Greetings!

October 24 was United Nations Day. In 1945 the foundational treaty of the United Nations came into effect; the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization intended to create co-operation between all the governments of the world. United Nations created a Human Right Charter in 1948 and  Article 26  of this document states, “Everyone has the right to education .” Today, however, 57 million children remain out of school. Education is not only a right because it is a passport to human development that opens doors to opportunities and freedoms.

We at Child Foundation have chosen this article as part of our mission. Together, with our sister foundations, we are supporting more than 11,000 children in need every month with educational scholarships. The generosity from supporters based in the US alone accounts for than 6,000 of these sponsorships. Our focus on choosing children is more toward female students who are generally marginalized in their society. Here is the breakdown of our students in Iran:
Education level              Male     Female  
Primary School                1165     1384
Middle School                 1561     1876
High School                     1416     2085
University Students         497      854
Waiting for University      90        120
Total                                  4729 +   6319       =   11,048
Percentage                      42.8%   57.2%

And here is the breakdown of children we support in other countries:

Country               Male% Female%
Afghanistan        41.5        58.5       
Cambodia            38.1        61.9
Indonesia            44.7        55.3
Nepal                   0              100

 
Visit our waiting list here to sponsor today. I invite you to join us by sponsoring a child to have a better future by sponsoring them with only a dollar a day.
Thank you,

Navid Seyedali
President & CEO
Child Foundation in Atlantic Council, DC
We are excited to announce that Child Foundation’s Government Relations Lead, Payvand Seyedali , will be in Washington D.C. in the last week of October. She will discuss the impact that our delayed OFAC license has on our 6,000 kids at the prestigious Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, October 29th at 12pm (EST).

The panel discussion is called “ The Humanitarian Impact of US Sanctions on Iran ”. If you are in the DC area, you can attend this panel, but you need to register here . If you cannot attend, the panel discussion will be webcast live here .

Please contact Payvand Seyedali here if you would like to meet with her and other Child Foundation supporters while she is in Washington D.C. She is eager to connect with everyone interested in our efforts to secure Child Foundation’s OFAC license renewal.
Meet Faezeh, Our New Doctor!
When a student is no longer eligible for Child Foundation support, we ask them to send a letter to their sponsors. This week, we got a letter from Faezeh who is done with her education and is on her way to start a new life for herself and her family. Faezeh had been supported by Child Foundation since December of 2007, and now, thanks to her sponsors, is a medical doctor serving a village in Ilam, 130 kilometers from Kermanshah. It is these kinds of results that motivate us in our mission. To see her full letter, and its translation, please click here

To sponsor a child and witness how s/he can become a successful person, please visit our waiting list here .
Are you the one I am looking for?
Mohammad Taha  is a 12-year old student from Larestan, Iran. He is currently in 5 th  grade. His father is 45 years old and suffers from kidney deficiency, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes. He had open heart surgery and is unable to work. Mohammad Taha and his family live in his grandparents’ house. Mohammad Taha has one sister. His mother takes care of Mohammad Taha’s father, and grandparents who are sick and elderly. The family’s primary sources of income is through donations and government subsidiary programs.
 
With your support, Mohammad Taha will have the opportunity to remain in school and learn for a better and brighter future.
 
After reviewing Mohammad Taha’s talents, interests, and motivations and taking into consideration the financial needs of the family, Child Foundation has granted a  $31 /month scholarship to the student. Join us in creating a better future for him. Please act and sponsor Mohammad Taha as his sole sponsor for $31 per month.
File: B- 7052
H anieh is an 8-year old student from Birjand, Iran. She is currently in 1 st  grade. Her parents are separated due to her father’s mental instability   and is attempts to forbid her from attending school.

Hanieh’s mother won custody of her child by forfeiting her alimony . The family’s primary sources of income is now through donations.

Hanieh’s mother used to work in a pastry shop which had to lay her off.   The family lives in a basement with minimal accommodation.
 
With your support, Hanieh will have the opportunity to remain in school and learn for a better and brighter future.
 
After reviewing Hanieh’s talents, interests, and motivations and taking into consideration the financial needs of the family, Child Foundation has granted a  $31 /month scholarship to the student. Join us in creating a better future for her. Please act and sponsor Hanieh as her sole sponsor for $31 per month.

File: Yas 7436 
 
Javad is an 11-year old student from Mazare Sharif, Afghanistan. He is currently in 5th grade. He aspires to become a doctor and has always been the top student of his class. His father passed away and his mother suffers from back pain. She works as a tailor to make ends meet. She also bakes homemade bread to sell. Jawad has two sisters. One of his sisters has lost her vision. She needs immediate medical care but the family cannot afford it. They live in his grandfather’s uninsulated house which has only one room and basement. Insects and lizard frequently get in the house and scare the children.
 
With your support, Jawad will have the opportunity to remain in school and learn for a a better and brighter future.
 
After reviewing Jawad’s talents, interests, and motivations and taking into consideration the financial needs of the family, Child Foundation has granted a  $50 /month scholarship to the student. Join us in creating a better future for him. Please act and sponsor Jawad as his sole sponsor for $50 per month.
File: C-F 239 
On the Road Again, Hello Boston!
Our Senior Advisor of Outreach and Development, Masoud Modarres, is on the road again. This time he is visiting beautiful Boston, home of Harvard, MIT, Red Sox, Celtics, etc. He will be there from November 15 for over a week for a series of meetings and presentations to discuss “ Philanthropy in Iran  , Opportunities, and Challenges ". If you wish to attend one, please send him an email  here   .

His schedule will be announced in our next newsletter. But if you wish to arrange a smaller presentation for your friend and colleagues, he can manage it as well. Just send an  email   to Masoud to coordinate with him. If you do not live in Boston, but have contacts there, please let them know.
It Is Cold Outside
As we are moving quickly through autumn, one should not forget the harsh winter our children are facing in Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.

Every year, Child Foundation has a coal campaign to support as many families as possible stay warm. Due to the extreme cold and costs of heating classrooms in Mazar-e-Sharif, schools are usually closed for several months. During this time, children must stay home with their families who struggle to fight the harsh weather that limits their income.

This winter, we are asking you to help the families of our sponsored children in Afghanistan. Each package costs $25 and you can help with one or more packages to help families this winter.  With only $120, an entire family can be warm for winter.  

Please help one or more families stay warm during Mazar-e-Sharif’s harsh winter. We welcome donations of any amount towards this important issue. Please donate here to keep a family warm this winter.
Our Health Projects in Afghanistan
Vision Screen: Child Foundation-Afghanistan and five schools in Mazar-e Sharif partnered for vision screening in September. The goal was to identify vision problems in a treatable stage among students in need, and provide a referral to an eye care provider for a comprehensive exam if needed. Our social workers, with the help of volunteers and school staff, evaluated and screened 1,218 students’ vision and referred 190 students to Shafakhaneh Noor (Noor clinic) for medical treatment.
 
Blood Drive: Due to the shortage of blood for children who suffer from thalassemia, our office in Mazar-e-Shari partnered with the Ministry of Health for a blood donation campaign. The blood drive was in Ave-Cina Clinic (Abu-Ali Sina shafakhaneh), and we collected 765 blood bags for children living with this blood disorder.
 
Health Education: To celebrate World Mental Health Day, our Afghanistan office arranged a workshop for more than 200 women who are heads of households with children enrolled in Child Foundation’s sponsorship program. The purpose of this event was to promote hygienic behavior, use of safe drinking water, and improve household sanitation. The workshop further supported the effort by distributing hygiene packages.
 
To donate to our medical fund, please click here . And if you wish to sponsor children from Afghanistan look for them on our waiting list here .