A Call To Help Afghan Women
Dear Reader,
Recently I watched a heart-wrenching report on 60 Minutes regarding SOLA (School Of Leadership Afghanistan), a girls’ school in that country.
When the United States pulled out of Afghanistan in August of 2021, the Taliban took over the first things they did was to ban girls from going to school beyond sixth grade. In response, SOLA’s Wisconsin-educated founder, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, bravely shepherded 252 girls to safety and a new life in Rwanda. Moving so far from home – Rwanda is 5,500 miles from Kabul – was a traumatic experience for these young girls. But they could not be stopped, so great was their desire for the world of opportunities open to a girl with an education.
Afghanistan is the only country on the planet that will not allow girls to gain an education. This is just one of many practices designed to reduce women to second class citizens. The girls of SOLA hope to return to their beautiful but backward home as educated women to help elevate their people, men included, to the 21st century.
We live in a world of multiple hurts, and there are many causes trying to help in one way or another. This is a good one to get behind with a donation. You can give to SOLA with a visit to the globalgiving.com website.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Patrick J. Wood
Publisher
Author of “Dear Reader” and “Tapestry of Love and Loss