Happy Nowruz! Today marks the beginning of a new year, the arrival of spring, and the rebirth of nature. On this day, we celebrate the renewal of hope and compassion. May your year be filled with joy and good health.

As we look ahead and develop new projects in 2023, we also want to take a moment to thank our supporters and local partners who helped us accomplish some great things with and for Afghans—who have persevered in the face of crisis—in the last year.

Our micro-grant program at Uplift is essential because it gives us the opportunity to provide funding to local non-profit organizations that focus on the economic empowerment of women in Afghanistan.

On International Day of Education, we urge our friends around the world to remember the plight of Afghan girls and join us in advocating for their basic right to education.

Through Uplift’s micro-grant program, we partner with local non-profit organizations in Afghanistan aimed at empowering women to be financially independent.

Despite the recent events in Afghanistan—the ban on women’s university education and the denial of women’s participation in local and international NGOs—Uplift remains committed to our goals and the people we serve.

The crucial window of opportunity to provide aid to millions of vulnerable Afghans is rapidly closing as the country faces yet another harsh winter.

The announcement that universities in Afghanistan are closed to women is a human rights violation. Afghanistan, like any other country, cannot thrive by keeping half of its population in the dark.

Today marks 450 days that girls have not been allowed to attend secondary and high school in Afghanistan. The continued ban on girls’ education deprives the next generation of women of their academic, social, and economic futures.

When kids are empowered with the right tools, they thrive.