The project's mission is to significantly expand Afghanistan's raw milk base through the assistance and training of rural citizens who have a family tradition of dairying. The Mountain Pastures Dairy will use cows from the Parwan province whose milk will be processed by these families to quickly increase their incomes. The cows will be purchased and then donated to the community by US-ARC.

The Mountain Pastures Dairy will be established in the area north of Kabul. It is expected that the plant will be in operation by the end of the first year of activity, and it will immediately launch its efforts to establish a milk collection network and purchase milk from the farmer groups in neighboring Parwan. This new plant will produce fluid milk and cultured dairy products, and it will increase the availability of affordable milk products for consumers in Afghanistan.

With relatively modest financial support, US-ARC initiated the first phase of the start-up project in May 2004. The Council donated $5,000 for the purchase of five hand-pedaled and motorized sewing machines that are already in use at the Herat factory.

The main purpose of the academy is to rediscover and enhance the delicate traditional arts of Afghanistan and introduce them to international markets through modern applications. The project also aims to establish a venue for women to improve their skills, gain knowledge of modern sewing and design techniques, produce varying products that can meet both local and international standards, and earn adequate wages.

Five women are already employed at the design school, and US-ARC hopes to employ more as additional funds are generated. In addition, the Council hopes to renovate the academy, once additional funds are generated.

A majority of the Afghan women skilled in traditional arts were forced to flee their homeland, and many are still employed at very low wages at factories in Iran and Pakistan. They are unable to return to Afghanistan due to a lack of job opportunities, infrastructure and market chain for these products.

However, with the creation of the design academy, US-ARC hopes to move forward the process of developing Afghanistan's textile and apparel production industry. By the third year, an estimated 100 women will be employed at the academy.

Designs from the school will include: men and women's clothing, purses, pillowcases, throws, scarves, bracelets, jewelry, hats, and wall hangings. The goods will eventually be shipped abroad and available online for purchase.

US-ARC is currently seeking funds to increase training to include business and production skills and to establish a production facility in the form of a cooperative.  

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US-ARC Creating First Girls' School in Godah
Contact: Suleiman Wali, Dir. of Communications
E-mail: swali@us-arc.org

Washington, (May 21, 2004) -- The U.S.-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council (US-ARC), in partnership with the “Omaid Foundation”, has officially begun work on creating the first-ever girls’ primary school in the village of Godah (Wardak province).

US-ARC’s Interim Executive Director Omar Hadi traveled to Afghanistan in May 2004 to begin the initial stages of creating the “Godah Girls Primary School”, taking with him $7,000 that the Council raised on Afghanistan Day in 2002. US-ARC provided the community with five tents, 180 newly built desks, and 310 packets of school supplies. Previous to that, the young girls were sitting on the ground, outside, without proper writing utensils. The Godah tribal council provided overwhelming support for US-ARC’s endeavors.

The tribal council said that the school provided classes for first and second graders for now, but eventually would like for it to reach the 12th grade. The girls are currently being taught reading, writing, mathematics, and Islam—mandatory classes for these grade levels, as instructed by the Ministry of Education.

As a community-driven project, local leaders are deciding the design and curriculum of the school, and have also donated 100 acres of land for the new school to be built on. The estimate to build a proper school made of rock is approximately $220,000. Until the funds are raised to build the new facility, the girls will be taught under the tents that US-ARC provided. Many new students have eagerly joined the facility since the tents were erected.

US-ARC will continue its education projects in the cities of Jalalabad and Paghman, as Country Director Aziz Asif Khoughyani travels to both area to assess the need of the communities there.

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The First Annual Afghanistan Day
May 26, 2002 on The National Mall in Washington, D.C.

In the most extraordinary festival of its kind, Afghans, Americans and people from all over the world are welcome to come and enjoy a day on The National Mall in Washington, D.C. to celebrate a new day for Afghanistan.

It will be the largest celebration ever for Afghanistan that will include live Afghan singers, kabob and other ethnic food, and a beautiful Afghan fashion show. Afghanistan will come alive in the heart of the nation's capital!

When: Sunday, May 26th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: On The National Mall between 4th and 7th streets
Contact: 1-800-516-8727 for more information
ADMISSION IS FREE FOR EVERYONE!

Once at the festival, you will be able to donate money to help rebuild specific schools in Kabul, Afghanistan, through projects established by the Red Cross and the U.S.-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council (US-ARC).

Come and celebrate Afghanistan's rebirth! (Please come dressed in traditional Afghan clothes.)

Directions: From I-395 North, exit at 14th Street Bridge, and then make a right onto Jefferson Drive. Festival will be on your left, between 4th and 7th streets (in front of the Air & Space Museum). Nearest Metro is the Smithsonian station.

*Though President Reagan designated March 21 as the official Afghanistan Day, the organizers of this event did not have enough time to make all the necessary preparations for a festival of this scale by that date. Because this will be an outdoor event, we chose the May 26 date because the weather is warmer and it would give adequate time for preparations.

Click here to view event map.

Click here to read The Washington Times article on the event.

Rebuilding Their Native Land
December 23, 2001 Aired on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" program

Click here to listen to and read the report on NPR's web site. A photo gallery also has been posted.