Afghanistan Higher Education Reconstruction
Restoring Afghan Education, One Chair at a Time
Letter from the Afghan Minister of Higher Education
Contact Information
Kabul University Children Center's
Home Page
Help Students and Faculty Renew Kabul University
Higher education had just begun to flourish in Afghanistan before the long wars beginning with the Soviet invasion and extending through the rise and fall of the Taliban destroyed most of the nation's universities in whole or part.
The
current Afghan Ministry of Higher Education
is dedicated to reconstructing the nation's universities--their buildings,
academic programs, faculties, equipment, laboratories, and libraries.
This will require time and investment from concerned private citizens
like you.
However, there is one immediate obstacle to the return of women students, faculty, and staff to such university programs as are already functioning or soon to be restored. No child care is available to the women who were denied education and the women who were already educated but denied the right to teach or work for years until the recent toppling of the Taliban regime. Many of these women were widowed during the wars; most of them are sole caretakers of multiple children. Similarly no facilities exist for early childhood education, for the safe and nurturing development of war-scarred infants, toddlers and young children (primary education in Afghanistan begins at age 7).
Inspired
by the work of faculty member Dr. Maliha Zulfacar
in Cal Poly's College of Liberal Arts on behalf of higher education in
Afghanistan, a group of interested students, faculty, and staff at Cal
Poly are raising funds to build, staff, and equip a children's center
at Kabul University. Our purpose is to enable women to study, teach, and
work in other capacities at the University and to provide good care in
a developmental environment for the children of the university's students
and employees. Kabul University has already designated a site for the
children's center, and we have already received our first contributions
to the fund. Our goal for 2002-2003 is $13,500 to cover approximately
$10,000 for materials and construction, $3,000 in staff salaries, and
$500 in books, art supplies, blocks, games, and other learning materials.
We
have selected Give2Asia, an organization
founded by The Asia Foundation
and headquartered in San Francisco, as the tax-exempt 501©(3) non-profit
organization to administer our Kabul University Children's Center Fund.
Contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible. Give2Asia will acknowledge
all contributions by check and will provide a receipt.
Please join us in contributing to rebuilding education and civil society in Afghanistan with a donation to the Kabul University Children's Center. Simply write a check to Give2Asia (please write Kabul University Children's Center on the memo line of your check) and send it to:
Michael Rea, Managing Director,
Give2Asia,
465 California Street, 14th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94104.
Alternatively, you may send it to:
Susan Currier
c/o College of Liberal Arts
Cal Poly,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
as we will forward cash and checks collected locally on to Give2Asia.
You can watch your and others' contributions grow the Fund towards our goal right here on the web site
We know that the Afghan
Minister of Higher Education (see his letter) and the people of Kabul
will appreciate your generosity. We certainly do.
Sincerely,
Susan Currier,
Associate Dean
Angela Hacker
CLA Student and 2001-2002 ASI president
P.S. If you are local and wish to donate actual preschool learning materials
or equipment, please drop it off in the Ethnic Studies Department Office
(building 38, room 136) or the College of Liberal Arts office (building
47, room 31) at Cal Poly. If you are unfamiliar with the campus, please
call 756-2706 and we will arrange to pick up your contribution or to give
you information on campus parking and these two locations.