3
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“Of course CAI, CAET, and our local
partners, are abiding by all the rules and
regulations of Pakistan,” explains Shakir Ali,
director of CAET. “We are cooperating at
every level of government as this situation
continues to unfold. But the establishment
of a local trust ahead of these regulations
made the transition to the new way of doing
things much easier for CAI.”
With any new system there is the potential
for delays. If there are holdups in processing
permissions for visas or travel, it could impact our work and that of our partners.
As often is the case with international
efforts such as ours, CAI is not immune to
occasional hiccup on the path to progress.
Each of the countries — and villages —
where we operate presents its own unique
set of challenges on a daily basis. This is
why having CAI physical presence in each
of these areas is crucial. By listening and
building relationships, CAI is able to bypass
many potential obstacles without so much
as a pause.
We are ensuring the revolution in education — especially for girls’ education —
is not impacted by changes like those in
Pakistan. In the face of continued challenges, we ask ourselves how CAI will sustain
the peaceful revolution of girls’ education
in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan?
SUSTAINABILITY: THE ULTIMATE GOAL
Passion lights many fires, but it alone cannot sustain them. That is why, over the course
of the next few months, CAI will begin exploring partnerships with charitable foundations — our ultimate goal being to secure
funding that would allow our in-country
partners to move toward self-sustainability.
In the rural areas where we work today, the
first-generation beneficiaries of the education revolution now carry the torch that CAI,
and a handful of other organizations and individuals, once carried alone.
These young, passionate, and educated
peace leaders need, and want, the support of
international nonprofit organizations such as
CAI. Why? Because their governments do
not always have the internal resources to provide education to children in these isolated
regions.
During the tumultuous years since CAI
started its work, many boys and girls from
these regions became the first generation in
their families to go to school. Many finished
high school, some went to college, and a few
returned home to become teachers, health
workers, social workers, and personal champions of basic human rights within their local
communities. This remarkable change took
place in fewer than 20 years.
Since 1996, in the regions we serve, the
spark of an unstoppable revolution of education — especially of girls — was kindled
with passion. Thanks to the brave hearts of
committed people in many local and international organizations, that spark now burns
as a bright, shining light today. And it is our
local partners who are fanning the flames.
When we come together, build relationships, and foster trust, this is a true recipe for
change. n
9
Jim Thaden is the
executive director of
Central Asia Institute. He
was Born and raised in
Washington, but spent
much of his adult life in
Philadelphia, New York,
and Tennessee. Prior
to joining Central Asia
Institute, he worked as development director
for the Discovery Place, where he played a key
role in that organization’s turnaround into a
sustainable social enterprise. Prior to his social
enterprise work, which he calls his “second
career,” Thaden was a successful entrepreneur.
Student at Raheshet Primary School in Panjshir, Afghanistan.
26 | JOURNEY OF HOPE
CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE