Journey Of Hope - Fall 2018 Journey of Hope 2018 | Page 8

Educate a Girl.
by Christina Rocca and Mark Ward
Change the World.
As former U.S. Government
officials dealing with South
and Central Asia, we saw
firsthand the importance of
education, particularly for
girls, in remote mountainous
areas where opportunities for
education were rare indeed.
Over the years, CAI has dedicated time,
energy, and precious funding to changing the
lives of thousands of women, young and old.
We’ve trained teachers, helped build schools,
provided supplies, and funded vocational
programs. CAI — and our supporters —
understand the importance of education for
women and girls.
CAI’s work changes lives, yet the dream is
of transformed cultures — of communities
where girls can safely attend school through
primary, secondary, and collegiate stud-
ies, and of societies where women have the
agency to become entrepreneurs, scholars,
doctors, and government leaders.
6 | JOURNEY OF HOPE
Our mission focuses on supporting the ed-
ucation and livelihoods of girls and women
in remote areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
Tajikistan, where barriers to women’s educa-
tion remain. While there is a cost to the con-
tinued funding and expansion of our pro-
grams, the cost of not educating these girls
is much higher. What we saw as U.S. govern-
ment officials, and still see today, is how edu-
cation can counter violent extremism. Giving
girls the self-confidence that comes with
education and the tools to ask questions, is the
best antidote to ideologies that forbid think-
ing and teach hate, and a way of increasing
a family’s overall standard of living.
In July of 2018, the World Bank released
a report called “Missed Opportunities: The
High Cost of Not Educating Girls,” which
outlines the global impact of denying girls
educational opportunities. Its findings are
compelling. From earning potential and
standard of living, to health and well-be-
ing, an education builds the foundation for
a girl’s success in all aspects of life — and
with her success comes positive changes
for her family, community, and society. And
in the same way, a girl held back from her
potential has rippling negative impacts on
the world around her.
CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE