ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan addresses guests during graduation

The ACCC offers employment-focused education and training that ensures graduates have the skills they need for employment success in the city of Kandahar and throughout Afghanistan during this critical time of rebuilding. More than half of the ACCC budget is provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The ACCC also benefits from ongoing partnerships with both the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF).

The Deputy Governor of Kandahar Ghulam Jelani Hamayun, Director of Women’s Affairs Rona Tarin, Youth Affairs Manager Nisar Ahmad Arya, and other local community leaders attended the ceremony and expressed their pride in the students and school. After taking a tour of ACCC classrooms and speaking to students and teachers, they called the ACCC “a great success, and a sign of a progressive and peaceful Afghanistan.”

In addition to the women’s achievements, the ceremony also marked the graduation of 19 men from an English Language course that was offered in partnership with the American University of Afghanistan. During the ceremony, certificates were also awarded to six “Youth Champions of the Year” in recognition of their achievements in education, sport, and literature. Three female students of the ACCC were among the youth award recipients.

ACCC student receives a certificate in recognition of her achievements

ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan spoke at the ceremony about how the occassion represents the successes and achievements of the ACCC and of the students. In just four years, the school and its students have made impressive progress on important issues such as gender equality, capacity building, education and employment. Ehsan emphasized the courage and dedication of his female students for pursuing their education and succeeding despite the continued challenges that women face in Kandahar.

Ehsan also took the opportunity to thank Canadian donors, volunteers, and CIDA for their continued financial and administrative support.  This was the first graduation ceremony to be held at the new ACCC Resource Center, a facility founded through donations made to the Canadian International Learning Foundation’s Afghan School Project. The Resource Center is large enough to accomodate 200 people and will be equipped with all of the furniture and technology necessary to serve as both an everyday research lab and as a public forum for student events. More than $15,000 has been raised for the ACCC’s Resource Center, and a further $10,000 is required for its completion.

The event was covered by local, national and international media, including Kandahar Television, Hewad Television, VOA Television (through Radio Television of Afghanistan), Shamshad Television, Surgar Weekly Newspaper, Benawa.com, Kalid Radio and Afghan Azada Radio.

At the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC), a school that grants women the right to education every day, the celebration of International Women’s Day is particularly significant. Staff, students, families, media and honourable guests gathered to celebrate and discuss the role of women in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Young girls singing at the Women’s Day Celebration

This year, many of the speeches highlighted the amazing progress made by Afghan women and touched on broad themes such as the role of women in Islam, the universal human rights of women, and the increasing employment options for women in Afghanistan.

Ehsan, the Director of the ACCC, made a passionate speech about the importance of education as the “backbone of a nation.” He praised his students for their bravery, saying: “I am impressed by the courage women have shown in this remote corner of the world where the female population is still threatened by ultra-conservative cultural attitudes, the poverty and the ongoing war.” He also noted that many women have been rewarded for their persistence and dedication with positions in the Afghan parliament, provincial councils, and other institutions involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Ehsan awards a certificate of achievement

Several guests of honour were in attendance, including the Deputy Governor of Kandahar, members of Afghanistan’s parliament, the Director of Women’s Affairs, the Director of Kandahar Women’s Council and a representative from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The ACCC awarded certificates of achievement and gifts to several of the participants in recognition of their contributions to the ACCC and to the cause of women’s rights in Kandahar.

ACCC students address the crowd

Many of the ACCC staff and students are shining examples of what women can accomplish. They took this day to celebrate their achievements, to thank those who made it possible and to talk about the next steps for women in Afghanistan.

The participants enjoyed refreshments and received gifts of clothes, dictionaries and teapots courtesy of the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) CIMIC Team, Kandahar Innovative Advertisements and the ACCC.

Vital English is an e-Learning company which focuses on ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. Their diverse range of ESL courses enables educators and organizations to reach students in a manner best suited to their learning needs. They offer a wide range of courses from general English to English for Specific Purposes (such as Information Technology and Business), offering a ‘white label’ solution that carries the branding of the organizations using their materials.

The courses provided by Vital English will help to improve ESL training at our partner schools, help students in Afghanistan and Yemen obtain specialized employment, and enable students of all fields to conduct more effective research over the Internet. Vital English has a range of partners including the University of Cambridge who use their services for their online version of the IELTS and BULATS test preparation courses.

