Summer 2024 Update
In June 2024, HRF contributed $2,000 and was among the organizations supporting the humanitarian relief effort led by The Children of War (TCOW). This emergency initiative aided some of the victims of a series of flash floods that left a trail of devastation in northern Afghanistan, affecting the provinces of Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar. Thanks to the TCOW team, cash aid amounting to approximately $8,000 reached 60 families across three remote villages in Takhar.
As we begin a new chapter filled with learning, growth and opportunity with the opening of the Homaira Rahman Elementary School in Bamyan province, we would like to thank our loyal and caring supporters for helping to illuminate the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children, and our dedicated partner, The Children of War (TCOW) for creating a warm and safe environment. These young boys and girls face unimaginable obstacles and find sanctuary at our school, where we will nurture them emotionally, socially and academically, paving the way for brighter futures.
Your generosity enabled us to provide each one of our 120 students with new school uniforms this summer, so that they can continue their educational journey with pride and confidence. These kids come from highly impoverished families and something as basic as ordinary attire for school is beyond their reach. Ensuring that they are outfitted properly will foster a sense of belonging and boost self-worth – translating to much better outcomes in the classroom. Thank you for being a blessing to these youngsters.
Our delighted students in Bamyan also celebrated with Ice Cream Day in August thanks to a kindhearted supporter, Mariam Rasheed. We were overjoyed to see the children enjoying this delicious treat delivered directly by a local vendor. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to TCOW, for coordinating this special event, and to Mariam for creating happy and cherished memories together.
The HRF Learning Center, located inside the OWA school in Kabul, continues on its successful mission to educate deserving kids. We are especially proud of the computer classes imparting digital skills and literacy to 60 young children (boys and girls) who otherwise couldn’t dream of having access to such precious resources. We strongly believe in the power of technology to transform lives and unlock limitless opportunities, even for the most disadvantaged. Thank you for helping us to provide the critical tools and support that the most vulnerable children in Afghanistan need in order to survive and pursue their dreams with confidence and determination. Together we’re shaping futures and offering the gift of hope.
Spring 2024 News
During the month of Ramadan, which stretched from March 11th to April 10th, HRF and The Children of War (TCOW) teamed up to deliver hot and freshly cooked meals and food packages daily to the neediest families and individuals in many different locations across several provinces. The hot meals typically consisted of meat and vegetables, rice, fries, bread, water and dates – the last two items (water and dates) are traditionally used to break one’s fast during Ramadan. The food packages included flour, rice, oil, sugar, and tea. We deeply appreciate your generosity and ongoing support, which enabled us to feed so many people at this time in Afghanistan, which is still in the grip of one of the most devastating hunger crises in the world and where so many children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
On the first day of Ramadan, we served hot meals to 150 municipal workers in the city of Kabul. In the days and weeks that followed, we provided warm meals during iftar (the time to break one’s fast) or precious food packages to vulnerable families in Dashte Barchi (Kabul), Paghman (Kabul), Jalalabad, Maidan Wardak Province, Nangarhar Province, Takhar Province, Kunduz Province and Bamyan province. In all, over 6,000 hot iftar meals, freshly cooked, were served to many needy families and individuals. Some of our distributions took place in various masjids; a few were done at schools and a couple at hospitals – one at a children’s hospital in Kabul, and another in the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Kabul, one of the busiest medical facilities in the country. Another notable distribution was in Nangarhar Province, where we offered meals to child laborers in the pottery sector, many of whom are under the age of ten. We are grateful to everyone who assisted us in these efforts during this holy month. It was a huge undertaking. We would like to first and foremost thank TCOW’s tireless team on the ground for organizing this humanitarian campaign and ensuring that it was run smoothly and efficiently; and special thanks are due to the numerous other volunteers who helped deliver nourishing food to their impoverished countrymen who are struggling to find it on a daily basis.
Additionally, in partnership with OWA, the HRF Learning Center in Kabul is back in session starting in April 2024. The center is teaching 60 boys and girls in grades 1-6, where students are acquiring computer skills and learning English, guided by two teachers.
