AFGHAN FEMALE STUDENT OUTREACH - How to Support AFSO

Off to Indonesia!

AFSO students range from 12th-grade graduates to M.A. candidates. Two students holding Bachelor of Laws degrees, Deba A. and Freshta H., competed in a pool of 700 applicants for a special scholarship offered by the esteemed Raoul Wallenberg Institute, to attend the Universitas Islam in Indonesia for two years, earning a Master of Laws degree. They will arrive in Indonesia in January 2025, thank to the generosity of the Institute. Her goal, Deba wrote in her motivation letter, "is to use my legal knowledge to realize human rights so that we can have a society free of violations and work for human rights in all over the world." Congratulations, Deba and Freshta!

AFSO Student Wins Writing Prize

Our own Madina Faramarz has won the 2024 Amplify Afghan Woman Writing Competition, sponsored by a nonprofit group in Australia. Follow the links to read her essay: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Congratulations, Madina!

Learn about AFSO's Journey!

Songs of Love & War

On June 30, 2024, at 4:30 pm, Afghan Female Student Outreach partnered with the Cuatro Puntos Ensemble and Afghan composer Arson Fahim for "Songs of Love and War." Performed at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, MA, the concert drew 100 AFSO supporters in the Berkshires for an afternoon of music and students presentations. We raised $2,500, matching a pledge of $2,000 for a total of $4,500 toward our "Building the Bridge" goal. Cuatro Puntos will be performing again at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this fall; check their website for more details.

How to Support AFSO

AFSO is a light in utter darkness.

--Shaista, AFSO student

End-of-year Giving

Click above to help us earn matching funds by December 31, 2024, to support our mission.

This year, we have had the privilege of working with The Greater Sum, a foundation established to help early-stage nonprofits find their way to organizational, financial, and strategic sustainability. Our original pitch video, created in April 2024, won the Greater Sum Pitch Competition, followed by a grant of $10,000 in Fall 2024. This recognition has fueled our determination to continue scaling up our impact. Between now and December 31, Greater Sum will match donations to AFSO the cover the cost of educating each and every one of our 500+ students, at only $37/month. Join us!

AFSO Giving Circles

Each Bridge Builder will receive a printed, bound copy of our students' stories.

A contribution of $370 educates a woman for a year, and donors can be in touch with the student receiving their gift. CONNECTIONS CIRCLE members know that one-on-one communication is essential to student success.
$2,000 will pay for data packages for 10 women for one year. COMMUNICATORS make it possible for our students to attend classes and communicate with their professors.
$3,700 will educate 10 women for one year. BRIDGE BUILDERS are creating the pathway for our students to complete their education with AFSO and universities outside Afghanistan. In thanks, they receive a book of stories written by AFSO students.
A contribution of $37,000 or more will educate 100 women, one-fifth of the women we serve, for one year. VISIONARIES are the bedrock of our program, assuring that it can continue so long as women in Afghanistan are denied education.

Gifts of all sizes are welcome. $200 will cover data packages for a year of a student's education with AFSO. $123 will cover a student's education for a trimester.

DONATE NOW

Volunteer with AFSO

AFSO welcomes volunteers of many kinds, especially:

University teaching professionals in all fields of study
Educational administration professionals
Teaching assistants and interns at all levels of higher education

Connect with us on our Contact Page.

A Special Thanks

We are grateful to our supporters for funding Dynamic Placement Testing this fall for all our students. This testing has ensured appropriate placement in classes, better student and faculty retention, and a firmer foundation on which our students can build their future. We hope to continue to offer testing, so donations remain much appreciated!

Corporate Support

We are grateful to the Access for Good team at Ding Connect, the largest international provider of mobile top-up services, for supporting AFSO's data card program for students. Without enhanced mobile data, our students could not access their classes.

For more information on corporate giving and sponsorship opportunities at AFSO, please contact kara@afsousa.org.