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I wrote this opening paragraph on the 2nd Sunday morning of August. Then I cried. I cried loudly. Tears ran down my face and did not dry up. I could hear myself crying because it was so loud and I got a bit embarrassed. I was glad I was at home by myself. Then a thought hit me. When I was in deployment, my heart ached witnessing how devastated condition Afghanistan people were living under and helped over 3,000 people. Then I knew these tears and cry will save tens of thousands of widows and orphans in Afghanistan.
With 76% of illiteracy, 42% of chronic poverty, and knowing how Afghanistan widows and orphans were abandoned from their societies without skills or means to survive, we knew we urgently needed to help them. We knew we needed to come up with a permanent solution to help these widows and orphans to meet the basic needs to feed their family and send their kids to school. We planned for a year and finally in October, 2010, we opened our first vocational school for Afghan widows and orphans in Jalalabad city. We started with 5 students as a pilot study. Since then we graduated 3 more classes. The program was a success.
We taught 4 subjects.
- How to read and write Pashto
- How to perform simple math
- Hygiene
- Sewing and embroidery
These 4 subjects were taught daily for 3 hours, 6 days a week for 2 months. Then upon graduation, we presented each graduate with a new sewing machine. They do not have electricity, so we must purchase non-electric sewing machines at $60 per each unit.
They were excited to attend the school for the first time in their life time. They were also thrilled for the idea that they can start making money at home immediately after the graduation. When average earning of adult males is about $30 a month, purchasing a sewing machine at $60 was an impossible dream for them. These women never went to school and never had given opportunities to train a skill.
Dr. Rafi who is in overall charge of our projects and operations in Afghanistan wrote me on emails how excited the widows and orphans were for the opportunity of education that was given to them through our school. Some were first time even holding a pencil on their hands. At the age of 30 or 40, they learned their first alphabet. Not every enjoyed. For some, it was very difficult and challenging. But everyone got through and their lives were never the same again. Now they could read books to their children or read signs on the street for the first time in their lives. What a joy! The excitement will transmit to their children and they now have better understanding of the importance of education.
And the sewing machine gave them a new level of hope. They can now put a sign outside their home for work. The whole village knew they just went through training and got a brand new swing machine. People were curious and brought them clothes to sew. Using the swing machine, making $60 a month was not an impossible goal any more. Our graduates are the proof. They are really making it happen. Their lives have turned around. Their lives will never be the same again. They not only now belong to 24 % of elite class in Afghanistan who can read and write, but earn nearly the double amount of what average male adults make a month. They can feed their children and send them to school. Orphans we taught also feed their siblings and send them to school. What amazing results!
We do not spend thousands of dollars building schools. We rent cheap 2-3 bedroom houses at $100 to $150 a month. This way the money you donate to us goes directly to help widows and orphans and they do not have to wait until the school is complete with construction to get educated. We plan to operate a total of 50 small satellite school all over Afghanistan to help the most needed Afghan widows and orphans.
In November this year, we plan to start 2 more schools, and we really need your financial support. Please help us start 2 more schools, so we can provide these devastated widows and orphans opportunities to live new lives. It is a small sacrifice for us, but it is life changing events for them. It could be their turning points of their lives. But we can only do this if you help us.
We need to raise $80,000. This is to operate 3 schools for 6 months. It will pay for staff in Afghanistan, sewing machines, sewing/embroidery kits, and all the necessary school materials.
One, your donation of $60 will pay for a sewing machine. Some sewing machines will be given to our students at the graduation and some will be placed in classrooms for lessons.
Two, your donation of $441 will provide a full scholarship to a student. This includes a sewing machine presented at the graduation. And this scholarship will be given in your name and you will be reported how the student you sponsored progress throughout the course.
Please we are not saying those are the only amounts we accept. Gift of any amount, $5, $10, or $20 are all welcomed and appreciated.
We humbly ask you to find the little voice in your heart to save these Afghanistan widows and orphans. Once the schools start we will be sending out weekly newsletters to all of our, so you can follow their progress as if you are in the class with them.
Thank you and God bless!
William Seo
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