A WOMAN’S DREAM – A NATION’S FUTURE

What if you could affect the future? Change the course of a nation? That’s just what one visionary woman in Kabul, Afghanistan is hoping to do.

In her 34 years, Habiba Rafhat (above in white scarf) has seen much change in her country. Civil war, Soviet invasion and domination, oppressive Taliban rule. The one thing she hasn’t seen much of is peace. One needn’t look any farther than the headlines in the daily news to see that peace in Afghanistan is a precious commodity. A commodity Habiba and many other Afghans long for.

Habiba isn’t content to watch and wait for peace to come, though. She is striving to secure it through the business world. For years, she enjoyed a career as owner of a successful handicraft company but found it wasn’t enough to just help her husband ensure a positive future for their family. She longed to ensure a positive future for all the families of Afghanistan.

A mother of 7, Habiba recognizes that children are the future of Afghanistan. Her generation, as with too many others that came before her, has been fashioned by war. She wants something better for her children, for all Afghan children. She wants a foundation of peace upon which to build generations dedicated to making Afghanistan a tranquil, prosperous nation, free from the curse of destructive violence.

With this desire driving her, Habiba decided to set aside her business in 2005 and open a day care center where she nurtures as many as 50 youngsters in 2 rooms of a rented building. A great start and rewarding, yes, but still she dreams of doing much more. She wants to transform the lives of hundreds of children in dozens of classrooms.

The reforms of recent years have created many opportunities for women in Afghanistan and, as a result, an increasing demand for childcare. Habiba doesn’t want to just meet demand, she desires to give her people excellence in education. Her ground breaking child development center will offer a curriculum based on western teaching methods, designed specifically for her by veteran educators and child development experts who bring more than 40 years combined experience to the project. This, coupled with Habiba’s indomitable spirit and enthusiasm, lends well to ensured success.

Donate here to help build Habiba's Day Care Center.

Working closely with the Bpeace (The Business Council for Peace), a non-profit organization made up of people who volunteer their time and expertise to help women in conflict and post-conflict regions build businesses, has given Habiba the opportunity to develop and improve her skills and receive top flight training from Bpeace mentors. Her mentors are Janine Marks, a veteran childcare provider and owner/administrator of Oyster Babies Child Care Center in Long Island, New York, and Jessica Powell, a former teacher and currently owner and president of Golden Seed Arts and Media, Ltd. based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Donate here to help build Habiba's Day Care Center.

Habiba and her husband used their savings to buy the land and have plans drawn up for a child development center that can touch the lives of as many as 600 Afghan children at a time. But the lot will remain vacant until funds to build the center can be raised. With a price tag of $100,000 Habiba can’t make this dream a reality by herself. She needs help. Your help. Her need is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the rare chance to invest in the rebuilding a nation devastated by decades of war and oppression.

Habiba’s vision is more than a child care center – it is the chance for a bright and peaceful future for Afghanistan. If you wish to be a part of making Habiba’s dream a reality please donate here.

Teacher Rabia (left) makes music by rhythmically tapping her hands on a food tray, while a little girl dances.

It may look like chaos, but considering that there were more than thirty children in a small space, they were remarkably well behaved toward each other and the teachers.

Teacher Rabia (red dress) helps a child with writing Dari letters.

Like many places in the world, older children often take care of their younger siblings.? Here 'older' may mean 4 or 5, and the younger one anything from a toddler to a three-year-old.

Habiba (white head scarf) and her staff serve the children lunch, Afghan style, on a tablecloth on the floor.

Following lunch is nap time.