford, Sahar Executive Director