Afghanistan Project Inauguration - In Video

As promised, here is the video clip of all CAI projects we inaugurated or initiated during our trip to Afghanistan earlier this month. It is about 30 minutes long but very informative, so I urge you to invest this time and view it. There is no commentary so you will be spared my voice and be able to hear the background voices and sounds. Appropriate titles have been provided so you know what you are watching at any given time. Click here to see.

• Inauguration of the USD320,000 Chandawaal Water Project. This 3 year project now supplies about 30,000 Muslims, mostly displaced internal refugees with pure drinking water - Alhamd'Allah.
• Inauguration of Rishcore Water Project. This project supplies 240 families (about 950 individuals) with pure drinking water - Alhamd'Allah. This area is so poor, it will break your heart to interact with them. These families are at the very low end of poverty rug. CAI insha'Allah will be using your sadka funds, to supply each home with a month's grain feed in June and again just before Ramadhan as part of the annual Iftaar Support Project. I urge you to please support this food program until situation stabilizes.
• Inspection of Elementary School at Daste Barchi. This under funded, under construction project will Insha'Allah, school about 4,100 internally displaced refugees, several hundred orphans amongst them, with desperately needed presently non- existing education.
• Inspection of 6 hand pumps installed in and around Daste Barchi. This project supplies pure drinking water to about 5,000 individuals per hand pump. The relief to the womenfolk who have to walk 30 or more minutes lugging buckets of water, especially in winter is unbelievable. Alhamd'Allah.
• Inauguration of 64 unit Al Zahra (A) Sadaat Township. This 4 years in the making project provides each poor or destitute sadaat, a widow with children a priority, with a home. This township will eventually grow to a 100 homes, Insha'Allah. Your sehme sadaat dollars are partly spent here. Alhamd'Allah.
• Inspection of widow's carpet weaving project that empowers widows with economic improvement. They are provided training and marketing assistance. A family can earn up to USD250 / month here, a sure way out of poverty. Alhamd'Allah.
• Our drive from Bamiyaan to YawKawlang, a 59 mile drive that took 6 hours in the bad roads made worse by the melting snow.
• Mass marriages for the very poor at YawKawlang. We participated in these weddings on the birthday of our lady Zainab (A) birthday. 50 couples from the very poor united as a family. This USD500 / couple is very popular in Afghanistan and very important as the poor struggle with eligible couples shying away from marriage due to cost constraints. Please consider sponsoring a couple or two or several!
• Inspection of  Medical Clinic in Saacheck. This improvised village with 9 thousand individuals plus others from surrounding areas suffer incredible agony due to lack of non-existing medical care. The nearest government run clinic is 3 hours away on a donkey, after the snow has melted; and at times the doctor is not available. Children here die due to common illness easily cured with basic or preventative medical services. CAI has opened a clinic here and a doctor is now in place, Alhamd'Allah. Care and drugs will be supplied free and the more serious illnesses referred to either Bamiyaan or Kabul. Alhamd'Allah.

Appeal for water in Saacheck

As advised above, the village of Saacheck is pitiful and, as common throughout Afghanistan, face acute water problems. Our engineers Wasi and Basheer have come up with a solution; these are the same individuals who took on the seemingly impossible project at Chandawaal. The project cost is USD18,000 and will benefit 410 families (about 3,200 individuals) so it breaks down to about USD6 per person to supply safe, pure drinking water for at least the next 30 years! Please consider this investment for the pleasure of Allah (S). I am going ahead and approving the start of this project and am confident that you, our donors, will see it through, Insha'Allah.

Shortfall in Bashaarat Ali Sofi Amputee Medical Fund

CAI is unfortunately still short USD3,600 of USD10,400 required for this 18 year old teen who lost his arm hanging Muharram banners and lost his father shortly after. Please consider supporting his prosthetic arm that will enable him to lead a normal, effective and productive life.

The Miracle of an Education

We all, especially those that live in the West, take education for granted, I included. Consider the story of Abdul Wasi and Basher Razayee, the two engineers that Allah (S) was so kind to lead to me four years ago. Both were from improvised families, parents suffered during the soviet invasion of Afghanistan and they suffered under Talibaan rule; Basheer was even jailed under the Talibaan for three months. However, they prevailed and struggled, even migrating to Iran as refugees. They never gave up on education and now, Alhamd'Allah both are successful qualified civil and structural engineers.

CAI strives in the quest for quality education for the poor and marginalized. It has been my personal experience the last 14 years that poor students, if given the opportunity, grab them tight and run with it. This has been proven again and again; education is the best equalizer in poverty and for donors, an invaluable and unbeatable return on investment.

Not only are Basheer and Wasi successful in their careers, making money, but they have bonded with CAI so well, they do all mosque projects and many countless tasks feesabeel'Allah. CAI would be hard pressed in achieving all that we have without the selflessness, generosity and kindness of these two individuals. I take the opportunity of this medium to acknowledge their service to CAI; may Allah (S) reward them and increase their share in all good in this and hereafter.

In the picture Basheer, me and Wasi.

Jazaak'Allah and Allah (S) Bless.

Yusuf Yusufali