In order to stand against illiteracy in Afghanistan, the First Lady’s Office provided 3000 Literacy books in two national languages and some stationery to the Deputy Minister of Literacy and Ministry of Education.
First Lady of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
"This is your world, shape it or someone else will!"
BibiGul, October 8, 2014
The First Lady is very hopeful that the rising generations of Afghans will bring new energy to the rebuilding of Afghanistan. With her team she works hard so that the young people of this country are provided with all the opportunities to grow strong, capable, and ready to assume their responsibilities towards their homeland. Her main areas of interest are:
The First Lady is very hopeful that the rising generations of Afghans will bring new energy to the rebuilding of Afghanistan. With her team she works hard so that the young people of this country are provided with all the opportunities to grow strong, capable, and ready to assume their responsibilities towards their homeland. Her main areas of interest are:
The time lost in decades of war broke the chain of passing down our culture and practices from last generation to next. Young generations of Afghans either grew up in Immigration or their families were too caught up in day to day survival; social respect and norms were lost in those struggles. We bring stories of past culture and present issues that could be solved with reviving those cultures. You can share your stories at info@firstlady.gov.af
A letter to the president
On Sept 24, 2017, Ms. Zohra Yousuf Media advisor to H.E the First Lady, participated in the official screening of “A letter to the President” movie by Roya Film House in TOLO TV hall.
In her story, Ms. Roya Sadat has shared the sad story of an Afghan woman who works for the government as well as the truth of Afghan society. The film was directed by Ms. Roya Sadat, and its scenario was organized by Mr. Aziz Dildar. It worth mentioning that, the main character of the movie was played by Ms. Lina Alam. Currently, the film is supposed to be nominated for Oscar Awards.
At the beginning of the program, Ms. Sadat talked about the challenges she faced with while making of the film. Also, she pointed out that due to the lack of a cultural center and standard cinemas, they had to screen the movie in Ariana Cinema. She requested the Afghan Government to pay special attention to Cinema and Theater.
Mr. Sancharaki, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Culture and Information, confirming Ms. Sadat stated that there have been very few investments dedicated to culture and art within the last 16 years while cinema can play an important role in reflecting the reality of our society and its reform.
As he was being sworn in as President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on September 29, 2014/Mizan 7, 1393, H.E. Ashraf Ghani thanked his wife thus automatically underlining the establishment of Afghanistan’s First Lady Office. The decision for the Office to focus on social and non-political issues was based on the Background of H.E. the First Lady and her previous work assisting IDPs (internally displaced people) and children working on the streets of Kabul. The office of H.E. the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established in October 2014/Mizan 1393.
A prosperous Afghanistan where all Afghans, especially women, are respected regardless of ethnic background, gender, power or position.
To improve the provision of quality services to all vulnerable sections of the population through monitoring and facilitation.
Basic needs in Afghanistan are enormous. Given the non-political nature of this office and its recent establishment, the main areas of interest are:
Hundreds of groups and individuals from all over Afghanistan have come and still do, hoping to share their concerns, hopes, and achievements, wiht the First Lady.
The Office of the First Lady has served as a channel for these citizens, connecting them with relevant branches of government to ensure their voice is heard.
other info...
Please contact our office by e-mail at info@firstlady.gov.af
You will be requested to state the reason why you want to meet with the First Lady as well as some information about your activities and those of your group.
The Office will then inform you of the date of your meeting and will provide you with directions to the Office.
other info...
The First Lady is happy to meet with all sections of society.
She is especially intrested in helping groups that are active in Afghan society develop their potential and reach their goals.
The Office of the First Lady is not allocated an operational budget. In other words, this Office has no funds to distribute. The Office does provide assistance in networking and access to information.
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"I Shall Not Remain Silent"
BibiGul on Drug Abuse, November 2015
The First Lady is speaking up on a few National Issues:
The First Lady is speaking up on a few National Issues:
We value Volunteerism. Volunteers are an important part of communities and we encourage youth to make this culture common among communities inside and outside the cities. You can register with us as volunteer here.
