Since its founding in 1995, ASCHIANA has become the leader in educating Afghanistan’s street and war affected girls and boys. ASCHIANA (Afghanistan’s Children - A New Approach) is an Afghan nongovernmental organization (NGO) registered with the Ministry of Economy. ASCHIANA means ‘nest’ in Dari. The organization’s mission is to assist the thousands of war-affected Afghan children at risk and their distressed families in Afghanistan and to ensure them a positive and productive future. ASCHIANA operates seven enters and three outreach programs in Kabul, centers in Mazar-e Sharif and Charikar, Parwan Province, and programs in Qarabagh district and Herat. Sixty percent of the students are girls. Each day over 4,500 girls and boys attend ASCHIANA centers and receive a hot, nutritious lunch.
ASCHIANA offers a variety of education and vocation programs. Children aged 8 to 10 learn to read and write so that they are academically able to join the regular Afghan schools. Children aged 10 to 13 years gain a basic education, recreation and some professional training. The youth aged 14 to 18 are taught reading, writing and vocational skills needed to earn money to support themselves and their families. Vocational course offerings include plumbing, electronics and small machine repair, masonry, carpentry, woodworking, computer use, photography, tailoring, embroidery, and hairdressing. ASCHIANA also offers excellent art education in calligraphy, watercolors, oil painting, wood carving, and pottery. The music program teaches children to play traditional Afghan instruments and sing traditional Afghan songs preserves the children’s cultural heritage. ASCHIANA also offers a unique accelerated education program for older-aged girls whose education was disrupted due to the Taleban and civil war. The program compresses two years of school into one year using the regular Afghan school curriculum of the Ministry of Education. The students’ health is very important. All students attend health and hygiene education classes. ASCHIANA’s mobile clinic visits the Kabul area centers providing check-ups, diagnosing and treating minor problems. ASCHIANA social workers visits students’ homes and workplaces to assure continued support of the family ensure the child’s work activity is safe. ASCHIANA’s other programs promote financial and entrepreneurial skills, including a microfinance loan program for women and a children’s development bank managed by the children. The students at ASCHIANA write and publish their own newsletter.
ASCHIANA’s future remains bright. It plans to open centers in others provinces where no centers currently exist. In 2007 it will begin construction on a new, larger center in Kabul. ASCHIANA’s mission remains constant: To educate Afghanistan's street working and war-affected children and give them and Afghanistan a brighter future.
Making a Donation: It is possible to make donations to Aschiana and to the Emergency Winter Relief for 93 families at Baghe Daoud IDP camp in Kabul. Those wishing to give may make donations by check or money order payable to "Friends of Aschiana." If you want your donations to go specifically to the Winter Relief, then write 'Aschiana Emergency Winter Relief" in the memo line to assure it is credited to the correct account. Send the check to:
Friends of Aschiana
c/o Elinor Edmunds, cofounder
2980 N.E. Division, Unit T2
Gresham, OR 97030
Donations are tax deductible.