The most effective long-term strategy to breaking a nearly 30-year cycle of conflict, poverty, ignorance, fear and neglect in Afghanistan is investing in its children; empowering them with knowledge and giving them tools (so as young adults) they can address Afghanistan's critical problems.
Here is how HTAC is making a difference for this future generation of Afghans and why you should consider supporting us.
Providing Quality Education to Afghan Children - Afghanistan's educational infrastructure is so poor that only a tiny fraction of eligible children will likely receive the education they need. HTAC model schools provide an invigorating curriculum and a safe, clean, nurturing learning environment for over 18,000 children every year.
Addressing Illiteracy - In a country where over 50% of school age boys and 80% of girls remain illiterate, our innovative "Read Afghanistan" program has helped 89% of our primary and middle-school children achieve strong reading comprehension in their native language. For girls, 94%.
Empowering Young Women - Approximately 4,000 of our high school girls learn important computer skills each year. 75% of graduating 12th grade students use those skills to acquire computer-related jobs or go on the college, helping many of them break the sad cycle of forced early marriage and child-bearing.
Rejecting Violence and Adopting the Values of Peace and Cooperation - Far too many Afghan children have grown up in an environment where they have been physically and emotionally traumatized by violence. Left unattended, most of them will grow up believing that violence is the only way to resolve conflicts, and thus, perpetuate Afghanistan's 30 year cycle of internal war and terror. HTAC's peace education program is dramatically changing the attitudes and behaviors of Afghan children who now reject violence (especially among boys), practice non-violent conflict resolution, learn patience, respect, and gain self-confidence.
Removing The Enticement of Extremism For Young Afghan Men - HTAC model schools and educational programs are providing thousands of high school boys with the knowledge and skills to become productive young citizens upon graduation and rejecting extremist views and associations that often entice less educated, more vulnerable youth.
Learning to Care for the Environment - Almost 30 years of on-going conflict have not only killed millions of Afghans, but have also decimated the land and natural environment. HTAC's environmental education program gives Afghan children hands-on experience in building eco-friendly gardens, replacing dusty playing fields with green spaces, and identifying local toxic waste.
Training Teachers - The lack of qualified teachers remains one of Afghanistan's biggest human resource challenges. About 60% of teachers lack a high school education and almost 90% have never received any formal training. Poorly prepared teachers are unable to transfer knowledge and learning onto Afghan children. HTAC-trained teachers pass a rigorous program where they are required to master eleven critical teaching competencies before teaching independently and even after completing our program, our master teacher trainers assist them in establishing long-term development plans. These proud professionals are some of the best-trained teachers in Afghanistan and they are giving thousands of Afghan students the critical tools to succeed.
Preventing Landmine Casualties and Rehabilitating Child Survivors - Over a million landmines still litter many regions of Afghanistan. Approximately 75,000 Afghans (about 50% of them children), have been maimed or killed since 1980. HTAC (in partnership with the Marshall Legacy Institute) educates Afghan children in vulnerable areas about landmines, provides prosthetics and rehabilitative care for landmine survivors, and via the internet, facilitates valuable cultural exchange efforts between Afghan schools and their sister schools in the U.S. to spread awareness, and engage students in fundraising efforts to assist landmine victims.
Teaching Global Citizenship - Since 9/11, one of the biggest challenges facing the United States and the West has been trying to bridge the polarization between the Muslim and non-Muslim world. In Afghanistan (the centerpiece of fighting between U.S./NATO forces and various extremist elements), there is a furious psychological battle being waged on both sides to win the hearts and minds of the civilian population. In place of ignorance and fear, one of the best non-violent weapons we have is building cultural bridges of respect and understanding between Afghanistan and the West. Since 2005, HTAC's cultural exchange program has brought together hundreds of Afghan and American students in creating, sharing, and discussing meaningful (and often life-changing) projects such as: what democracy means to me; how students can help promote peace; and sharing their life stories. Bonds between students, teachers, and schools are created; perceptions are positively changed; and the seeds for future collaboration and peace are planted in this next generation of children from both sides of the world.
Investing in Local Afghan Communities - The long-term success and sustainability of schools and the education of Afghan children is primarily dependent on the support of the local communities. This is especially true of schools that are located far from major urban areas. Since 2003, HTAC has worked with local communities in organizing, developing, and sustaining Community School Committees (comprised of community leaders, elders, parents of school children, and teachers), where our goal is to empower and help them take ownership of their schools and the educational welfare of their children. These committees have: made repairs to local bridges and roads leading to schools; provided potable water and made repairs to classroom desks and chairs; and provided additional security which has been instrumental in establishing a safe, secure learning environment for their children while preventing theft.
Providing Humanitarian Aid - While HTAC's primary focus is the delivery of quality education to Afghan girls and boys, we have never forgotten the critical, on-going need to provide humanitarian aid and emergency relief to children and families in need. Since 1993, HTAC and its humanitarian partners have provided critical, aid to over 1.7 million Afghans in the form of: medicines, blankets, shoes, apparel, cooking, heating, and other supplies to displaced people in under-served areas. When natural disasters such as earthquakes and extreme flooding occur, HTAC has responded quickly and effectively, providing heaters, cooking stoves, blankets, and other life-saving aid to thousands of affected children and their families each year.