Dear Friends,

Greetings to you on this gorgeous day! I hope that you are doing very well and enjoying the season. I love autumn, especially in New England: the crisp air, the fragrance of fallen leaves, and the breeze rustling the leaves. Even the bird calls are unique!

I’m writing to share some updates on our work at Afghanistan Samsortya:

Health Studies Program

In September, we concluded the semester at the health institutes in Jalalabad with the graduation of three students from the nursing program. These young students, including Irshad Ahmed whose diploma is included below, are now on their way to public service in local hospitals and clinics in Jalalabad, a city with a population of half a million people. In three months, 21 additional students will complete their studies: fifteen in Kabul, and six in Nangarhar. Currently, we have 25 women and six men in the program, all of whom will graduate by spring 2024, bringing our total number of graduates since the program's founding to sixty. Each of our students has experienced remarkable transformations as a result of the empowerment and the tangible impact that this education has had on their lives. What a privilege it’s been to watch from the “bleachers,'' as they evolve into autonomous beings who have negotiating power over the quality of their lives.

Consequently, the personal achievements of the graduates of our health studies program have significant positive ramifications for the well-being of their communities. These graduates are now highly skilled and knowledgeable about health and disease prevention, which is not only of great benefit to them personally, but also to their communities. Their education transforms them into mobile health care facilities and vessels of knowledge that help enable people in their communities to take care of themselves. The ripple effect continues as they nurse sick people to health, whether it is the grandmother who lives with them, the neighbor who requires emergency assistance, or the hospital or health facility where they are employed - everyone in their community benefits! The scholarships are a meaningful way in which we show compassion and love to the young people in our programs, conveying our care for their well-being and the confidence we have in their ability to transform their lives and positively impact their societies. In doing so, our programs instill hope for these students. And with each student’s education (including tuition, textbooks, and transportation) costing $1,000 - what an investment!

Nursery Program

I am happy to report that our three tree nurseries are thriving and brimming with thousands of saplings that are being prepared for transplanting during the planting season from January to March 2024. Our nursery caretakers have grafted thousands of mulberry and citrus trees in preparation for the planting and have tended to the saplings during the summer heat when temperatures reach 110 degrees. We've received positive updates, encouraging words, and requests for more trees from the new communities with whom we’ve been working since last spring. We plan to expand further to the outskirts of rural districts, as well as to continue to contribute to greening spaces in urban areas to the extent that our resources allow. The beauty of our work is that it fosters organic, community-level information-sharing and expansion of our programs and activities through Afghan oral traditions.

Community Farming in New Hampshire

On a personal note, I was recently inspired to work in a rural farming community and sent a request to friends in New Hampshire. I was delighted when they responded with an invitation to spend two weeks working at Rosaly's Gardens, an organic farm in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The farm was founded 50 years ago by my friend Rosaly Bass, and is now managed by the younger generation of her family. Working close to the soil in the pure, pristine nature was profoundly inspiring and humbling. I was impressed with the extraordinary resources and sophistication of the farm, the production of high-quality organic vegetables, and the deep commitment they showed to working harmoniously with nature. The young group at Rosaly’s Gardens inspired me by their dedication to working together to sustain and foster an ideal natural environment and I learned a great deal from my time there. From my first day of work, it was clear that I was working with people who love what they’re doing: working in harmony with nature to produce excellent quality vegetables and flowers for their community. The values and approach that guide the farm are similar to those of Samsortya, where we also nurture our gardens and communities with love. I had the privilege of sharing an evening with Rosaly Bass herself, a pioneer of organic gardening and a cherished community member. I was delighted to hear her stories and experiences, and that we share Wells College as our alma mater! I enjoyed speaking with her about our shared love of gardens and nature and the exquisite beauty of the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. At the end of my assignment, I drove away from Peterborough with deep gratitude, and a realization that there was another corner of the planet to love and admire.

My new friend Jessie and I on my last day standing in front of the sumptuous gardens!!

Upcoming Projects

Park for women and children in Kabul

In March, we contributed 1,200 saplings, flowers, and shrubs to a park in the Khairkhana district of Kabul, home to nearly 3,000 households. We now need the resources to rehabilitate the park in order to create a playground for children and a green space for women.

