Doste Afghan Foundation

🏅 Celebrating Zakia Khudadadi: Trailblazer and Champion 🏅 This year, Zakia Khudadadi made history as the first-ever athlete to win a medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team. Her incredible achievement is inspiring women and girls in Afghanistan and beyond. Zakia's victory is not just a personal triumph but a powerful statement for all Afghan women and girls who continue to face oppression every day. To help improve the lives of Afghan women and girls, click the link in our bio to support our efforts 💪

On August 30th 2021, the United States abruptly withdrew the last of its troops from Afghanistan, ending its military presence in the country after nearly 20 years. Two decades of progress was lost when the Taliban regained control - leaving the entire nation at risk, particularly its women, ethnic and religious minorities. Women, girls, and minority groups such as the Hazara, Shia, and Sikh communities face increased risk of persecution and  consequent poverty. In the last three years, the Taliban have issued countless restrictions such as systematically excluding women and girls from public life, education, and opportunity. Within the last week, additional constraints declaring that women's faces and voices were no longer permitted to be seen or heard in public went into effect (CBS News, 2024), further widening Afghanistan’s gender disparities. These restrictions only further highlight the need for our work – listening to and delivering aid directly to at risk households and communities that quite literally cannot seek aid locally any longer. This is why we ask you to continue to speak up for Afghanistan and donate to our critical efforts on the ground. Visit our website for more information: dosteafghan.org

Today, we’re proud to celebrate the impact and partnership of Doste Afghan and Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub. Thanks to their incredible support in sponsoring our recent workshop, ‘From Refugee to Entrepreneur,’ together we raised over $1100. This event also wouldn’t have been possible without The Lola providing us an amazing space to share and educate on Afghanistan. - These funds enable Doste Afghan to take further action on our mission and remove barriers to education for families in Afghanistan, with the local community being the central focus of our strategies. Thank you to Global Shapers for using their global and service based mission toward contributing to ours. This synergy between our missions amplifies our collective efforts to drive meaningful, sustainable change! 💪🌍

Stay tuned! Tomorrow we will announce the incredible results and impact of our recent workshop hosted by Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub at The Lola. At the event, Shakila Ali, MPH shared her inspiring journey going from a refugee to social entrepreneur, leveraging her education and experiences to support and empower her community in Afghanistan. Attendees described the event as “eye opening” and “phenomenal”. A heartfelt thank you to all who participated and contributed! — An initiative of the World Economic Forum, Global Shapers Community unites passionate young leaders worldwide to tackle pressing challenges beyond borders. From sustainable innovation to social equity, Global Shapers Atlanta is driving meaningful change in our local community and beyond. To learn more visit https://lnkd.in/e8SG8Zqm

Alicia is our Director of Administration and works behind the scenes to ensure operations runs smoothly! She recently graduated with a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Alicia will now be joining the US Navy as a dentist, having earned the competitive HPSP scholarship for her graduate degree. We’re incredibly proud to have such a dedicated and accomplished professional on our board and team. Congrats Alicia!

The world has been making steady progress in reducing child labour, but over the past few years, conflicts, crises and the COVID-19 pandemic have plunged more families into poverty – and forced millions more children into child labour (United Nations, 2024). In Afghanistan, the ongoing humanitarian crisis and ban on women’s rights (including educational and employment opportunities) have only further increased the rate of child labor. Donate today to contribute to our mission for children in Afghanistan! 

A recap of our wonderful event last week ✨. Thank you to everyone that joined us to hear and learn from Shakila Ali, MPH as she shared her refugee story from Afghanistan and how her personal experiences shaped the strategies & mission behind Doste Afghan Foundation. Follow and stay tuned for news on how much Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub raised ($X,000) for Doste Afghan Foundation! Thank you to Global Shapers for their support and the opportunity alongside The Lola and Ariana Kabob House!

*LAST CALL* Join us this evening for an interactive and impactful workshop with Shakila Ali, MPH Ali as she shares her refugee story alongside her social entrepreneurship journey & the deep rooted mission of Doste Afghan for women, children, & families in Afghanistan. Only 5 tickets left until we hit capacity! Get your ticket before we sell out - bit.ly/afg0523 This event is hosted with Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub at the The Lola. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided by Ariana Kabob House.

✨ Join us tomorrow for an insightful workshop featuring our founder, Shakila Ali, MPH. If you haven’t signed up yet, read what attendees had to say after our last workshop! ✨ This event is hosted by Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub at the amazing event space, The Lola and catering will be provided by Ariana Kabob House. One day left to register! Link: bit.ly/afg0523

Meet our founder, Shakila Ali, MPH! As a former child refugee from Afghanistan, Shakila’s journey embodies resilience, purpose, compassion, and a commitment to her community. She studied at University of Florida - College of Health & Human Performance prior to earning her Master of Public Health degree at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She currently researches at the U.S. CDC on emergency response at the national and international level. Alongside her professional endeavors, Shakila leveraged her expertise in global health and humanitarian emergencies to launch Doste Afghan Foundation. Join us Thursday, May 23rd at The Lola to hear her inspiring story coupled with candid, on-the-ground reports of Doste Afghan's impact in Afghanistan. This event is hosted by Global Shapers Community - Atlanta Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Light snacks and refreshments will be catered by Ariana Kabob House! 100% of ticket proceeds will be donated to Doste Afghan's mission for women and children in Afghanistan. Register for the event at: bit.ly/afg0523 Check out our prior posts to get a glimpse of the remarkable impact of our Jan 2024 workshop sponsored by Watson Institute and Western Union Foundation!