We are beyond thrilled to announce that the Homaira Rahman Elementary School has relocated to picturesque Bamyan province in central Afghanistan. The school, which is jointly run with our partner TCOW, began operations at the end of March and currently enrolls 120 deserving children – 60 boys and 60 girls – all in the first grade. We hope to add a grade level each year, affording our students an opportunity to grow and develop the skills they will need to thrive in the future. The comprehensive curriculum includes Dari, Math, Quranic Studies, Life Skills, and Art (drawing and calligraphy).
We extend our deepest gratitude to our steadfast supporters whose regular contributions have allowed us to open this school to the children of Bamyan, which is one of the most under-resourced and underserved regions in the country. Your donations will help us cover essential expenses such as monthly rent, salaries for teachers and staff (8 dedicated individuals), school uniforms, books and supplies.
The Homaira Rahman Elementary School Reopens in Spring 2024!
HRF is pleased to announce that the Homaira Rahman Elementary School has successfully relocated to the province of Bamyan, Afghanistan. The school commenced operations at the end of March 2024 and officially obtained certification this May, marking a significant milestone in its journey. 📚✨
This new chapter brings renewed hope and opportunities for the 120 deserving students enrolled, comprising 60 boys and 60 girls, including orphans. The students, all currently in 1st grade, will benefit from a comprehensive curriculum encompassing Dari, Math, Quranic Studies, Life Skills, Education/Training, and Art (drawing & calligraphy).
In this endeavor, we are proud to strengthen our collaboration with The Children of War (TCOW), a respected partner with whom we have previously worked on various projects. Our goal is to incrementally introduce a new grade level each year, ensuring their educational path continues to grow. We are committed to funding and supporting the expansion of the school from grades 1 through 6.
In terms of staffing, the school currently employs a dedicated team of eight individuals, including a principal, five teachers, a cleaner, and a night guard. An on-call substitute is also available, as required.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters for their steadfast assistance and generosity, which empowers us to create a significant impact in the lives of these children. Their contributions enable us to cover essential expenses such as monthly rent, salaries for teachers and staff, school uniforms, books, and supplies.
Winter 2023 Update
In late November 2023, HRF and The Children of War (TCOW) collaborated to provide essential supplies such as rice, flour, oil, sugar, tea, and warm blankets to 50 families at a refugee camp in the province of Laghman ahead of the cold weather. These impoverished families, many of whom left Afghanistan decades ago, were suddenly expelled from Pakistan as part of a push to drive out undocumented migrants from that country. Uprooted from familiar surroundings and forced to make an arduous trek from Pakistan to Afghanistan through difficult terrain and weather, most have already suffered quite a bit – especially children – and face a bleak future. HRF and TCOW hoped to make their resettlement in Afghanistan a little easier; and in January we successfully completed our second emergency aid distribution in Laghman province, dispensing rice, flour, sugar and tea to an additional 50 vulnerable families. We are grateful to our supporters whose generosity and concern made this possible.
HRF recently supplied Sana Orphanage in Kandahar with funds that will be used to purchase solar panels for their soon to be opened new facility, in which they are planning to significantly increase their intake of orphans and provide for their well-being. We wish them well on this ambitious undertaking.
Lastly, we are extremely excited to announce that we have reached an agreement with TCOW to re-establish and reopen the Homaira Rahman Elementary (or Primary) School in Bamyan province. This has been our overriding goal ever since we closed the doors at our school in Kabul almost a couple of years ago. The situation in Afghanistan remains very fluid and unpredictable, but we are cautiously optimistic. We have found a suitable location and hope to occupy it soon. We’ll provide more details in the coming weeks. We are beyond thrilled to possibly have another opportunity to foster brighter and healthier futures for some of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable and underserved boys and girls. Once again, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support – it strengthens our resolve to serve those in need.