These days Afghan families live in limited spaces and close quarters, especially during these economically challenging times - leaving little personal space for them. Access to these green outdoor spaces provide comfort and therapy for those who are facing emotional and psychological challenges. These are places where children can be children and women can take refuge from their worries and concerns. This is a grand project with an impact on so many people, especially because the park is located near two schools which means that the children, teachers, and staff of the schools will have access to this beautiful resource - something unheard of in most of Afghanistan. During my travels, I rarely see playgrounds, parks, or green spaces at elementary schools because they are considered luxuries beyond the means of the schools’ meager budgets. Nature’s loving beauty: trees, shade and gardens will nurture the people and inspire children’s imagination - one of the greatest gifts we can give them and one that is their right. The park and playground also exemplify the organic nature of the way in which our work continues to grow. I am excited to stay connected with this community so that we can continue to learn from and be inspired by them. I see great potential in this project serving as a model for creating and rehabilitating other areas into similar safe green spaces. Our goal is to donate thousands of trees and flowers from our nurseries to communities in other regions of Afghanistan who are interested in planting and nurturing them. Though the skeleton of a playground exists and there is a caretaker who waters the plants and keeps the area clean, the space needs to be rehabilitated at a cost of $5,000 which will enable us to transform this dusty and potholed area into the beautiful recreational sanctuary we envision. This is a sustainable project as the community is supporting it in a number of crucial ways, and our contribution is secondary.

In addition to playground equipment, the park needs:

➢ Trash bins

➢ Benches

➢ Trash receptacles

➢ Gravel to reconstruct the grounds

➢ Additional trees and plants to green the space

Soccer Field in Logar Province

In March, we donated trees to a community in Babakarkhail, a village in the province of Logar with a population of 3,000 families, where the elders have designated a half-hectare plot of land for youth to play soccer. Since then, together with the community, we have been exploring how this land could be transformed into a recreational and outdoor community center where the village children can have an outlet for their physical needs while learning about cooperation and sportsmanship.

In addition, the village elders can sit in the late afternoons to watch the young folks play soccer, which will foster a more robust and integrated sense of community among different generations. This space will also serve as a place to hold village meetings and serve as an outdoor community center, especially as we plan to plant many trees in the area. Because the labor for the project is provided by the community, the cost for building this community space is $5,000.

The land is currently a barren dusty plot. We will share pictures of the area after we've helped transform the land into a
soccer field/ Community Center.

Benches for Apartment Complex

In my two decades of travel in the country, I have observed dozens of women who walk in the courtyard sections of their apartment complexes to exercise, gather together, and hold meetings about their curiosities and concerns. Recently, I’ve had conversations with several women in Afghanistan regarding this matter, and heard a resounding request for benches, which can be purchased for $1,000 per building. One such apartment complex that houses several hundred families on the outskirts of Kabul has grown exponentially. Families live in apartments in close quarters, many are from rural Afghanistan and are unfamiliar with concrete buildings or living in such close proximity with others. However, a seating area is necessary for the women, as I see many of them simply sitting on the bare ground. Many have health conditions that require them to periodically rest or to sit on a chair. Building these benches will have a profound impact on the health and wellness of this community.

Closing Thoughts:

On behalf of Samsortya and personally, I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with these three communities this fall, and I am honored and grateful to partner with them. I am honored that they trust us to collaborate with them. Please note that we are undertaking work on the three projects outlined above in October and November. In addition, we continue to sustain our three nurseries which will provide us with tens of thousands of saplings in the spring, as well as our health studies scholarship program dedicated to the education of dozens of young Afghans. Please let me know if you, your family, or community wishes to sponsor or support a particular project. I would be delighted to share more details, and provide you with updates on the impact of the projects on these local communities. The power of our programs is that they connect people and communities across vast geographies - from Afghanistan to the U.S. I thank you for your support and invite you to join in these efforts.

May you all be well,

Mariam

Here are a few ideas on how you can help Afghanistan Samsortya:

❖ Donate to provide critical financial support to sustain and grow our programs. Contributions can be made online at www.afghanistansamsortya.com or by mail to 200 Swanton St, Unit #418 Winchester, MA 01890.

❖ Arrange speaking events where I can introduce Afghanistan Samsortya's work to your school, library, book club, or other community group.

❖ Introduce our work to funders interested in supporting our projects.

❖ Donate your time and expertise to support our efforts in grant writing, video editing, website design, agriculture/permaculture, nutrition, medicine, and education.

❖ I welcome any ideas you might have!

How do your contributions help?

❖ $30 will provide 2 trees for an Afghan family

❖ $500 will provide 50 trees of various species to sustain a community in Afghanistan

❖ $1,000 will provide two years of tuition, books, and transportation fees for one student in the health studies program

❖ $1,000 will provide benches for an apartment complex

❖ $3,500 will support the development of one well for a community in need of fresh, potable, and accessible sources of water

❖ $5,000 will support the revitalization of the children and women’s park in Kabul

❖ $5,000 will support the development of a youth soccer field/community center

Afghanistan Samsortya is a 501(c) (3) organization.

News

Fall 2023 Newsletter