|
September, 2010
Asalaam-o-Alaikum (Peace Be With You);
We write this to you in a time when Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan are in the midst of their worst natural disaster, and we encourage you to reach out with your prayers, support and contributions.
None of CAI schools were harmed in the recent flooding, but significant damage and fatalities hit the regions we serve (134 deaths, tens of thousands of homeless, and infrastructure destroyed). CAI reached out immediately with $ 220,000 for flood relief in northern Pakistan (specifically In Baltistan, Ghizar, Gupis and Swat in Pakistan and Kunar in Afghanistan), and provided an additional $ 100,000 to a committee that we created in northern Pakistan made up of twenty six local leaders, government officials, ulema (religious leaders) and community activists, who are facilitating long term support through the government.
As with Pakistan earthquake, CAI will pursue long term rehabilitation and provide continuing support to the victims of the flood through educational support of refugees. Read more about the flood below.
CAI has built 37 more schools in Afghanistan (Badakhshan + Wakhan, Kunar, Logar, Parwan, Wardak, Urozgon, Panjshir province) and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir, Baltistan, Charpusan, Ghizar, Gupis and Dhok Luna valley - Punjab) regions in 2010: a total of 164 schools built. We are also running about 18 tent or temporary schools in refugee camps, nomadic camps, or areas of disaster or conflict as well as dozens of vocational training centers.
Over 68,000 students, including 56,000 girls attend CAI schools now. We have expanded our women's vocational and scholarship programs this year by supporting dozens of advanced student's scholarships. CAI has taken the initiative of upgrading, refurbishing, renovating our older schools, and streamlined our Pakistan operations through a central office.
Our incredible CAI staff in Central Asia continues to pull out all the stops to put schools in the geographically remotest parts of the world. We continue with our core belief put our schools in areas where there are no schools at all.
Over the past year, I've visited over 138 cities, doing over 214 talks at schools, communities lectures, corporations, conferences, and including several military bases to help bring awareness of the importance of education, cultural understanding, tolerance and to fundraise for CAI.
The book, Three Cups of Tea, continues to support our efforts, and this week is # 2 on the New York Times bestseller list after 189 weeks in a row. On November 1st, the new book, Stones Into Schools, will be released in paperback by Penguin. www.stonesintoschools.com. Our Pennies For Peace program www.penniesforpeace.org is thriving, and has gone in three years from less than 300 schools participating, to more than 5,000 schools participating this year. Last year, the National Education Association NEA, approved a curriculum so that the P4P program can be integrated into school systems for credit.
We are blessed to have people of all faiths, political persuasions, diverse backgrounds, and socio-economic diversity to support our efforts. Education can be a catalyst for change and to bring polarized people together. Several other people, including our previous Board Directors, my mother and family, CAI staff: Sadia Ashraf, Christiane Leitinger, and Laura Anderson, and others have spoken at hundreds of venues to help support our outreach - which we are grateful for.
Please encourage your local representative or Senator to continue flood relief assistance in Pakistan, and consider making a contribution for the flood victims, of which we have a restricted fund that is mostly designated to provide education in disaster areas, or joining us at one of our upcoming events or galas.
Thanks from our CAI USA staff for your support, your kind donations in this time of economic hardship and for your devotion to literacy!
 Greg Mortenson and Central Asia Institute
September 17, 2010
Alima@ikat.org |
| THE FLOODS IN PAKISTAN | |
 Washed Away: water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink
 The 2010 flood of Pakistan has become the country's most devastating natural disaster. The swelling of the rivers due to intense monsoon rains that started in July have wreaked havoc:- More than 20 million people have been victimized by the flood being injured or homeless, making it a worst disaster than the Haiti Earthquake, Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2005 Pakistan Earthquake collectively.
- Ten million people, especially children are at risk of water borne diseases while 8 million are in need of medical care. Mass starvation and malnutrition is feared.
- A million homes have been destroyed and $250 Billion has been lost in agriculture and livestock production. One-fifth of the country is currently under water, including millions of acres of farmland that is known as Pakistan's "breadbasket."
Deeply concerned by this, Greg Mortenson and CAI sent funds to set up three relief camps. CAI's staff fed thousands, provided shelter, helped rebuilt homes and provided immediate aid in where the flood has affected those in the CAI projects villages. CAI also funded a Flood Relief Committee of local political, religious and NGO leaders and commissioners that assessed the damage and reported a way to streamline the process of local organizations working together for long-term relief. This committee, along with CAI's Pakistan staff, will take over long term responsibility to manage the refugee camps while we also continue with our main mission of educating rural children, especially girls.
As with the Pakistan earthquake rehabilitation, which CAI is still doing; we will pursue long term rehabilitation and provide continuing support to the victims of the flood.
To donate for the victims of the flood, CAI is providing a list of organizations that are dependable and specifically aiding flood relief victims.
Although significant disaster relief is being facilitated through NGOs, we believe that in a disaster of this immensity, it is important to also support the Pakistan government, who are also to access military logistical support to make relief more effective. |
| GREG MORTENSON IN THE NEWS | | |
Recent TV, Radio and Newspaper Interviews
PBS Charlie Rose on Tuesday, July 27, 2010Riveting interview by Emmy award winning journalist Charlie Rose with Greg Mortenson about the current event in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the his latest book, Turning Stones into Schools.
Greg Mortenson speaks with reporter Elisabeth Bumiller about his unexpected role in setting up dozens of meetings between the military and village elders across Afghanistan.
In this radio interview with John Hockenberry and Celeste Headlee, Greg Mortenson urges education in Afghanistan, not war.
 |
| UPCOMING EVENTS | |
Last year Greg Mortenson spoke at 214 events around the world, thanks to the incredible communities, libraries and book outreach events. CAI hosts only a few events and some of those are our Annual Galas. Join Greg in the Bay Area, September 25th and in Dallas on November 13th, for these exceptional events.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA This event on September 25th, 2010 is a unique evening of Pakistani cuisine and entertainment with a keynote presentation about his life's work by Greg Mortenson. Plenary address and music by Shehzad Roy, founder of Zindagi Trust who will talk about his flood relief efforts in Pakistan.
Dallas, TX
Join CAI on November 13th, 2010 for a unique evening of Pakistani cuisine and entertainment with a keynote presentation from Greg Mortenson. Music by Sufi Qawwali Masters: Fanna Ai Allah.
|
| Join Our List |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