Fall 2023 News
Following a series of devastating earthquakes and aftershocks that killed and injured thousands in Herat, Afghanistan in October, HRF and The Children of War teamed up to provide emergency food, medical supplies and some cash assistance to many people and families directly affected by this disaster. We were able to accomplish this vital task thanks in part to a generous outpouring of support which enabled us to quickly surpass our goal, raising $10,050 on a GoFundMe fundraiser that we launched jointly in the immediate wake of the tragedy.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to our fundraiser and to our steadfast supporters. Thanks to to your compassionate response, we purchased and delivered medical supplies and medicines for Herat’s regional hospital and affiliated makeshift clinics scattered across the impacted areas, after our team met with the hospital’s administrator to assess their needs. The critical items included medication, wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, stretchers and neck braces, which benefited about 1000 patients.
We also completed three distribution efforts within two weeks of the first quake, which struck the region on October 7. This consisted of the provision of cash assistance to 75 families residing in Faizabad village (Angeel district) who have been displaced after tragically losing their homes – each family received 3,000 Afghanis (Afs), totaling $3,000; and essential food aid – rice, flour, sugar, oil, tea – to 100 families in the Zenda Jan district which amounted to $8,000.
We could not have done any of this without the tireless efforts of our hardworking team on the ground in Herat, who had to overcome many challenges and obstacles in rushing to the scene of the disaster to try to help the injured and badly shaken survivors. They have our sincerest and heartfelt appreciation. A special thank you is also owed to Sada e Haq TV, whose support enabled us to raise more than $10,000 in contributions and pledges for the earthquake relief efforts.
Afghanistan is already beset by a worsening economic and hunger crisis and internal strife. This latest disaster only adds more hardship to the daily struggles the people are facing. The collective support and generosity of our community have been instrumental in saving lives and have also brought a much-needed ray of hope to hundreds of mostly impoverished women and children amidst the chaos and uncertainty.
Summer 2023 Update
At the end of June 2023, Afghanistan celebrated Eid Al-Adha, which is always a very festive occasion and a time to share and spread generosity. With the help of our supporters, we were able to provide funds to Sana Orphanage in Kandahar to buy new clothes and shoes for the 60 children in their care. The kids were also gifted with sturdy backpacks, which will allow them to pursue their schoolwork with their own supplies and essentials. We firmly believe that disadvantaged children can achieve their educational goals if they are given all the tools necessary to thrive in the classroom.
Your kindness also enabled us to distribute new uniforms for our 60 students at the HRF Learning Center at the OWA School. Girls at the center are now proudly wearing tailor-made, hand-sewn dresses and pants, accompanied by elegantly purchased scarves. Each outfit is a testament to the care and dedication put into making our students feel comfortable and confident in their learning environment. Boys are equally smart and sharp in their newly acquired uniforms! Sourced by size and thoughtfully chosen, the uniforms include shirts, comfortable pants, and belts. Amid this positive effort, students also celebrated with cake during Eid Al-Adha, adding a joyous touch to the occasion!
We are passionate about creating a warm and nurturing environment for at-risk children in Afghanistan. This will have a major impact on the quality of education and the motivation of the students and ultimately will help them to forge a brighter future for themselves and their communities. Thank you for helping to foster supportive settings, whether at Sana Orphanage, our Learning Center, or the new HRF School that we aim to open in the near future. You are giving much needed hope and opportunities to young boys and girls and helping them to develop a genuine love of learning which should last a lifetime, setting an example for others.
Spring 2023 News
We are pleased to report that the HRF Learning Center, located at the OWA School in Kabul, has once again opened its doors to young and vulnerable Afghan children in May. After temporarily closing in 2020 due to the pandemic and contending with intermittent school closures and interruptions in 2021 and last year, we’re delighted to resume operations.
With a renewed sense of hope and optimism, we look forward to providing our students (boys and girls) in grades 1-6 access to a quality education, teaching them English and computer skills, which will enrich and transform their lives and their communities. HRF will be responsible for the salaries of two dedicated teachers at the Learning Center/OWA School, ensuring quality education for the students enrolled this school year.
In June, each of the 60 amazing students at the Learning Center received a special package of school supplies that included 10 notebooks, pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, ruler, pens and folder – funded by HRF thanks to the generous support of our donors, will greatly impact their educational journey. Your kindness and generosity are actively shaping the lives of these students, empowering them to pursue their dreams with a reinvigorated sense of purpose.
