WAW's Tenth Anniversary Gala is a Huge Success!

On October 20, 2011, Women for Afghan (WAW) commemorated its 10^th anniversary with a gala event featuring internationally renowned Christiane Amanpour as keynote speaker; leaders of the women's movement, Eleanor Smeal and Gloria Steinem as gala co-chairs; WAW Executive Director Manizha Naderi; and other leading human rights advocates. Over 250 people attended.  The event was generously sponsored by The Sister Fund, Time Magazine and other supportive individuals and institutions. All the speakers at the gala event stressed the propgress that has been made on women's rights in Afghanistan over the past decade.  Photographs and an update can be found here.

WAW's gala received attention in the local NY media: NY Daily News and NY1.  WAW had a fabulous mention in the New York Times on September 8, 2011.  We have excerpted this article on our Shelter page.  WAW has also been covered recently in the NYTimes and Time Magazine for our work with Bibi Aisha.

Update on Nilab!

Nilab is a 15-year old WAW client who received a standing ovation for her presentation at WAW's gala.  Many gala attendees have asked us how Nilab is doing.

At 13, Nilab was living in the Kabul women's prison with her mother, who was convicted of kidnapping. A year later, in WAW's CSC, she was attending school, becoming fluent in English-a star student with intellectual aspirations. In 2011, WAW brought Nilab to the US to speak at our 10th anniversary gala, where her speech moved the audience to tears and their only standing ovation. Two weeks later she landed herself (with help from us!) a full scholarship to a prestigious school in New England.  Nilab's future has opened up beyond all expectations. She vows to study hard, become a lawyer, and return to Afghanistan to fight for child rights.  As we write this note, Nilab is in Kabul, where she (and we) anxiously awaits a student visa.  Collective fingers crossed!

Update on Bibi Aisha!

We are pleased to report that Aisha recently moved to the home of an Afghan family, who are caring for her as if she were their own daughter.  They have expedited her political asylum case and have taken charge of her health care, education, and all other needs. Aesha is very happy with her new family.  WAW is very proud of the care we took of Aisha for almost year in Afghanistan and then for over a year in New York. Our attention to Aisha's physical and emotional health, her social life, her education (She is now speaking, reading and writing English!) stabilized her emotionally and prepared her for this transition. We are very grateful to the family. They will prepare her for the next phase of her life.  All of us who cared for Aisha (WAW staff and board, the tutors, roommates, psychiatrists and other medical professionals, all those individuals from within and outside the community who took her on regular outings--to the theatre, the movies, the circus, and museums--miss Aisha very much. She was quite a mainstay in our community. Aisha knows that she will always be a part of the WAW family.
 

Women for Afghan Women provides front line programs and services to women in crisis in 8 provinces in Afghanistan (Kabul, Kapisa, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Faryab, Sar-i-Pul, Nangarhar)  and in Queens, NY:

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Community Organizing: We embrace a community-based approach to fighting for women's rights. Our staff, which is almost 100% Afghan, regularly conducts trainings and workshops about women's rights according to the law and according to Islam.

Human Rights Advocacy: We engage in human rights advocacy in local community, in global arenas such as the United Nations, at the government level and through local and global media. WAW's advocacy messages are based on the reality of women's lives – we strive to influence law and policy makers whose decisions impact the lives of Afghan women in Afghanistan and New York.

Education: We provide literacy, vocational and life skills education in all our Centers and Shelters in Afghanistan. All the children in our care attend school. ESL and computer classes are offered at our Queens Community Center.

Support for Children: In Afghanistan, We operate 3 Children's Support Centers for children above age 5 whose mothers are in prison. The children are provided with shelter, schooling, emotional counseling, and enjoy activities such as sports, music and art. In New York, we offer Dari and Pashto classes for children, tutoring help with homework, a Girls Leadership Program and a Girls Leadership Summer Camp.

Economic Empowerment: WAW operates literacy, vocational and life skills education in all our Centers and Shelters in Afghanistan. Case Workers are trained to help clients plan for a more economically independent future. We have opened two Halfway Houses for women transitioning from prison and shelter where intensive vocational training is provided to prepare them for reintegration into society.  In New York, our ESL, computer and other classes are designed to prepare women for employment.

Legal Advocacy: In Afghanistan, WAW has lawyers on staff that represent our clients in court. In New York, we work with pro-bono and legal aid lawyers to attain justice for our clients.

Shelter: In Afghanistan, we currently operate 7 women's shelters in secret locations for women whose lives are in danger or have nowhere else to go. In New York, we find temporary safe homes for women in danger.

Crisis Intervention: WAW provides counseling and assistance for Afghan women who have suffered human rights abuses. WAW operates 8 Family Guidance Centers in Afghanistan and the Queens Community Center in New York.

Movement Building: We build working alliances with grassroots Afghan women's organizations, international human rights organizations and government ministries and offices in both Afghanistan and the United States.