Students at the Afghan-Canadian Community Center who would like to study ESL with Vital English should inform their teacher of their interest.

CASC will be presenting a variety of Afghan and Canadian speakers and a panel discussion. Please check back soon for details.

After the speeches and panel discussion, there will then be a cocktail reception – which will serve as a fundraiser for Afghan-Canadian Community Center (“The Afghan School Project“) in Kandahar. Canadian International Learning Foundation volunteers will be on hand to meet with you and share some of our students’ stories of studying in Afghanistan.

Please join us for this very important event – and in the process, help Afghan men and women receive life-changing education.

Admission is $30, $15 for students. The event runs from 7:00 to 10:30 pm. To RSVP via facebook, please click here.

Tickets can be purchased online here:

CASC Event Tickets:

Regular $30.00 Student $15.00

Note: If you purchase tickets online, you will not receive a physical ticket. We will keep a list of ticket holders and check photo ID at the door.

Or you can purchase tickets from the following retail outlets:

Ottawa Folklore Centre
1111 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K1S 3X4
(613) 730-2887

Compact Music
190 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 1W8
(613) 233-7626

Compact Music
785 1/2 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ont
K1S 3V5
(613) 233-8922

An ACCC student delivers a graduation speech

On November 2^nd, 2009 a landmark ceremony was held in Kandahar to celebrate the graduation of 140 female students from the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC). The ceremony was attended by over 350 guests including teachers, parents, students, prominent members of the local community and media, and representatives of the Afghan and Canadian governments.

Among the graduates were ten students who completed a two-year Business Management Program provided online through a partnership with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). These ten students also received certificates, signed by the Prime Minister of Canada and presented by Jess Dutton, Acting Representative of Canada in Kandahar (RoCK), to mark their achievements in business management, computer technology and English language training. The ceremony also celebrated the graduation of a further sixteen students from the SAIT program upon completion of a Project Management course.

Jess Dutton presents ACCC students with certificates signed by the Prime Minister of Canada

Mr. Dutton recognized the hard work and dedication of the SAIT students under challenging circumstances, noting that the students’ achievements were an inspiration to Afghans and Canadians alike. He further encouraged the students to use their education to give back to their community in Kandahar, and their nation of Afghanistan.

The accomplishments of these students and the ACCC are significant, particularly considering they took place in a country that is still trying to recover from conflict and amidst the threats of a narrow minority who oppose women’s education. This achievement was further recognized in several speeches by local employers, who thanked the ACCC for raising the overall standard of education for women in Kandahar.

The graduating class of SAIT students at the ACCC

Bibi Zhilla, a graduating student from the SAIT program, spoke on behalf of her class about what it felt like to graduate from an international learning program. She thanked ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan and her many teachers for their support and encouragement throughout the two year program and noted how the program instilled a confidence in herself and her fellow students, along with the many practical skills that they learned.

She assured the crowd that: “…the end of this course is just one of the many great accomplishments I hope to achieve in my life. Graduation from this course is just the beginning of a new flight for all of us and from this day onward everyone tries to work harder and participate in the reconstruction of the country.”

Shamim, another graduating SAIT student, noted the significance of the Prime Minister’s signature upon the certificates, which she felt clearly demonstrated the importance placed by the people of Canada on empowering the people of Afghanistan with the gift of education. The Government of Canada provides most of the operating budget of the ACCC via a capacity-building grant administered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan and CIDA Development Officer Karine Landry

The Deputy Governor of Kandahar spoke during the ceremony, emphasizing that “Canadian investment in education is truly building us. Education can really help us a secure a better future.” He further noted that the ACCC could be proud of its many remarkable accomplishments.

The Director of Information and Culture, whose own daughters were in the graduating class, also spoke of his pride in the women’s achievements and asked the graduates to “…make the best of the knowledge you received for the betterment of yourselves and the people of Afghanistan.” Many speeches personally thanked ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan for his tireless efforts, as well as the ACCC’s many teachers and supporters in Kandahar, Canada and around the world.