Relocating the Homaira Rahman School remains our top priority. We are currently looking for a suitable space to reopen our primary school, which serves orphaned boys and girls in grades 1-6. Established in 2013 and located in Kabul’s Parwan 3 district until 2021, the Homaira Rahman School made quality education accessible to at-risk children, helping to build a strong academic foundation for brighter futures. We sincerely hope to start anew and resume classes in the near future. We’ll keep you informed.
We would also like to thank all of you who generously supported HRF and TCOW’s Ramadan Iftar Meal distribution program. We are delighted to report that we exceeded our fundraising goal of $10,000, raising a total of $14,385! Throughout the month of Ramadan, several thousand individuals benefited from the meals we provided every day. On the final day of Ramadan, we distributed 300 freshly made meals to students and their families in the Diwan Begi area of Kabul, at TCOW’s Bilal Hamza school.
Thanks to our generous supporters, we have been able to assist thousands of vulnerable Afghans in the midst of the humanitarian crisis, ensuring they receive vital necessities like food and water. Your dedication and concern have been a constant source of encouragement and support!
The Homaira Rahman School & HRF Learning Center
The HRF Learning Center, located at the OWA School in Kabul, has once again opened its doors to young and vulnerable Afghan children in May 2023. After temporarily closing in 2020 due to the pandemic and contending with intermittent school closures and interruptions in 2021 and 2022, we’re delighted to resume operations.
With a renewed sense of hope and optimism, we look forward to providing our students (boys and girls) in grades 1-6 access to a quality education, teaching them English and computer skills, which will enrich and transform their lives and their communities. HRF will be responsible for the salaries of two dedicated teachers at the Learning Center, ensuring quality education for the 60 students enrolled this school year.
Relocating the Homaira Rahman school remains our top priority in 2023. We are currently looking for a suitable space to reopen our primary school, which serves orphaned boys and girls in grades 1-6. Established in 2013 and located in Kabul’s Parwan 3 district until 2021, the Homaira Rahman school made quality education accessible to at-risk children, helping to build a strong academic foundation for brighter futures. We sincerely hope to start anew and resume classes in the near future. We’ll keep you informed.
Winter 2022 Update
Afghanistan is experiencing its coldest winter in more than a decade, compounding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in which nearly half the population still faces emergency levels of hunger. To help alleviate some of the suffering, HRF and TCOW (The Children of War) teamed up to provide winter relief food packages to families in need across Afghanistan, as part of our annual winter aid program. Thanks to your contributions, beginning in January, we were able to distribute packages to 50 families located in the province of Ghazni amid extremely cold weather and snowfall. Our team conducted a thorough survey of the area, identifying families in dire need during the harsh winter. We distributed food packages that included essential items such as flour, rice, oil, sugar and tea. In the subsequent weeks, we did similar distributions in three of the northern provinces of Afghanistan – Baghlan, Kunduz, and Takhar, reaching a total of 300 impoverished families by February and distributing food packages to them that contained flour, rice, oil, sugar, tea, beans, tomato paste, and salt. We are grateful to the hardworking TCOW team who traveled often in snow and difficult driving conditions. The freezing temperatures have claimed many lives.
Also in February, continuing our winter aid program, HRF and TCOW distributed warm jackets, shoes, and socks to 100 children in Jalalabad. We are extremely thankful to our donors for their generosity and support, which has helped to make a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable children who are mostly involved in child labor.
In February, HRF and a team of volunteers provided financial assistance to purchase clothes and shoes for 400 men living in a rehabilitation facility in Kabul who were previously struggling with drug addiction. Collaborating with a group to purchase the clothes is a great example of how collective efforts can make a significant impact on people’s lives. It’s essential to continue to support vulnerable communities, especially during challenging times.