"The Afghan woman is strong.She should not be seen as a weak individual. This is a woman who, after years of war and insecurity, has carried on relentlessly and assumed her responsibilities. "
Bibigul, Women's International Day, March 8, 2015
Our efforts are guided by two main goals:
"He who is standing should reach down to the fallen one"
Saadi Shirazi, 13th Century Poet
Several decades of conflict and war have disrupted the very fabric of Afghan society. Families were torn apart, people were wounded or maimed, some died, other disappeared or moved away, and many widows were left to raise their children on their own. People fled from unsafe locations, some to urban centers in Afghanistan, other to neighboring countries. Over the past fifteen years, the situation has slowly improved and the Afghan extended family, the pillar of Afghan society, is being reconstituted. But the sequels of war remain. The attention of the First Lady and her team is focused on the most vulnerable of these populations:
Several decades of conflict and war have disrupted the very fabric of Afghan society. Families were torn apart, people were wounded or maimed, some died, other disappeared or moved away, and many widows were left to raise their children on their own. People fled from unsafe locations, some to urban centers in Afghanistan, other to neighboring countries. Over the past fifteen years, the situation has slowly improved and the Afghan extended family, the pillar of Afghan society, is being reconstituted. But the sequels of war remain. The attention of the First Lady and her team is focused on the most vulnerable of these populations:
Due to war we have lost our valuable resources that were present in archives and libraries. This is the time to bring back scholarly essays about Islamic Civilization that are written through different course of history by Afghan Scholars- Please share your work with us at info@firstlady.gov.af
Four decades of war in Afghanistan has left us with instability, lack of security and lost lives. The war has left many grieved families and gave them little time to heal. This page honors lives that were lost in war through sharing their stories and memories. Please share your story with us at info@firstlady.gov.af
Kandahar is well known as the birthplace of the Taliban, beginning in Arghandab; the birth village of Mullah Muhammad Omar. His popularity increased during the late 80s when he led the Battle of Arghandab, which was an offensive led by Afghan and Soviet forces but ended in utter failure. Arghandab is a district within the central part of Kandahar province, known for its green and agricultural landscape. During my first day in Kandahar I visited Arghandab district and was astounded with what I was seeing within the first few minutes. The mesmerizing beautiful greenery weaving through the district, the calm and hospitable residents, and the river of Arghandab – which dries up during the summer but maintains a crystal clear demeanor through the rest of the year. On the outskirts of the river, next to a small waterway, we had a melon and saw a man who had a shop there - cooling himself off from the heat by immersing himself in the river.
My journey across Afghanistan has taken me to many different regions, including Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar. Each of them has presented some wonderful memories, people and experiences – but the one place that has surprised me tremendously is Kandahar. I found it unpredictably secure, friendlier than many other regions across the country (including some great camera posers), a mutual respect for the law but an underlying struggle for peace regardless. I am glad that my experiences from Kandahar can possibly change the mindsets of people whom are thinking that the entirety of Kandahar could be your graveyard - well yeah! You will find many graveyards in every corner of the city or around the villages. My local friend had asked me while showing me the city, ‘’How did Kandahar look to you?” I frequently answered: ‘’It was amazing and I never thought of such positivity around, but why are there so many cemeteries?” Feroz responded by saying, ‘’ Well, these graveyards are the price of peace in Kandahar.” Even though you will not see any official license plates on cars (mostly being either from a Dubai plate number or without a plate completely), people drive very carefully, following the traffic lights, which would be rare in the capital. I saw a local man standing with his motorcycle at 11pm for the red light in a road which you will not see any other cars passing by. The nightlife among people is busy, many staying out and mingling, eating and chatting past midnight. They are people who love to enjoy life and not live under the shadow of fear. One of the nights I was in ‘AINO MEENA’ (The New Modern City of Kandahar, with beautiful fountains on the road, amazing boulevards and bright lights at night) having dinner with my fellow colleagues and just as we were about to finish the meal, we ordered tea with a hookah. Looking up, we saw three bullet proof cars parked on the roadside with 10 bodyguards around their boss. The restaurant we were having our tea had an open space beside the road so a policeman came and kicked on those cars not to park there and the bodyguards ran towards him. This was the first time during my trip in which I was scared and thought they will beat or kill this police man. The bodyguards had RPGs, Machine Guns and AK47Kalashnikovs. Surprisingly, they were begging the policeman to let them be there. “Once they are eating and finished, then we will leave’’ said one of the guards. The kindness and civility absolutely shocked me. Throughout my time in Kandahar, a friend of a friend allowed me to use a car to drive around if I needed to get around the city. At every police checkpoint, questions were asked such as, "What have you got? A gun, a card?" If I said no, they would ask, "Mind if I check?" And if I agreed, then they would say I am good to go and to stay blessed. I remember my last day in Kandahar when I was asked the same questions at a final police checkpoint and the officer began again with, "What have you got?" and I answered: "I've got myself and this car." He replied: ‘’Then tell me you've got an iPhone and glasses as well!" I ended our conversation by telling him how proud I was to be stopped by such a young and strong police officer. His happiness showed through his face and he shook my hands and said, ‘’Allah De Mal Sha Zwana’’: which means, "May Allah protect you always, young man!" This is how mutual respect happens only in Kandahar. As I have mentioned earlier, every little second in Kandahar was filled with surprises and priceless memories. I can only share a few in this piece of writing but I can happily say that Kandahar is in a state of constant growth and peace. Change your perception and see it for yourself! - Qayce Alamdar
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