Dear Mr. Oliphant,

I am a constituent of Don Valley West, and am concerned about the state of a school in Kandahar, Afghanistan — the Afghan-Canadian Community Centre (ACCC) — which is supported by a charity, the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF). As you may have read in today’s Toronto Star, the ACCC is in serious financial trouble, due to its inability to secure continued funding from the Canadian International Development Agency.

I am a high school teacher in Scarborough, at a school which has a very large Afghan-Canadian population. In addition, two Afghan-Canadian teachers at my school have started an program, the Canadian-Afghan Student Success Initative (CASSI), which seeks to connect Afghan-Canadian students and their parents more directly with the school. This sort of program is necessary in Canada because the transition between the shoddy educational infrastructure in Afghanistan and our excellent system is often a difficult one.

A few years ago, I had a student named Mariyam. She was 16 and in a Grade 10 Science class, and a really sweet girl. We’d talk all the time about life, and school, and the transition from Afghanistan to Canada — she’d grown up in Kandahar and moved to Toronto maybe a year or two earlier. Her written English skills were very shaky, so I asked about how much English she’d learned in school back home. “Oh, I never went to school back home,” she replied — which completely knocked me over.

“Never went to school, ever?”

“No, I just stayed at home with my mom and helped look after the house.”

I hadn’t even considered this to be an option for children, but as I learned more about what life was (and is) like in Kandahar, it is sadly not that surprising to me anymore, especially for girls. Mariyam ended up passing the course, improving her science knowledge and lab skills, and improving her English — but the main lesson I took away from teaching her was that there was a part of the world where children, mainly girls, simply do not have the opportunity to get any sort of education whatsoever.

Education is a basic human right. We all have the right to learn, to better ourselves as people and to acquire the skills to improve our lot in life, free from threats and harassment. The ACCC provides this vital service to the young people of Kandahar, mostly girls, who desire nothing but this basic right. I can’t understand why CIDA would choose not to support this modest yet extremely important initiative, which not only accomplishes the direct goal of helping to educate girls in Kandahar, but also serves to form a good impression of Canada in the minds of the vast majority of the citizens in that hardscrabble city. I humbly request that you use your position as my Member of Parliament to impress upon CIDA the importance of the ACCC, and CanILF’s role in supporting it.

Thank you in advance,

Jason Law
Toronto

On behalf of the volunteers at CanILF and the staff and students at the ACCC, I would like to thank Mr. Jason Law for taking the time to write his Member of Parliament, and for sharing his letter with us. It’s easy to forget that not everyone has the same kind of educational opportunities as we do in Canada but, as Jason proves with his letter, this kind of oppression also affects our fellow Canadians, such as Mariyam and her family.

Want to help? Please click here to learn more, and for a sample letter to send to your Member of Parliament. Please also feel free to share your letter with us at staff@canilf.org.

Update: CIDA approved renewed funding for the ACCC on International Women’s Day 2011. Our deepest thanks go to all of you who took the time to write your Members of Parliament – we couldn’t have done it without you!

As recently noted in the Toronto Star, Government of Canada funding for the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) is set to end on February 28th, 2011. Without renewed support, the ACCC will need to take urgent steps to cut costs: we will need to lay off teachers and close classes, closing the door on higher education for many brave Afghan women.

A cut-back of the ACCC would be a huge loss to the women of Kandahar, the nation of Afghanistan and the Canadian taxpayer. Dollar for dollar, the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA’s) investment in the ACCC has been one of the most cost-effective development projects in Kandahar province. As a result of Government of Canada support, the ACCC has more  than 2,000 students and graduates and more than 4,000 total beneficiaries.

With a further investment of $650,000 and a new facility, we can bring the ACCC to the point of self-sustainability. This investment will bring long-term hope and opportunity for the women of Kandahar, who struggle against incredible odds to build a better life for themselves and their families. The ACCC is a vital part of Canada’s legacy in Kandahar, where Canadians have sacrificed have so much for the sake of peace, stability and human rights.

To help, please write your Member of Parliament (MP) and express your support for the Afghan-Canadian Community Center. Tell them that you care about the women of Kandahar, and that you want the Government of Canada to support this incredible success story. For your convenience, we have included a sample letter below.

