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PARTNERSHIPSThe following is a summary of the Light Up Jalalabad project.Light Up Jalalabad, a partnership between USAID, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, Nangarhar University, and Afghan partners is building computer labs with Internet access across Nangarhar province. With financial, administrative, and operational support from USAID, Light Up Jalalabad recently refurbished labs at the Nangarhar Medical School and School of Computer Science. Whereas the schools once had only a handful of functioning computers each, they now have more than 70 new computers and the equipment to maintain them. NATO is providing funding for the Internet connectivity. These computers link users to resources across the world, giving them access to medical databases business software, market information and language training. “There was no proper lab before. The computers were old and always had problems,” said Abdul Hassan*, a student at the Nangarhar Medical School. “Now we have modern technology. Whenever we face a problem with our textbooks, we can come to the lab, search the Internet, and find solutions.” The project will refurbish additional computer labs at the university and begin work on labs at five high schools and Nangarhar Hospital, which may get telemedicine applications. The project will also create a central Internet café in downtown Jalalabad for local entrepreneurs. Internet access is an educational and research tool that opens the door to economic growth. By increasing access to computers and the Internet, USAID is helping Afghanistan improve the quality of its education system, develop its workforce, and pursue economic development through advances in science and technology. IOC supports its programs and projects in Afghanistan in cooperation with other non-profit, non-governmental organizations including: Afghanische Kinderhilfe Deutschland, E.V., in Germany, and KOMAK, in Switzerland. Children’s Hope International Literacy & Development – C.H.I.L.D. C.H.I.L.D’s programs for education, hunger relief, medical assistance, and self-sufficiency are based on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals listed below. CHILD also responds to natural disasters worldwide with fundraising and relief efforts that provide immediate and direct aid to the regions and people affected. For additional information about Children’s Hope International Literacy & Development – C.H.I.L.D., visit www.child–international.org. Ariana Outreach Ariana Outreach and International Orphan Care are working together to make a difference in Afghanistan. Ariana Outreach is an international development organization founded by Humira Noorestani. Ariana Outreach seeks to provide programs that improve the social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan, initially concentrating in Nuristan Province. These localized programs will promote literacy, vocational training and job placement. Rebuilding the agrarian sector of Afghanistan is one of Ariana Outreach’s main focuses. The programs will range from planting trees and rebuilding efficient irrigation systems to constructing and operating schools. With the support of charitable donors in the United States and abroad, Ariana Outreach will also address the social and economic concerns of Afghan women and children. For additional information about Ariana Outreach, please visit: www.arianaoutreach.com. |
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