Scholarships for At-risk Youth in Afghanistan

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of Bamyan Foundation! As we continue to make progress with our projects through our partner schools in Afghanistan, we feel that keeping you informed of how your generous support helps us in making a crucial difference in the lives of underprivileged children is an important part of our mission.

This quarter, we are eager to share with you that Bamyan Foundation supported students at all of our partner schools are striving to make progress in their academics. This past week, we have received updates from all of our of partner schools thatour students have recently completed their mid-term exams. Attendance rates remain at 90% and higher for most of our students at each of the schools with the exception of a few days of sick leave for a few of them.

From Marefat: Rabia, a 12th grade student, who is expected to graduate end of this year, has shared with us her goals beyond graduation. She is planning to study politics while also pursuing photography and filming, skills she has learned at Marefat, and frequently practiced them as part of her extracurricular activities atthe school events. While at Marefat, she has also worked as Marefat Radio announcer, which she wants to pursue beyond high school.

Of the students Bamyan Foundation has helped support at Marefat, two have dropped out during the 2nd quarter. We have been informed by Marefat's administrative coordinator that one of these studentsmay have changed schools, but the other one's whereabouts remains unclear.

Students at Marefat not only focus on making progress in their academic endeavors, but they also participate in initiatives concerning their local communities. Earlier in June, our students participated in Marefat’s initiative, "Cleaning the Trash Campaign" in and around their community. "Cleaning the Trash Campaign" was initiated by Marefat Students’ Environmental Group intended to teach students that caring for their communities and keeping the environment clean is an essential part of being a responsible member of their communities.

From Rahnaward: Layiq, a 6th grade student, has shared his personal story with us. He comes from a family of 12. His father, who has never had an opportunity to get education, is a farmer and works hard to support his family by growing barley, potatoes, and wheat. The father’s own illiteracy has motivated him to do everything in his abilities to enroll his children in school. Layiq has told us, that "Bamyan Foundation's financial support has opened the door to my future, and I do my best to fully benefit from this opportunity." Among other school subjects, Layiq also pays special attention to his English class aiming to become a fluent English speaker in the future so he can pursue his higher education outside Afghanistan. He aspires to ultimately become a physician and serve his community.

Additionally, Sabera and Shukria, both 5th grade studentsat Rahnaward, who come from similarly poor financial backgrounds, have conveyed to us that they are thrilled about the opportunity to study at Rahnaward. These two students also envision similar future goals, and have told us that they are working hard to make the most of their scholarships and become "good" people in the future to serve others in need, just like the Bamyan Foundation supporting them.

From Baba: we have received updates on Mahnaz, 4th grade, and Najma, 3rd grade, who again come from similarly financially poor backgrounds. In Mahnaz's case, her mother is the only breadwinner working as a cook in an office with minimal income that hardly meets her family's needs. Mahnaz herself is a brilliant little girl with high interest in English and Math. She also participates in her school's morning programs as an announcer. Najma, on the other hand, is interested in science and wishes to work for the government and serve her people in the future.

From ROYA: we are delightedto share that four of our eight students at ROYA were recently identified by their school’s principle to receive awards during ROYA's 3rd anniversary celebration in mid-August. Ezzatullah was awarded for his exceptional talent in reciting poems. Hamidullah received the "Rising Star Award" for his hard work, determination, and tremendous progress. When Hamidullah first joined the ROYA mentorship program, he was very weak academically. Now, he is competing for the top positions in his class demonstrating a remarkable progress. Fatima and Rahmatullah received the "Great Progress Award" for being active, creative and demonstrating rapid progress.

We hope that these updates from the field inspire you as much as they have inspired us. Once again, we thank you for your continued generosity which enables us to extend Bamyan Foundation's support to those in need and make a difference in the lives of children, particularlythose facing numerous challenges to include personal, financial and security in conflict driven countries like Afghanistan.

The Bamyan Foundation