To find your MP’s e-mail address, please click here. Please also CC Minister Oda’s office at Oda.B@parl.gc.ca.

Subject: CIDA Support for the Afghan-Canadian Community Center

Dear (Name of your Member of Parliament):

I recently learned that the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) may close due to a lack of funding. I wish to express my support for the work done by the ACCC and respectfully ask that you do all you can to ensure that the ACCC’s current business plan receives support from the Canadian International Development Agency. The current CIDA grant for the ACCC is set to end on February 28th, 2011 and, if new funding is not approved soon, the Center will need to take immediate measures to lower costs, including laying off teachers and closing classes.

The ACCC has proven itself to be one of the most successful development projects in Kandahar province, with more than 2,000 students and graduates and more than 4,000 total beneficiaries. Not only do employed ACCC graduates support an average of 6 family members, many work with firms which play key roles in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The ACCC is also a leading provider of women’s education in Kandahar, and more than half of its students are women.

The Afghan-Canadian Community Center is supported by the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF), a team of volunteers in Canada and around the world that fund the school’s activities and help people from around the world to learn about the challenges faced by Afghan women and volunteer in support of education in Afghanistan. This grant would also help them to continue and expand their volunteer efforts, and teach valuable professional skills to a new generation of Canadian volunteers.

While the ACCC has made significant steps toward self-sufficiency since the institution was established in early 2007, it needs more help to ensure the Center can continue its valuable work. If the Government of Canada can help obtain a permanent building for the ACCC, the entire program will cost less than $650,000 over three years, a tiny fraction of what is being spent on military efforts in Afghanistan. This is a small price to pay to ensure a lasting legacy for Canadian sacrifices in Kandahar.

As a concerned constituent, I urge you to contact Minister Oda’s Office and CIDA’s Afghan Task Force to express your support for the Afghan-Canadian Community Center.

For further information, please visit CanILF’s Afghan School Project at www.theafghanschool.org or contact President Ryan Aldred at staff@canilf.org.

Sincerely,

(Please include your full name and address in any correspondence with your Member of Parliament.)

En Francais:

Cher/Chêre hon. (Député),

J’ai appris dans les derniers jours que le Centre communautaire afghan-canadien (ACCC) pourrait être obligé à mettre fin à son programme par manque de fonds. J’aimerais exprimer mon appui au travail de l’ACCC en vous demandant respectueusement de faire ce que vous pouvez pour assurer que le nouvel plan d’affaires soumis par l’ACCC reçoit l’approbation de l’Association canadienne de développement international (ACDI). La subvention courante de l’ACDI  pour l’ACCC prend fin le 28 février 2011 et, si une nouvelle subvention n’est pas approuvée bientôt, le Centre sera obligé de réduire ses dépenses par diverses mesures, notamment par mettre à pieds des professeurs et par fermer des classes.

L’ACCC s’est rélévé être un des meilleurs projets de développement dans la province de Kandahar, avec plus de 2 000 étudiants et diplômés, la plupart d’entre eux étant des femmes, et plus de 4 000 bénéficiaires. Les diplômés qui trouvent des emplois supportent en moyenne des familles de six personnes, et un grand nombre d’entre eux travaillent pour des organisations qui aident à la reconstruction d’Afghanistan, comme par exemple le Programme alimentaire mondial. Le travail indispensable réalisé par l’ACCC a contribué à l’amélioration la réputation de notre pays au sein de la communauté internationale et le Centre est devenu le sujet de rapports par Al-Jazeera, la NPR et The Times (Royaume-Uni).

Depuis son établissement en 2007, le Centre a avancé vers l’autosuffisance financière mais l’organisation a néanmoins encore besoin d’aide pour assurer sa contribution continue en Afghanistan. Si le gouvernement du Canada pourrait aider l’organisation à obtenir un édifice permanent, le coût du programme entier serait inférieur à 650 000 $ pendant les trois prochaines années, ce qui serait un prix très abordable pour assurer un héritage durable pour les Canadiens après nos sacrifices en Kandahar.

