Akash Mehta, the 8 year-old son of WAW cofounder and board member Sunita Mehta, has started raising money for the schools the Afghan Women's Fund is building in Ingeel. He explains why he decided to embark on this project in the statement that follows. Please take a few minutes to read it. If you want to contribute to the school through Akash's fund,  write AWF/Akash Mehta on the memo line of your check.

Why I want to do this project:
The first time I thought of this was when I was sitting in the kitchen trying to help my mom wash dishes. But I found that I wasn't good at dishwashing. So I sat down and asked my mom what use kids were to the world. She told me that we were learning how to be good, and we can help the world when we grow up. Plus, when we are kids we make joy for grownups. But I said I want to do something now that makes the world a better place, and I am too young to do that.  Then my mom said, OK, these are all the things you can do. She first told me many things I could do that might help, but none of them seemed right because I wanted to help children. So then she asked me if I wanted to do something for Women For Afghan Women (WAW), and I said, what are they doing, and she mentioned a project that I like.

The project:
In one province in Afghanistan, the boys go to school in a nice building, but there isn't enough room for the girls. Most of the girls are in school in tents outside the building. And there aren't enough tents for all the girls, so some of them just sit on the ground in fields. A few girls are in the actual building, but they will have to move out very soon because the boys want those rooms. WAW is trying to raise enough money to build a school for all the girls. There are about 3000 girls who would attend this school. We also need money to buy school supplies after the school is built.  Women for Afghan Women has raised enough money to start building one section of the school.

Women for Afghan Women:
Women for Afghan Women is an organization that helps Afghan women and children in Afghanistan. My mom founded this organization 5 years ago to help the women who were suffering because the country had been at war for 25 years. This is why I want to work with this organization.  WAW is working on a bunch of different things. For example, they have started classes for girls who can't go to public school because the schools are too far away from where they live or because the family is too poor and they have to stay home and work. WAW has given goats and chickens to poor women so that they can sell the milk and eggs and earn a living.

Even if I am only 8 years old, I am thinking about how lucky I am to be rich compared to these kids. You might think that these are disturbing thoughts for a young child and I sort of agree, but the only way that disturbing thoughts can go away from children's minds is if you help.   Once a few people do this, children's disturbing thoughts can be replaced by thoughts of how the world is slowly becoming a better place and how one day is better than the last.

You can help by donating money or contributing a hand knit scarf (baby, child or adult size). I will sell the scarves and add the money to our fund, which we will send to the school in Afghanistan. Send your check or a knit scarf to Women for Afghan Women 32-17 College Point Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11354. Don't forget to write AWF/Akash Mehta on the memo line.

Akash Mehta


Click here to see Fahima's Spring/Summer 2006 Report about WAW's Afghan Women's Fund's recent accomplishments.