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| Current Priority: Youth Campaign for Next Winter | |||||
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Dear Knitters and Crocheters for Afghanistan, We are knitting and crocheting for Afghan youth attending the schools operated by Help the Afghan Children, founded by Suraya Sadeed. Please note, this is possibly our last campaign for this wonderful organization, and we hope you will join us. The girls and boys -- ages 7-16 years -- need wool sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, socks, and blankets. We especially need sweaters! Help the Afghan Children has provided humanitarian aid, medical care, education, and hope to the Afghan people since 1993, the height of the civil war. Under the Taliban, they started 17 secret home schools for 425 girls. Since the fall of the Taliban, Help the Afghan Children has built 11 schools in four provinces that serve about 23,000 students. Their mission is to help Afghan children become educated, healthy, and productive citizens who contribute to building their country's civil society. Programs include model schools, training teachers, and teaching about computers, the environment, peace, and landmine safety. The girls and boys develop job and social skills. Children plant gardens and learn to care for their surroundings and natural resources. The schools are welcoming, stimulating, and safe. Visit Help the Afghan Children's website to read more about their pioneering work and accomplishments. Help the Afghan Children will distribute our wool gifts to their students and report back to us. Overseas shipping will be managed and sponsored by the Mennonite Central Committee, which will add our cartons to their container of supplies for Help the Afghan Children. Our cartons must be sorted and packed and in their warehouse with sufficient advance time to ensure their inclusion. The Mennonite Central Committee has been capably orchestrating shipments to Afghanistan for many years. Domestic transit -- from San Francisco to the U.S. east coast -- is sponsored by our own generous (and anonymous) donor. Departure and transit time are subject to unpredictable variables (such as customs), and the whole process can take 9 months to a year. This is not unusual. We must seize this opportunity and hope you agree. We are counting on you, as always. Priority items needed for girls and boys, 7-16 years: Please assume standard garment sizes. Afghan children may be thinner than North American children, but they are not shorter. Here's a size chart for reference. Please DO NOT send any other items not listed above. Only the items above will be sent to Afghanistan. Additional information Please review our GENERAL GUIDELINES and MAIL ADDRESS here. Due date: February 29, 2012 Feel free to mail completed items anytime so we can stay on top of packing. This lets us gauge our progress. Please be sure to check this page (or our email list) for updates. Email us when you send your gift, and we will acknowledge you by email. If you need confirmation that your package has arrived in San Francisco, please enclose a self-addressed stamped card or envelope, and we will mail it back. Or, use the signature request service of your delivery agent. Please spread the word! Another important way to participate ... please tell your fiber friends about our campaign. We count on volunteers for word-of-mouth to keep our momentum. Please share the link to this webpage. Add one of our banners to your blog or website. We have told Help the Afghan Children that each item is lovingly created by an American or Canadian as a special gift for a child. The quality, beauty, and distinctiveness of our handmade wool garments and blankets are not available in any store! These are gifts of friendship and respect. These children are going to be cold and at risk, and we're stepping up to do what we can to comfort girls and boys enduring hardships. Reliable overseas transit and distribution are harder than ever to obtain -- and we're privileged to be working with a partner of this caliber. We value their indispensable work and long-time devotion to improving the lives of Afghans. They know what is needed, and we want to help.
Life in Afghanistan remains difficult and insecure as you know from the news. Making a difference on the other side of the world may seem impossible ... but your handmade gifts and generosity bring true comfort and warmth to children and their families. The Afghan people still need to know that we care. More than ever. We are committed to remembering the Afghan people. If you have been thinking about participating, now is the time. Thank you for reading and for taking action with your own hands! Your caring and involvement matter. Tashakor, Ann and colleagues PS: Looking for group camaraderie and inspiration? Join our afghans for Afghans' knit and crochet-along , with our moderator Elizabeth Durand. The more, the merrier! You can also find the friends of afghans for Afghans group on Ravelry.com. In partnership with the San Francisco office of the American Friends Service Committee, the afghans for Afghans project started in late 2001 in response to the war that unfolded after 9/11. Who knew that 10 years later, our handmade garments and blankets would still be needed in Afghanistan. Thank you for continuing to take action with your own hands to remember the Afghan people.
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Rokhshana Girls School in Kabul, grades 1-12  Istalif Model School in Kabul's Parwan District  Afghan children are eager to learn Abdullah Bin-Omar Middle School in Pagman, west of Kabul
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