Ambassador Said T. Jawad Applauds ASCHIANA Foundation and Germany for their Contributions to Afghanistan
On May 24 Ambassador Said T. Jawad joined German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and the distinguished guests of the German Embassy to celebrate the achievements of the ASCHIANA (“The Nest”) Foundation. ASCHIANA is an Afghan Non-Government Organization that has provided services, support and programs to street children and their families for close to ten years. ASCHIANA operates six centers across Kabul, servicing close to 3000 children.
The Ambassador discussed the tragic legacy of war in Afghanistan, where children were unwitting victims. Traumatized by violence, sometimes orphaned or abandoned, thousands of children live on Afghanistan’s street with no place to go. “Throughout Afghanistan’s tragic past, some thought that the solution to the problems in our country was to put guns in the hands of Afghan children. Today, organizations like Aschiana are helping to right these wrongs. They are giving the children books instead of guns, and teaching them how to read instead of how to fight,” he said. “Since its founding, Aschiana has opened its doors to thousands of children who had no place else to go. In an unforgiving environment, a warm meal and human touch can be the difference between a life on the streets and a life guided by hope.”
The Ambassador also spoke about the contributions that have been made by Germany in Afghanistan’s reconstruction effort and the nearly 3,200 German soldiers currently serving in northern Afghanistan.Germany and Afghanistan have had a long history of friendship. As Afghans fled the wars of the last several decades, Germany opened its doors and offered a refuge to our citizens. Today, nearly 100,000 Afghans call Germany their home. The Government of Germany also hosted the Berlin donor conference, where the international community pledged its long term support for the nascent Afghan state and provided a vision for a prosperous and stable Afghanistan.
On the behalf of all Afghans, he expressed his profound condolences for the tragic loss of three German soldiers as a result of a suicide attack on May 19. “These brave soldiers were in the market, interacting with the people and shopping. This illustrates the level of trust that German soldiers and Afghans feel toward one another. This trust is exactly what the terrorists took advantage of, because nothing threatens the Taliban and their supporters more than the trust that exists between ordinary Afghans and the international community,” said the Ambassador.
For more information on ASCHIANA, please visit http://www.aschiana.com/
