"Afghanistan School Aid Project (ASAP)" begins

It was started from a meeting

A meeting for watching a video and hearing a speech was held at the SPEC JOHO building in Shinjuku, Tokyo on April 25, 1995. It was a start of the Afghanistan School Aid Project (ASAP). Two Afghans and eleven Japanese were participated in the meeting. Mr. Allahyarie A. Rauof gave a speech on Afghan situations and presented a video program showing two schools of a village in Jaghori, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
(See "Schools we support")

Afghan military and political situations, still harsh

Participants were astonished to hear recent developments in Kabul. Mr. Rauof talked that the ancient beautiful oasis city had been completely destroyed during the civil war. Collections of the Kabul Museum were also lost. Citizens are struggling for their daily bread and students from rural districts had to go back to their homelands. The participants was strongly impressed that there would be a very hard way to peaceful Afghanistan.

Activities for future

However, there are some villages fortunately keeping away from the war, where the people effort to give their children a good education, overcoming shortage of funds and teaching materials.
Mr. Rauof from Jaghori who lives in Japan has supported the schools in his homeland since 1993 at the request of a headmaster. He has been requesting fellow countrymen living abroad to support the schools since a German NGO decided to discontinue to financial aids to them.

Afghanistan School Aid Project (ASAP)

To meet the request, Mr. Rauof promised to send 1.8 million yen for the schools a year. In 1994, he could accomplish the promise with his Afghan friends. They are making efforts to do it in this year, too.
The participants talked about what and how they can do for the people who are doing their best for the development of their homeland, Afghanistan. They reached a conclusion to assist the schools as possible as they can by collecting money through producing and selling post cards and video on Afghanistan as well as charity events.
(See "Charity box")