In his speech, Ehsan thanked Canadian donors, volunteers, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for their considerable support. He noted that Canadian support has been not only financial but had also provided invaluable expertise and guidance which was helping the ACCC move toward self-sustainability. He also thanked his female students for the courage and dedication they’ve shown, despite the many challenges that women in Afghanistan still face. He praised the brave example they have set for future classes of women.

ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan delivers his speech

The ACCC awarded certificates of appreciation on behalf of SAIT and the Canadian International Learning Foundation to 19 Kandahar journalists from a diverse range of news agencies and networks for their promotion and media coverage of education efforts in Kandahar. Graduates expressed their appreciation with handmade gifts to CIDA and SAIT staff members, CanILF volunteers, and Ehsan and his family.

The event was also covered by local, national and international media, including Kandahar Television, Larawbar, Pajhwok News (English / Pashto),  Benawa Online Pashto World, Surgar Weekly Newspaper (First Story, Second Story), ReliefWeb, Benawa,  and the MILNEWS Canada blog.

Afghan girls sing at the ACCC graduation

OTTAWA - Despite recent insecurity, more than two hundred students at the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) in Kandahar, Afghanistan graduated on November 2, 2009 from a professional education program funded largely by the Canadian International Development Agency.

“Through the education and support provided by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the Government of Canada and the Canadian people, the Center has given us hope for a better future,” said Class Valedictorian Bibi Zhilla, “Now it is our responsibility to share this precious gift with others in  need.”

The ACCC provides professional education to approximately 1,000 students in Kandahar, more than half of them women. A group of 30 students have had the opportunity to study Business Management with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) via the Internet.

ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan travelled to Calgary to receive an honourary degree from SAIT in June 2009. ACCC students had planned to accompany Ehsan during the trip, but were unable to do so for security reasons. This group of students received graduation certificates from SAIT during this ceremony.

The ACCC was founded by Ehsan in early 2007 with the support of the Afghan School Project, which sponsors student scholarships and provides the Center with educational equipment, such as computers and textbooks.

The Project is managed by the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF), a registered Canadian charity. The Foundation also provides Canadians with the opportunity to communicate with students in Kandahar via www.theafghanschool.org and an online Pen Pal program.

“We are incredibly proud of what our students have achieved under such difficult circumstances,” said Ryan Aldred, President of CanILF, “With the assistance of the Government of Canada, we have helped the people of Kandahar to create a vibrant and thriving school which has made a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of people.”

Several hundred students and graduates of the Afghan-Canadian Community Center have obtained long-term employment with local businesses and international organizations. On average, each employed student provides economic support to more than seven family members.

Ehsan meets the Governor General

A role model for many at the Afghan-Canadian Community Center met with ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan in September, praising the programme for its many successes and saying Afghanistan needed the full participation of its women to succeed.

Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s Governor General, met with Ehsan on September 8th as part of a tour of Afghanistan that included a speech to Canadian troops and a meeting with aid workers at the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

She said that no nation can fully develop without the full participation of women in its economy, politics and social life. “The more empowered civil societies are, the more empowered the citizens are,” she added.

Jean said that it pains her when Canadian or Afghan lives are lost, but stressed that the military mission is not a waste, as Afghans deserve the peace and prosperity enjoyed by so many others in the world.

ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan told Jean that he first heard about her when the school was celebrating International Women’s Day. Students, teachers and other women researched successful women, and included Jean in a presentation showcasing female role models.

Ehsan said Jean enjoyed hearing the story, and that he never thought he would have the chance to meet her. “But today is a day of great honor and privilege to meet your Excellency. We are deeply honored and proud to have you among us in Kandahar today. We very warmly welcome you,” he told her.

Ehsan also explained the many successes of the ACCC to the Governor General, as well as the Canadian Ambassador, military chief and other officers at the meeting. Jean said that two years ago she first heard about the plans and challenges of development in Kandahar, and was interested to hear about the achievements and successes that had since been made.

The Governor General and Ehsan

Interested in donating to a worthwhile cause, but want to know where your money’s going? Looking for that perfect wedding, birthday or holiday gift, but want to get something special? Is your school or class looking for a worthwhile social justice project? Sponsor a student from the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) through our Adopt-a-Student Program!