En tant que citoyen inquiet, je vous encourage à communiquer avec le bureau de la ministère Oda et l’ACDI pour exprimer votre support pour l’ACCC.

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le site web du projet : www.theafghanschool.org ou encore contacter le président de CanILF, Ryan Aldred: staff@canilf.org.

Veuillez agréer, Madame/Monsieur, l’expression de mes sincères salutations,

On September 19th, Erin Collins (a CanILF volunteer) will run the Army Run 5K to benefit the Afghan School Project, which supports the Afghan-Canadian Community Centre (ACCC) in Kandahar. The ACCC teaches 1,800 students in Kandahar, over half of whom are women who attend free of charge. The ACCC teaches business and technology skills, and also operates the largest free computer lab in Afghanistan. It costs just $10 to send a student to school for one month, so please give generously. Visit her giving page here.

The Canadian International Learning Foundation has been chosen as the featured charity at Ottawa Fashion Week, to be held March 24th to 27th at the Ottawa Arts Court. Visit our display to speak with our volunteers, send messages of support to our students, and shop from a range of products – from gourmet coffee to pashminas – to support our programs in Afghanistan, Uganda, and around the world.

Ottawa Fashion Week seeks to create a stronger forum for designers and artists to showcase their brilliant work and quench the thirst of arts lovers in Ottawa. Designers from across the country and around the world will showcase their collections. The nation’s capital will witness cutting edge fashion and style, and will have the opportunity to purchase unique pieces, straight off the runway. Doors will open at 5 pm, and runway shows will be held daily at 6 pm, to be followed by a nightly after party.

To learn more, please visit Ottawa Fashion Week at www.ottawafashionweek.ca. Tickets are available for pre-purchase at Ottawa Fashion Week Live. You can also follow Ottawa Fashion Week updates on twitter at @OFW_LIVE.

For further information, please contact us by e-mail at staff@canilf.org.

Please join The Free Thinking Film Society at the National Archives (395 Wellington) on March 9th for “Canada and Afghanistan: Keeping Our Promises”, a presentation of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee’s vision for Canada’s re-dedication to the cause of Afghan reconstruction, human rights and democracy, post-2011.

Speakers at this event will include:

• Ehsanullah Ehsan (appearing by video from Afghanistan), Director of the Afghan-Canadian Community Centre in Kandahar City
• Nipa Banerjee, Professor of international development at the University of Ottawa who served as Canada’s head of aid in Kabul for three years
• Nasrine Gross, Afghan-American writer and human rights activist
• Major-General (Ret’d) Lewis Mackenzie, Served in the Canadian Forces for 35 years, including a UN peacekeeping command in Yugoslavia in 1992, he is also an author and media commentator; he was awarded the Order of Canada in 2006
• Dr. Douglas Bland, Chair of the Defence Management Studies Program at the School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University
• Lauryn Oates, Human rights and gender equity activist; CASC senior advisor

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.

Tickets can no longer be purchased online. However, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

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

With your support, the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF) can turn $1 into $5,000. How, you ask? By helping us win the CanadaHelps Giving Challenge!

The Challenge will award $5,000 for the charity with the most donations between November 23rd and noon on December 20th.

Donate $1 for the Foundation and you’ll bring us a step closer to winning – and send one of our students in Uganda or Afghanistan to school for two days!

Please donate and invite your friends to do the same – it only takes a dollar! What’s more, just one dollar is enough to help a student in Uganda or Afghanistan to school for two days. Just imagine – if we win, that’s 10,000 days of schooling for students in need!

Are you willing to help us even more? There’s a second category for “most funds raised” – if we can win both categories, we can raise as much as an additional $10,000 to help students in need!

Please click here to donate now!

Can you help us spread the word? See below for tweets, facebook posts, and e-mails that you can send to friends and family to encourage them to get involved. Thanks for your help – let’s make every dollar count!

Want to see how we’re doing? Click here to check out the results.

Sample E-mail

Subject: Donate $1 to help CanILF win the CanadaHelps Giving Challenge

Hello,

I’m a supporter of the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF), a grassroots registered Canadian charity which helps to provide and promote education in Afghanistan, Uganda and other developing countries. They are a volunteer-run charity and all donations go directly toward student scholarships and educational equipment, unless donors request otherwise.

