to manage, coordinate, strengthen and diversify fundraising in all areas: foundations, individual donors, social media/online and special events.  Position based in NY.  Send Resume, writing sample, salary history and expectations and three references to: office@womenforafghanwomen.org.  Full job description here.

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. We just received Nilab's first term school report, and she is excelling in every class.  Nilab vows to study hard, become a lawyer, and return to Afghanistan to fight for child rights.  Nilab's story was told beautifully by journalist Almudena Toral on Time.com. Check in out! 

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.