Making a Difference
Razia’s Ray of Hope is focused on establishing educational support and resources for girls and women in the Afghan village of Deh’Subz, located 30 miles northeast of Kabul in a larger district of the same name. Deh’Subz translates to “Green City,” an apt name for a mountainous area vibrant with grape vineyards and apricot, peach, and almond orchards.
The district of Deh’Subz is comprised of a total of 46 villages, with a total of approximately 100,000 residents including a large number of nomadic families.
Agriculture is the most important source of income in Deh’Subz. (The road leading to Kabul city is rough and unpaved; only 2%–3% of Deh’Subz residents commute to Kabul for work.) The stability of farming has been severely affected by sporadic drought in the region. Water is a major problem in the district, with two unusable wells and the war-related destruction of water pipes and agricultural irrigation.
Deh’Subz was heavily affected by the Afghan-Soviet war (1979–1989), which resulted in the mass devastation of many small villages, including 80% of residential housing. Today, approximately 40% of the houses have been rebuilt, but many families could not afford to rebuild and live with relatives or in tents. During the Taliban regime, the area remained calm except for fighting along the frontline near Kohi Safi, but the people of Deh’Subz complained much about the tyranny of the Taliban.
In 2009, Deh’Subz is experiencing slow regrowth, including the government-backed development of 20,000 residential homes, but there is a tremendous amount of work ahead in order to provide just the basics of life and dignity to a people who have suffered from decades of war, oppression, and poverty.
Zabuli Education Center
Our work in Deh’Subz began with the Zabuli Education Center, a school for girls that opened its doors in March 2008.
Adult Education Program
The Zabuli Education Center will be home to an adult education program, providing vocational training and literacy education to women during evenings and weekends. The adult education center is expecting 20 to 30 women, many of them widows with children, to come to learn a trade or how to start a business. As Razia Jan observes, “There are a lot of widows with little kids they support. We want to give them a hand to help them make a living.”
Medical Clinic and Commercial Development
Afghanistan has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the world. To combat that statistic, Razia’s Ray of Hope has acquired land adjacent to the Zabuli Education Center for the site of a healthcare facility. The clinic will provide vital prenatal care to pregnant women, support for home-based labor and delivery, and neonatal care for infants. The project’s scope includes a cluster of businesses to support the village of Deh’Subz and surrounding communities within the district.