The Foundation is taking part in the CanadaHelps Giving Challenge, and is eligible to win up to $10,000 depending on the number and amount of donations they can raise within the next month. They have a real shot at winning both prizes, but need our help to do so.

All you need to do is donate $1, and you’ll bring us one step closer to winning at least one of the categories – and bringing in $5,000 toward a great cause. Your $1 donation is also enough to send a student in Uganda or Afghanistan to school for two days. They accept both credit card and Interac. Please click here to donate: http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=5791

For more information, please visit the Foundation at www.canilf.org. I’d be glad to answer any questions you may have, or you can write to CanILF President Ryan Aldred at staff@canilf.org.

Thanks!

Facebook Post

Link: http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=5791

“Your $1 donation will help a grassroots international education charity win a $5000 award — plus it’s enough to send a student in Uganda or Afghanistan to school for two days! (which is way, way cooler than what a chocolate bar can do). It’s an awesome charity and nice way to give overseas without worrying where the money really goes. Please give – and help spread the word!”

Tweet

RT @CanILF Donate $1 to help us win $5K in the Canada Helps Giving Challenge! $1 = 2 days of school! (Debit accepted!) http://act.ly/R1he

CanILF NR-0901 November 2, 2009 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.

-30-

Notes to the editor: Further details regarding the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) are available online at www.theafghanschool.org. Photos of the ACCC and its students are available at www.canilf.org/gallery/. A link to video footage from the ACCC is available upon request. Further information regarding the Canadian International Learning Foundation is available at www.canilf.org.

For more information, please contact Ryan Aldred, President of the Canadian International Learning Foundation at 613-614-5349 or e-mail staff@canilf.org.

Calgary artist Amanda M. Weightman is set to unveil her Woman and Water exhibition, which will feature a special series of smaller, more accessible artwork created in support of the Canadian International Learning Foundation’s (CanILF) projects in Afghanistan and Uganda.

The launch of the series will be held at The Marquee Room of the Uptown in Calgary on October 8^th from 7:00 until 9:00 pm. There will be musical performances by The Nix Dixons and Oh Lenore! afterward.

If you enjoy seeing the latest work from a talented artist and would like to make a difference in the life of a student in need, then this is one show you won’t want to miss. With artwork from the CanILF series starting at $20 per piece, Amanda is helping to prove that neither art nor education is beyond reach. To RSVP, please click here.

The Uptown (www.theuptown.com) is located at #200 – 612 8^th Ave SW. The event is open to those 18 and older and there will be a cover charge for entry after 9:00 pm. All sales from the smaller series and a portion of sales from the Woman and Water series will be used to fund student scholarships at CanILF’s partner schools.

About Amanda M. Weightman (www.wist.ca)

Amanda was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta where she continues to live and work. She is a self-taught, professional artist and children’s art instructor. Amanda is represented by Latitude Art Gallery in Calgary (www.latitudeartgallery.com).

About The Canadian International Learning Foundation (www.canilf.org)

The Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF) is an Ottawa-based, volunteer-run registered charity which provides and promotes employment-oriented education in areas of the world affected by poverty, war and disease epidemics (at-risk areas). To accomplish this, CanILF provides funding for scholarships and educational equipment, teaches online courses, and offers mentoring to the leaders of educational institutions.

CanILF has helped hundreds of students in Afghanistan achieve long-term employment as a result of the students sponsored at the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) via the Afghan School Project (www.theafghanschool.org) . ACCC Director Ehsanullah Ehsan was recently awarded an honorary degree from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in recognition of his accomplishments. A group of students at Ehsan’s school in Kandahar are currently studying with SAIT via their online Business Management Certificate program.

For more information, please contact us by e-mail at staff@canilf.org or by phone at (613) 614-5349.

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 student whose education they are helping to fund. This will give your students a new appreciation for their own education and inspire your adopted student 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 staff@theafghanschool.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.

This past may, students and staff from St. Matthew Catholic High School, in Orleans, Ontario, came together to raise $2,000 for the Canadian International Learning Foundation (CanILF) at their annual cake auction.

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!