Exciting New Development in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

We are starting an elementary school and women’s crafts center in the city of Jalalabad that will open its doors in the spring of 2010. The school will offer a safe learning environment for 100 children, with free access to high quality education and a special focus on hygiene, civics, arts & crafts. The craft center will train the mothers of our students with the skills of sewing and embroidery, providing them with economic empowerment and the ability to contribute to their family’s financial stability. We are deeply committed to this project as it reflects our mission and embodies our belief that education and economic empowerment are the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and rebuilding Afghanistan.

How can you help?

We are asking for your financial support to make this project a success.  We've raised $10,000 and are looking for another $50,000 to cover the first year of operation. Your contribution, of any amount, will go a long way towards starting the school and craft center, furnishing it, buying books and materials, training and paying its teaching staff and ensuring its on-going management and oversight.

You can help us greatly by spreading the word. If you have friends, family members or business associates who might be interested in providing education to these children and their families, please make them aware of our work by forwarding this site to them or posting it on your blog.

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Rubia is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization – your donation is fully tax deductible.

Our partner

We are partnering with dreamfly, an organization that focuses on child empowerment through high quality education. Dreamfly was started in 2007 and within a year had launched an elementary school in Akri, a small rural village in Pakistan. The school now has 200 “little dreamers” and will be accepting new students in 2010.  

Rubia Executive Director Rachel Lehr met with dreamfly’s founders, Mona and Umaimah, during her last visit to Afghanistan. Dreamfly had decided to build its next school in Afghanistan and was looking for a high integrity local non-profit to partner with,  in order to deliver its mission. dreamfly had heard of Rubia’s work with local communities in the valley of Darrai Noor and in Kabul and was impressed with the quality of our work and our model of working with Afghan families.  Dreamfly approached Rubia with the possibility of accepting the role of advisors, organizers and administrators, especially concerning the women’s craft center.

We feel this is an incredible opportunity for both of our organizations. Our missions are aligned. Our strengths and areas of expertise compliment each other and will insure this project’s success. dreamfly will bring their impressive fundraising network and their experience working in Pakistan - especially in areas of curriculum, teacher training and result oriented work -to our partnership. Rubia will bring its knowledge of Afghan culture, its close ties to Afghan communities and NGOs, and its success in providing economic opportunities through craft heritage for Afghan women and their families.

Long term plan

The immediate goal is to finance the school operation for 3 years. Beyond those 3 years, several approaches are being considered to ensure the long term sustainability of the school and craft center. The first would be to create an endowment fund that will cover the cost of yearly operation. Second, using Rubia’s model of economic empowerment for women, we foresee a contribution derived from the sales of the women’s craft items in the US going towards financing the education of their children.