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GIRLS’ EDUCATION
It is widely recognized that when you educate agirl, her life and the lives around her arechanged forever. Education can improve eco-nomic opportunities by preparing girls with theknowledge and skills they need to find employ-ment. Attending school also allows girls moretime and opportunities to learn basic life skills,often resulting in later marriages for them, andfewer, healthier, and better educated children.However, in many developing Asian countriesgirls are often kept out of school, and manywomen are unable to read and write. Womenwho lack education and skills become vulnera-ble to cycles of illiteracy, poverty, and abuse. Our pro-grams create opportunities for women and girls toavoid this trap. The Asia Foundation has long beencommitted to empowering girls and women by devel-oping education initiatives across the Asia-Pacificregion because we know it is smart development toinvest in girls.
OUR PROGRAMS IN ACTION:
• In Afghanistan, with support from The NationalGeographic Society, the Foundation has helped the Rabia-e-Balkhi Girls High School in Kabul, which was nearly destroyed by years of war, to refurbish 14 classrooms and establish science and computer labs and a library now used by thousands of students.
• With support from Estée Lauder Companies Inc.,the Foundation is providing scholarships to 70disadvantaged girls in Vietnam who may not havebeen able to continue their education. In addition
to the scholarships, which enable them to attendsecondary school, the Estée Lauder Scholars alsoreceive books, materials, and other educationalmaterials.
• In Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, andVietnam, the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation isproviding scholarships to poor and vulnerable girlsto pursue university education in math and thesciences. The highly competitive Shirin PandjuMerali Scholars Program offers girls the financialresources to pay for tuition, fees, books, educa-tional materials, and other costs that would other-wise prohibit poor families from sending theirdaughters to college. This scholarship programoffers gifted young women a chance to seekopportunities that will lift them and their familiesout of poverty.
• In Afghanistan, with support from USAID and inpartnership with local organizations, The AsiaFoundation is working to provide education to
EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM
HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) [email protected] 09/2011
3,100 girls in nine provinces. The Foundation isaiming to educate the segment of the populationthat was deprived of education during the 25years of war and those who were living asrefugees without access to formal education, aswell as to provide teacher training and meet
other needs identified by the Ministry ofEducation. The Foundation is also supportingenrichment activities, physical education, andcomputer and English courses for female studentsat Kabul University.
The Asia Foundation is a private, non-profit, non-governmental organization working to advance mutual interestsof the United States and the Asia-Pacific region. It is funded by contributions from corporations, foundations, individuals, and governmental organizations in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Australia, and Asia, and an annualappropriation from the U.S. Congress. Through its programs, the Foundation builds leadership, improves policies,and strengthens institutions to foster greater openness and shared prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
Janet Ketcham, founder of the Janet W. Ketcham Foundation, first traveledto Afghanistan in 1971. Her experience there led her to become a passionateadvocate of Afghan girls’ education. Ms. Ketcham’s generosity has enabledour local Afghanistan office to provide much needed assistance to theLama-e-Shaheed Girls’ School in Kabul. The school, which enrolls more than4,500 girls, K-12, had been badly damaged during the past several decades
of conflict. Through Ms. Ketcham’s support, the school building has been significantly upgraded withan improved roof, conference hall, chairs, and desks for students and teachers, and a completeoverhaul to the school’s plumbing system.
OUR DONORS MAKE OUR PROGRAMS POSSIBLE
With contributions from private individuals, corporations, foundations, and public funders, we are able to create exciting new models and expand successful programs that are making a significant difference in the lives of girls and women across the Asia-Pacific region. To support our programs, please visit the Women’s EmpowermentProgram page at: www.asiafoundation.org.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Disadvantaged women often lack marketable skills.Vocational training matched to market needs enableswomen to get better paying jobs and to start their ownbusinesses. The Asia Foundation takes pride in encour-aging women to break into higher-paid employmentsectors traditionally dominated by men, such as automechanics, taxi driving, and motorcycle repair.
• In Cambodia, Foundation programs have enabled100 vulnerable young people, primarily girls, toattend an 11-month vocational training coursethat provides hands-on experience working inhotels and restaurants in the tourist town of SiemReap. Through job placement services, all of our
graduates have been able to earn salaries twice the average wage in Cambodia.
• In China, the Foundation provides jobs skillstraining and microcredit for migrant women tostart or expand their own businesses.
• In Nepal, the Foundation developed a life skillseducation and vocational training program thatequipped vulnerable women with marketable skillsin a range of high demand industries, such asmotorcycle repair, electrical house wiring, and taxidriving, and then provided job placement supportand counseling. Many of these women are nowsupporting themselves and significantly contribut-ing to the livelihood of their families.
PARTNER PROFILE: THE JANET W. KETCHAM FOUNDATION
