Aschiana Foundation invests in the education and well-being of vulnerable children in Afghanistan to give them hope for a brighter future and to contribute to lasting peace and security for the nation.
Only 60% of school age boys and less than 30% of girls attend school in Afghanistan. Throughout the country there is a dearth of educational facilities and few qualified teachers. Children are caught in a quagmire of illiteracy and poverty driving them to desperation. They are forced to find work, often on city streets.
There are tens of thousands children working on the streets in Afghanistan today. These children are girls and boys between the ages of five and sixteen years old whose lives have been disrupted by years of war.
The Ministry of Education is not in a position to provide a part-time program that meets the needs of these children who have no choice but to work at least part of each day to help support their families. Children working on the streets are vulnerable and in constant danger of exploitation. They live in fear of being robbed of their meager earnings, their freedom and even their lives.
Malnutrition and medical problems also plague them. Even those who have a family do not have a sufficient amount to eat and do not have access to proper medical care. The lack of infrastructure and programs to address the needs of these children makes this population particularly susceptible to disease and also places them in danger of being co-opted by extremist groups (or militant groups such as the Taliban or ISIS).