Impact Report 2022 | Page 7

Nadia ’ s story

In an Afghan village , girls attend school for the first time
At 8 years old , Nadia had never seen the inside of a classroom . She couldn ’ t read . She couldn ’ t write . And she couldn ’ t count . She couldn ’ t do any of the things that so many children around the world know how to do at her age . But she wanted to learn . Unfortunately , her village didn ’ t have a school and her family was too poor to afford a luxury like school supplies .
In 2021 , Nadia would get her chance when CAI established a school in her village .
“ When I was enrolled in the community school , I was very happy ,” said Nadia . “ It was the first time the girls in our village had the chance to attend school .”
Every morning , Nadia would walk the 15 minutes to school . In her backpack , she carried school supplies provided by CAI , and a piece of bread for her afternoon
snack . And on her way , she would smile thinking about everything that she would learn that day .
“ I liked math very much . I would also draw pictures and my teacher would encourage me a lot to draw pictures .”
Yet , even at the tender age of 8 , Nadia understood that school was about more than just coloring and arithmetic .
“ School is important for everyone because we learn about ourselves and determine our futures here ,” she said .
Thinking of her future , Nadia has decided to become a teacher when she grows up . Her goal is to provide every child with the same opportunity she ’ s had – to learn , grow , and discover herself at school .
A young donor is motivated to give

As a student in the middle of my exams , the plight of Afghan girls really struck a chord with me . I can ’ t imagine being denied an education . It was inspiring to learn about the amazing work of Central Asia Institute – how CAI supports these girls and gives them the opportunities they deserve . Thank you to the staff for taking the time to explain CAI ’ s work to me and helping me to understand where and how I could help .

– Mia , age 15 , first-time donor