During our Sixth Humanitarian Mission in October - November 2008 to Afghanistan, our Childlight Foundation members were invited to tour the women's section of the Nangarhar Prison in Jalalabad, at the invitation of U.S. State Department officials. Many of the women are housed with their children due to domestic violence situations, with no other resource to turn to.
The Childlight Foundation has made a small but significant difference to these women detained in the Nangarhar Women's Prison. This year alone, we donated arts and craft supplies, a beautifully crafted handmade work table, a collection of learning books and cassettes donated by the Mosman Library in Sydney Australia, children's toys, jewelry making kits, educational material, hygiene kits, sewing machines and several meters of brightly coloured fabric for the women to make their own clothes.
Our members also made many other valuable contributions and offered our friendship to women and children cut off from the world, from their loved ones, and thrown away by society.
Their needs are few but even such basic needs are difficult to provide for in a country ravaged by war. These needs really don't cost a lot but the money has to come from somewhere. The Prison director is making arrangements for the handicrafts that have been made, to be sold at the local market, with any profit going back into the female prison to offset the costs.
Sadly more needs to be done. So on behalf of those we met in Nangarhar Women's Prison I wish to invite you to give whatever support you can, as we seek to improve the quality of their lives. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will make a significant difference to these women and children.
Kay Danes
Australian Consultant
ChildLight Foundation for Afghan Children
PO Box 391, Capalaba Q 4157 Australia
www.childlightfoundation.org
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Diana Tacey,
Founder
ChildLight Foundation for Afghan Children
1959 S Power Road, Suite #103-245
Mesa, AZ 85206 USA
Tele: (480) 964-5484
www.childlightfoundation.org
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The Need
Funding for Afghan Female Teacher
The challenge now is to find funding for an Afghan female teacher so that by the start of the New Year, the children and female inmates will start receiving organized basic education. This person has been identified to provide literacy and vocational training for the women, and literacy and social skills development for the children. We need approximately US$450 for salary per month.
Funding for Afghan Female Nurse
The medical facility for the female inmates and children is simply a standard room in the prison fitted with a bookcase and examination table. We need to find the funding to hire a female RN to be assigned to the female prison. A doctor from the U.S. Military visits the Nangarhar Women's Prison and vaccinates the children. This service is voluntary and not on a regular basis. We need approximately US$500 for salary per month for a fully trained Afghan Female Nurse.
Medical supplies are always needed. There is no one to provide dental care or mental health care.
Female Prison Officer's - receive a salary of 4500 Afghani [US$90] per month. The challenges that she faces daily as a correctional officer include, but are not limited to, the work hours, daily changes and difficult work environment at the prison. She is responsible for making decisions which affect the lives of the women and children that she supervises. She has the moral support of her family and friends but in many cases, she must travel long distances to get to the prison and often she has many children of her own to support. Her salary doesn't go very far and it's not really a job that many Afghani women would do, are allowed to do, or are trained to do. Please help support these remarkable women!
Support an Inmate - The cost of supporting a woman in the Nangarhar Prison is approximately $1.50 per day. Most are in prison for adultery [raped], although there are several different crimes represented. Most of the inmate population is uneducated. The majority of these women do not have any family support. The children are there because they do not have anyone to take care of them. They need medical and social support as well as education opportunities. There is a doctor that comes to the women's prison three times a week from the men's facility. At this time there is no health plan for the babies. The baby formula is purchased by kind hearted US Correctional staff.
Support the need for nutrition - The food consumed by the women and children mostly consists of rice, beans, bread and vegetables. Please help the Childlight Foundation provide nutritional support to these women and children. Ongoing donations required.
Support the need for Water Filtration - Presently, there are 18 women and 17 children detained in the Nangarhar Women's Prison. There is no water filtration system.
Support the Women's Garden - The Director of the prison has agreed that the women can have a small garden. This project would in fact support the women in a number of ways; gardening can help promote a feeling of accomplishment and thus help build self-esteem. It can help rebuild a person's strength after an accident or illness. It can provide a purposeful activity for someone coping with a difficult period in their life. It can provide a food source to supplement the diet. It can provide fresh flowers to brighten an otherwise colourless day. All offers of support will be gratefully considered.
Support ongoing Prison Renovations - The Childlight Foundation has contributed to many wonderful new improvements to the Nangarhar Women's Prison. A new shower and toilet block has been installed and the previously bare, dirt floors of the learning centre now has a lovely carpeted floor area. The Correction System Support Program staff assisted in affixing two white boards to the walls in the learning centre and also agreed to store items in a safe manner to ensure the integrity of our contributions. Wall lockers are needed for each woman and child because currently the only place they have to store personal items is under their individual bunks. It all takes time and money and a willingness to make a positive difference in someone else's life.
Help Us Help Them
ChildLight Foundation for Afghan Children is a volunteer organization; we will not have any paid employees in the U.S. or elsewhere, and anticipate that all administrative work can and will be done by volunteers, and 95% of all donations will go directly toward funding our projects in Afghanistan by minimizing overheads, expenses and administrative costs. Our founders, board members and management receive no compensation and in fact, contribute many hours and personal financial resources to develop and increase the stability and scope of the Foundation.
Donate
ChildLight Foundation for Afghan Children
1959 S Power Road, Suite #103-245
Mesa, AZ 85206 USA
Telephone: (480) 964-5484
www.childlightfoundation.org
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