We were also pleased to extend financial support to the Orphans & Widows Association (OWA) staff for the distribution of 1000 Afghanis to 130 municipal workers in Kabul during this harsh winter. These individuals have worked tirelessly to help clean up the Pul-e-Sokhta area, which was a hub for drug addicts and dealers. This region has been cleaned and cleared of addicts who have been sent to rehabilitation centers.
We want to thank each and every one of our donors for their kindness and support. Your contributions have helped us make a difference in the lives of so many who are struggling to make ends meet during the difficult winter months. We hope that you will continue to support us in our efforts to provide aid and assistance to vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
Fall 2022 News
After more than eleven months of serving free bread daily to needy families across 6 bakeries in various provinces to combat the unprecedented hunger crisis in Afghanistan, we are ending our successful Bread Distribution project, which was a partnership with TCOW. We began in January by reopening an idle bakery in Barikab and, given the scale of need, quickly expanded to five more locations. We originally intended to keep the project going for 2-3 months and decided to continue for a bit longer as this food assistance was the only lifeline for so many people. We are grateful to our supporters for helping to feed more than 200 families in Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Barikab.
We recently sent financial assistance to Sana Orphanage in Kandahar to help them purchase winter clothing and shoes for the students housed there. With your assistance over the years, we have helped to create a warm, stable and nurturing environment at Sana where children can develop and grow.
Confronted by various challenges, we are still exploring options for reopening the Homaira Rahman School in Kabul. We started the school in 2013, serving boys and girls in grades 1-6, and managed to keep our operations in the Parwan 3 district running until May 2021. The pandemic and the ongoing instability in Afghanistan forced us to close the school indefinitely. We are determined to find a new location and reopen our doors in the near future. We’ll keep you posted.
Summer 2022 Update
Afghanistan Earthquake Relief:
On June 22, 2022, a devastating 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck a remote and rural region in eastern Afghanistan, claiming more than 1000 lives and injuring over 1500 others across two provinces in Paktika and Khost. In response to the calamity, The Children of War, the Homaira Rahman Foundation and Raqim Foundation jointly launched an emergency fundraising appeal to help survivors in the affected areas who required urgent humanitarian assistance.
After a thorough assessment of needs in the earthquake-stricken areas, our team on the ground determined that enough food and supplies were coming in to satisfy basic needs as part of the overall relief effort, but cash was scarce and would help the most vulnerable families meet a variety of needs (the most urgent of which is shelter). We believe that cash assistance would give these survivors – most of whom live in remote rural communities that are difficult to reach – some choice and flexibility and empower them to take more control over their lives.
During our initial survey of the disaster zone in late June, our team distributed $3,000 in cash to some victims in a hospital and in the villages hardest hit by the earthquake. We finalized our survey of families, and on July 23rd we selected 30 families from 8 villages in the Ghiyan district of Paktika for cash assistance who have been most severely affected by this disaster, distributing $500 to each family – a total of $18,000. We hope that this will provide them some stability in a very stressful time. The beneficiaries were carefully selected and their progress will be monitored. Most families are still traumatized and living in tents, especially after a second earthquake occurred in the area recently. And others have moved to different locations, facing an uncertain future.
We are also pleased to report that our team has successfully completed digging a well in the Gayan district of Paktika, an area which was hit hardest by the earthquake. Most of the existing wells were damaged and the water was contaminated. Allowing the people in this area to once again have access to safe and clean drinking water is a tremendous help and will prevent the spread of disease. Thank you for allowing us to provide a vital water supply and a precious resource to those in need. A portion of the funds raised through our joint fundraiser have been used for this effort.
Bread Distribution Project:
Aiming to reach even more vulnerable people with emergency food assistance during this unprecedented hunger crisis in Afghanistan, we have expanded our bread project to include a total of 6 bakery locations: two in Kunar, two in Nangarhar, Laghman and Barikab.
We began this project, which provides free bread (naan) daily to the most needy, at the Iman Foundation bakery in Barikab in January 2022. Soon after, we expanded to two other locations in Nangarhar (Jalalabad). Currently, a total of 1958 fresh bread are made daily and distributed to over 200 families at the six locations. As of August 2022, the total monthly expenses are $7,600 which is equally divided by HRF @hrfcares and TCOW @thechildrenofwar.
