Dear Friends,
I am writing to share good news about how your generous support is already helping us surpass our original goals.
After launching our call for applications on November 11, 2024, with the help of our many allies, in and outside of Afghanistan, we reached 821 girls in 22 provinces in just two weeks. The response has been overwhelming, providing proof that despite everything, Afghan girls remain hungry for learning.
After a rigorous review, we selected 631 applicants to take our English entrance exam, out of which 318 scored at a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level B2 or higher. This gave us our next challenge: selecting a short list of applicants from this huge talent pool to be interviewed and further vetted. We chose 65 who had scored highest on English tests and essays, to be narrowed down to an initial cohort of 10.
We were deeply inspired by our meetings with these applicants. One said she aspired to be a NASA researcher. Another said she wanted to become a journalist to represent “the voice of the voiceless—women in Afghanistan.” The quality of interviews, English proficiency, demonstrated resilience, and commitment levels of the applicants astounded us, and as a result, we increased our goal — committing to support 27 young women in our first cohort of aspiring students. These students represent some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan, including Badakhshan and Daykundi, and bring together Uzbek, Turkmen, Pashtun, Tajik, and Hazara students.
But we didn’t stop there. To pilot our private/community sponsorship model, we have engaged the Afghan diaspora and a group of US military veterans, who generously offered to sponsor the tuition for the high-school education of two more girls, their laptops and monthly internet for their 22-month program. That brought our inaugural cohort to 29 students, who will begin their classes at Smart Schools International on March 3. Each student will be paired with a peer mentor (an American college student) for weekly sessions that will include support with time-management, goal-setting, and study and stress-relief strategies.
We are also thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Right to Learn Afghanistan, that has donated 27 computers to our students throughout the country, plus 12 months of internet costs.
Our students—and all of us at Alekain—are filled with gratitude and joy for your support. Your belief in our mission means the world to us. Thank you for standing with us as we continue to create a brighter future for these girls.
Please spread the word by sharing this update with your friends. Encourage them to follow our work through our website, or via our social media handles, and to lend whatever support they can through our fundraising campaign: https://gofund.me/fc275d23
In solidarity,