Dear Friends, It has been over a year since the dreadful fall of Afghanistan. Much has changed in the life of the Afghan people, especially women and girls. Millions of Afghans are facing the unthinkable and their hope has been replaced with fear and devastation. The winter has already arrived in the country and for millions of people it will be harsh, cold, and dark. Afghan girls will have little food, no fuel, little access to education, if any, and they will struggle to keep themselves warm and nourished. More than 28 million people – 2/3 of the population – need humanitarian assistance, up from 18 million people just two years ago. Acute food insecurity and malnutrition continue to climb. Poverty and destitution have deepened as people continue to lose their jobs and livelihoods. Families now spend at least 75% of their income on food, leaving little left over for health care and education. Women, the backbone of our society, are fully denied their basic rights. Girls are banned from school. This is an absolute abomination that must end. The Taliban’s brutal exclusion of women and girls from schools, employment, and political life has terrible humanitarian consequences that will impact our future, unless we educate the next generation of Afghans. The Taliban’s decision to impose even more hard-line measures on women will further damage the mental and physical well-being of women and girls, unless we help them. I know the challenges confronting us in Afghanistan are severe. But nevertheless, Ayenda Foundation is determined to do its part and committed to staying the course and standing by Afghan girls. During this time Ayenda was able to provide a $25,000 grant to LSSNCA in support of the Afghan Refugee families. It was heartwarming to know that we were able to bring smiles to the faces of almost 300 children and youths in the Afghan Refugee community in the DC Metropolitan Area. We were able to provide more than 230 families, and 300 children, with the tools and resources to be safe, healthy, and successful in the early phases of their resettlement process. Most of the grant was used towards purchasing laptops, HP Chromebook, headsets, car seats, booster seats and warm blankets. Ayenda was also able to provide a $10,000 donation to the American University of Afghanistan in support of the 700 students that are studying online from Afghanistan. Despite the daily threats from the Taliban, the courage’s students continue with their education as they know this is their only way out of the misery they are facing now. As we approach the holiday season, I would like to seek your support to ensure that we have the funding we need to carry out our educational and humanitarian programs. Afghan families have exhausted all their reserves, and public schools for girls are closing. We must keep educational programs going. Ayenda is grateful for your support and friendship and counts on your continues assistance. Ayenda is committed to provide educational opportunity to Afghans inside and outside the country. As we believe through the power of education, Afghans may be able to find a way to peace and stability. Thank you! DONATE TO AYENDA FOUNDATION http://www.ayendafoundation.org/get-involved/donate/ (fb)

Dear Friends, I wanted to write to you today but didn’t know where to start, what to say that you haven’t heard on the news before; how to express my deepest sorrow for the loss of my beloved country that you haven’t heard from other devastated Afghans. We are all in morning for our loss. The people of Afghanistan are experiencing one of the worst human tragedies in history. Sixteen million women have lost their freedom, aspirations, and hope for a better future overnight. I am shattered, beyond broken. I want to thank all of you, my dear friends and many Americans, my longstanding friends, true friends of Afghanistan for your care and support. So many of you have developed great love and enduring relationships to provide and enhance educational opportunities, civil rights, human rights to Afghans. It is absolutely not true that nothing good had happened in my country. We have achieved many milestones in the past 20 years that unfortunately slipped away from our hands in the blink of an eye. I have received so many messages from most of you and people from all over the US and the world who are so distraught and share their deepest sorrow in this human tragedy. Thank you for sharing our pain. We lost our Ayenda school that many of you have been supporting in the past 12 years. My heart bleeds for our students and the school community, the beautiful faces of our students are passing in front of my eyes. What will happen to them, I don’t know? But we are not going to give up, we will continue our humanitarian work to support the displaced and refugees that needs our help. My hope is that we can continue to help each other, extend kindness and tolerance, and remember the value of human dignity. I assure that our work will continue, and we hope that these dark days will be over soon. With respect, love, and peace Shamim Jawad http://www.ayendafoundation.org/get-involved/donate (fb)