Afghans are suffering from the effects of worsening poverty and malnutrition – over one million children are severely malnourished and face death without immediate intervention. We hope to mitigate the effects of this ongoing calamity for some people, targeting the most at-risk communities.
We are grateful for the continued support and encourage you to assist us with this vital initiative, which is a lifeline for many people. We can only keep these bakeries afloat in the coming months with your continued generosity.
Spring 2022 News
With Afghanistan still facing “catastrophic levels of food insecurity,” according to a recent report from the UN, HRF will continue to provide emergency food assistance to the most vulnerable and make this our top priority. Central to this strategy is our Bread Distribution project, which has now expanded to three locations – one in Barikab and two in Jalalabad. A generous donation of $20,000 from Moe Shalizi, as part of his “Helping Afghans in Crisis” fundraiser, helped to kick-start this critical project, which we began in Barikab in January, that distributes 1200 naan (bread) free of charge daily to 130 impoverished households. The targeted beneficiaries rely on our bakeries to meet their basic nutritional needs. We are grateful to the Children of War (TCOW), our partner in this initiative, and our hardworking team on the ground in Afghanistan. We also want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters who are helping to fund this project, which is a literal lifeline for hundreds of malnourished people struggling to survive in desperate circumstances. We encourage you to continue making donations to keep our bakeries afloat. Your generous contributions will help us sustain operations at these three sites which provide a total of 2400 naan to over 230 families.
In addition to the Bread Distribution Project, we also occasionally deliver food packages to the needy across Afghanistan thanks entirely to your support. We ramped up our response during Ramadan, which spanned the month of April this year. Together with TCOW, we provided free meals for iftar (meals that break the fast) throughout Kabul and at hospitals. Over 1000 families benefited from our food (and cash gifts ranging from $50 to $100 to 500 families) distributions in the month of Ramadan at locations in Barikab, Maidan Shar Wardak, Badakhshan, Paghman, Takhar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Kabul and Laghman. The food packages included flour, rice, cooking oil, beans, sugar and tea.
To help the 49 children living in Sana Orphanage in Kandahar celebrate the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr), typically a festive occasion, we extended them financial support which was used to purchase new clothes – handmade by a local tailor – and shoes of their own choosing for each child.
Food packages and 1000 Afghanis were also distributed to over 40 families affected by the tragic bombings at the Abdul Rahim Shaheed School in the Dasht e Barchi area.
We realize that the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine will inevitably increase the price of food and fuel globally, pushing even more people into starvation and dependence on humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. With your help, HRF will redouble its efforts to save lives during this crisis in Afghanistan and use food aid to build a pathway for people to live with their dignity intact and give them hope for the future.
In June, HRF and TCOW teamed up to provide emergency cash distributions of $50 to needy families with disabled children. We will keep on prioritizing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan until the situation stabilizes somewhat and the downward spiral can be reversed. We still intend to reopen the Homaira Rahman School in a new location in the near future. We truly appreciate your patience and continued support during these challenging times.
Bread Distribution Project 2022
We are excited to announce that HRF has teamed up with The Children of War (TCOW) on a project to operate a bakery, owned by Iman Foundation, which will provide free bread (naan) daily to the most vulnerable families in Barikab, Afghanistan, a small rural community near Bagram. We have also opened two bakeries in Jalalabad, partnering with TCOW. The already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is worsening and has had a massively disruptive effect on the availability of food, leaving most of the population on the brink of starvation and in desperate need of food assistance. These bakeries aim to help some families who lack the basic means to survive and will hopefully ensure that at the very least they don’t go to sleep hungry in the cold winter and beyond.
Project Start Date: The first bread distribution was on Saturday, January 22, 2022 in Barikab.
Location#1: Barikab, Afghanistan
Location#2 and #3: Jalalabad, Afghanistan (Nangarhar Province)
Purpose: To provide free bread (naan) to vulnerable families facing starvation during the harsh winter and into spring.