For between $10 to $20 per month (depending on the student’s program), you can provide a scholarship to a specific student at the ACCC in Kandahar, whom you can learn about through their student profile. Your support will provide the life-changing gift of education to a student in need and help make a real and lasting difference in Afghanistan.

Adopt-a-Student also makes a great gift. Just let us know that you would like to receive a gift package, and we will prepare a package that includes a personalized letter from the Learning Foundation, a student profile, and information regarding the Afghan-Canadian Community Center and the Canadian International Learning Foundation. What’s more, all donations over $20 are eligible for tax receipts.

If your class or school is looking for a social justice project, adopting a student at the ACCC is the perfect place to start. Your students will be able to communicate with the Afghan students whose education they are helping to fund. This will give your students a new appreciation for their own education and inspire our students to repay your gift by making a lasting contribution to her community and the future of Afghanistan.

The education provided by the Afghan-Canadian Community Center has helped hundreds of students and graduates obtain valuable employment and each employed ACCC student provides economic support to seven members of their immediate and extended family. We need your help to offer this life-changing opportunity to students in Kandahar.

To Adopt-a-Student, please contact us by e-mail at adoptastudent@canilf.org or by phone at (613) 614-5349. 100% of all donations made via the Adopt a Student program go directly to funding scholarships at the ACCC.

]]> http://www.theafghanschool.org/2009/08/11/adopt-a-student/feed/ 56 http://www.theafghanschool.org/2009/07/31/roshan-donates-high-speed-internet-access-to-accc/ http://www.theafghanschool.org/2009/07/31/roshan-donates-high-speed-internet-access-to-accc/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:00:50 +0000 Afghan School Project http://www.theafghanschool.org/?p=282 Roshan, the leading GSM cellular service provider in Afghanistan, has generously agreed to provide the Afghan Canadian Community Center (ACCC) with high speed internet for the use of its students and teachers, as well as the greater Kandahar community. This donation will allow the students to make the most of more than 70 computers at the ACCC, which make up the largest series of computer labs in the province. Many of these computers were purchased with the assistance of Afghan School Project donors in Canada and around the world.  

The high-speed Internet access will allow ACCC students to better study with variety of international education programs, including the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Business Management certificate program, Canada eSchool courses at the secondary level, and one-on-one ESL tutoring with the Alliance for International Women’s Rights over Skype. The staff of the ACCC can also now communicate with its partners around the world via real-time video-conferencing.  

Roshan is Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications provider and one of the country’s largest private employers. It has invested greatly towards improving Afghanistan’s socio-economic development. In addition to donating high-speed Internet to the ACCC, Roshan has also donated 18 LCD monitors and a projector. In recognition of this generous donation, the ACCC named one if the computer labs in Roshan’s honour. 

“Roshan” means “light” in both Dari and Pashto, the two national Afghan languages and they have lived up to their name. Roshan is not only an important player in the developing Afghan economy, but plays an important social role as well, with women making up twenty percents of Roshan’s workforce.  

The ACCC and the Afghan School Project look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Roshan as both organizations work to provide educational and employment opportunities to the people of Afghanistan.

Now in its ninth year, the cake auction has become quite a tradition and a major event in the school’s fundraising calendar. In preparation for the auction, students collect funds in their classes, to bid on cakes baked by various members of the school community. Each year, a charity is chosen as the recipient of the money raised during the event.

Approximately 160 cakes were baked this year, and the funds raised matched the highest total ever. The fundraising was also given a boost by CanILF President Ryan Aldred, who spent an entire day at the school in April, giving presentations to a number of classes on CanILF’s Afghan School Project. In addition to that initiative in Kandahar, the funds raised from the cake auction will also help support CanILF’s new Uganda Literacy and Education Program (ULEP).

Special thanks go to a dedicated teacher, Maura Tubridy, a group of senior students, and the grade seven and eight religion classes, who helped organize the cake auction and ensure its success, as well as the entire school community at St. Matthew. The students in Afghanistan and Uganda will certainly benefit from your generosity.

If you would like to host a fundraiser to benefit one of the Learning Foundation’s projects, please contact us at staff@cilf-feic.org. Our volunteer staff would be glad to help you plan the event!