|
Help the Afghan Children (HTAC), a non-profit, non-partisan, charitable organization, was established in 1993 by Suraya Sadeed, an Afghan-American woman, in response to the abject condition of children she witnessed in the early 1990s. HTAC is a 501(c) 3 organization exempt from federal income taxes (tax ID: 54-1695838). All contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. HTAC is registered with the Afghanistan Government as a National NGO.
Help the Afghan Children focuses its efforts to provide quality education to Afghan girls and boys by establishing "integrated model schools". In cooperation with Afghanistan's Ministry of Education we are introducing new and innovative pilot-programs such as peace education, computer literacy, teacher training, and environmental awareness to supplement the regular curricula. We believe this enhanced curriculum introduced in our sponsored schools will serve as part of an integrated approach to education that will contribute to the sustainable development of Afghanistan.
Vision and Mission of HTAC
Our vision is for an Afghanistan in which all children have access to education and healthcare, and are able to contribute positively to their families, communities, and nation. We envision Afghan children who have access to quality, comprehensive community-based schools to help them mature as individuals who have the will and capability of bringing stability and prosperity to Afghanistan and to the world.
Our mission is to help Afghan children become educated, healthy, and productive citizens who are able to fully contribute to building Afghanistan's civil society. We accomplish this by working with supporting partners to establish model community-based schools in different regions of Afghanistan; by providing training to local educators to enhance their professional capacities; and by developing and introducing innovative learning programs.
Board of Directors
Suraya Sadeed, Founder and Executive Director
Donna Nichols, CPA, Chair
Aziz Qarghah
Krista L. Hoffpauir
Daud Saba, Ph.D.
Jo Anne Nakagawa
Frances Connell
Mary Moore
Suraya Sadeed founded Help the Afghan Children in 1993 and serves as our Executive Director. Suraya has been a champion for Afghan children, a leading authority on the education and welfare of women and children in Afghanistan, and a pioneer in bringing innovative educational programs to Afghanistan. Her work has been recognized and honored at the highest levels of government in both Afghanistan and the United States, other organizations, and the media.
Donna Nichols is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 17 years of experience in governmental and non-profit accounting and has made significant contributions to Help the Afghan Children since joining our Board in March 2006. Donna earned her bachelor of science degree in Accounting from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York and was also licensed as a CPA in New York. Donna became Board Chair in January 2007.
Aziz Qarghah has served on HTAC's Board since 2001. He is the Director of Afghan Health and Development Services (AHDS) since 1990, and NGO with 53 health facilities in Afghanistan. He worked extensively in planning, policy-making, and development not only for AHDS but also through an elected representative of the National Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) to Afghanistan Programming Body.
Krista Hoffpauir first became involved with Help The Afghan Children through her work as a Director of Rapidan Foundation, a non-profit, charitable foundation located in Washington, D.C. She has served as HTAC's board member since 2003. Krista Hoffpauir graduated from Johns Hopkins University in January 1998 with a 4.0 GPA and received her Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology Program. Her focus of study in the John's Hopkins Master's program was in child and adolescent physical, cognitive and psychosocial development with an emphasis on education.
Dr. Saba serves as a Senior Advisor for National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan (NEPA), and supervises the rehabilitation of the Afghanistan Geological Survey. He is a researcher and has published many books and articles regarding the environmental issues. Dr. Saba Joined HTAC as a board member in 2005.
Jo Anne Nakagawa is Director of Clinical Projects at the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her professional career includes clinical research at UCLA’s Division of Pediatric Neurology aimed at improving the quality of life for infants and children with uncontrolled epilepsy. Jo Anne is the creator of Help the Afghan Children’s “Read Afghanistan” storybooks that have helped improve literacy levels for children in our schools. Jo Anne joined our Board in January, 2007.
Frances Connell has over 20 years of experience in social and organizational development, strategic planning, and policy development in international affairs. Frances has advanced degrees in International Education Development and English Literature, is fluent in three languages (including conversational Dari – Afghan Farsi), and has taught at the University level. Frances is also a published author and in 2006, she authored Children of the Sun which recounted her experiences as a school teacher in a small Afghan village while a member of the Peace Corps.
Mary Moore is a journalist who has worked at the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio and other news outlets as well as an associate producer of documentaries for television networks such as Discovery, E!, and MSNBC. A graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Mary has worked in Afghanistan and Pakistan, training Afghan women to become journalists and starting new media. She has also worked as a strategist for the Prime Minister of Croatia, helping to position the country for entry into the European Union. |
.gif)