Recipients: 235 families will receive 2400 naan daily, free of charge (average per family is 7-12 naan). Recipients include vulnerable children, men, women-mostly widows who have no source of income. All families have been surveyed.
Duration of Project: 12 months
Project cost: $8350 per month for 3 bakeries. This includes employee wages, supplies/ingredients. (Note: Due to the severe economic crisis in Afghanistan, prices and the exchange rate will fluctuate.)
Donate here: http://www.hrfcares.org/donate
Process: Employees will be provided supplies to make fresh naan. Each bakery is equipped with a tandoor (oven). Individuals will receive vouchers to get their naan; Vouchers will be marked/hole punched each day for tracking.
Evaluation February 2022– The first month was a pilot program, with the team on the ground aiming to assess the basic needs of the weekly operations, measuring the general satisfaction and overall well-being of the beneficiary families and learning how to maximize impact. Originally, the estimate was 900 naan for 100 families at a rate of approx. $140 per day/$4200 per month. However, after the assessment 1200 fresh naan are being made daily for 130 households.
Evaluation June 2022– After the first five months of operations, the bakery in Barikab continues to serve 1200 naan to 130 households. Up to this point, the bakery was financed entirely by HRF and managed by TCOW. Starting in June, it will be funded jointly by HRF and TCOW.
In response to growing needs, we have expanded the project by opening two more bakeries in Jalalabad (Nangarhar province) – one in March and one in April – which provide 1200 fresh naan to 105 additional households. We currently operate 3 bakeries, jointly run and funded with TCOW, serving 2400 naan daily, free of charge, to a total of 235 households.
Evaluation August 2022– Aiming to reach even more vulnerable people with emergency food assistance during this unprecedented hunger crisis in Afghanistan, we have expanded our bread project to include a total of 6 bakery locations: two in Kunar, two in Nangarhar, Laghman and Barikab.
We began this project, which provides free bread (naan) daily to the most needy, at the Iman Foundation bakery in Barikab in January 2022. Soon after, we expanded to two other locations in Nangarhar (Jalalabad). Currently, a total of 1958 fresh bread are made daily and distributed to 203 families in the six locations. As of August 2022, the total monthly expenses are $7,600 which is equally divided by HRF @hrfcares and TCOW @thechildrenofwar.
Evaluation December 2022– The HRF Bread Distribution project, a successful partnership with The Children of War (TCOW), will be ending in December 2022 after almost a year of serving free bread daily to vulnerable households in Afghanistan facing starvation.
We started the project in January as the winter intensified and people were facing a severe shortage of food, putting more than one million children, according to the UN, at risk of dying from acute malnutrition. We helped to revive the Iman Foundation bakery in Barikab and expanded to five more locations (two in Kunar, two in Nangarhar, and another in Laghman), delivering nearly 2000 fresh naan (bread) to over 200 families across various provinces.
Thanks to your support, which kept our bakeries afloat for far longer than we originally envisioned, this emergency food assistance brought a ray of hope to many in what is arguably the most urgent ongoing humanitarian crisis in the world. We are grateful to TCOW for their assistance and our team on the ground for their tireless efforts that helped to alleviate the unimaginable suffering of people in rural communities impacted by unprecedented food insecurity and economic hardship.
**As of June 2022 this project was funded by HRF & TCOW; The bakery in Barikab is owned by Iman Foundation.
Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan – 2022
With nearly 20 million people – almost half the population – facing life-threatening levels of hunger, including more than one million children suffering from severe malnutrition, a climbing death toll, and almost the entire population (97% according to the UNDP) plunging into poverty, Afghanistan has rapidly become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The situation is alarming and unprecedented – and only deepening. Colder weather has accelerated the pain and suffering, as most families have had to make a cruel choice between finding food or keeping warm. As the economy teeters on the brink of collapse, there is an urgent need for action.
The Homaira Rahman Foundation (HRF) and The Children of War (TCOW) teamed up to deliver lifesaving food to meet the basic needs of some of the most vulnerable people scattered across Afghanistan who are most at risk. We appreciate your continued support and generosity.
https://www.gofundme.com/afghan-emergency-appeal
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