Tents4Peace International
Shelter for Life
Child of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan Project
– Peace House – Anahart Project
Following our first project where we supplied 1060 tents to the earthquake victims in the North West Province of Pakistan, the Australian public continued to donate funds. By this time it was summer, so we had to reassess the need to continue sending the ‘winterized’ tents there.
Many of the Afghani refugees made homeless as a result of the earthquake, were put into unsuitable and poorly established refugees camps. They were not receiving any of the aid coming from the Western Countries and the Pakistan Government was not supporting them. Many decided to return to their war torn country across the Khyber Pass.
‘Tents4Peace’ decided to partner with Dr Nasreen, a doctor working in these
camps, and the organization known as Mahboba’s Promise.
In September 2006 Anna Crotty went with Mahboba Rawi to assess the situation in Afghanistan. It was then decided to provide permanent shelter for some of these destitute Afghani refugees who were returning from Pakistan.
In 2007 the ‘Peace House’ orphanage was completed and it now houses many widows and children. The building is also used for training purposes to ensure that women and children get as much education as possible, thus increasing their chances for future independence.
The Afghani Government also transferred 7 acres near the orphanage to ‘Tents4Peace’. This is to establish a permaculture program and a school. We have handed this over to the organization, Mahboba’s Promise, for future development.
– RUMI HOUSE AND EDUCATION CENTRE –
Fazila Hajeb travelled to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008. She set up Rumi House as well as registering our organisation in Afghanistan. On behalf of Tents4Peace she also obtained a prime piece of land in New Kabul. It is both Fazila's and Anna's vision to build a progressive orphanage and school here which will led the way in energy efficient and sustainable living principles. This is so greatly needed in Afghanistan. 
What is Rumi House
Rumi House is a community house in suburban Kabul which takes in desperate widows and their children until they can find alternative accommodation and means to support themselves.
Each month Tents4Peace buys flour, tea and rice and other sundries at the cost of $100 per family. The cost of educating the children is also built into this amount. If you wish to support a family please contact us.
Education Centre at Rumi House
Rumi House is also used as a day school which has now approximately 47 full time students. These students are mainly girls and widows who were prohibited from going to school during the Taliban regime. A training program of sewing and computer skills is also held at the Centre for the widows. The school is always well attended however Tents4Peace does not have the resources to sustain this level of commitment without resources and we usually have to turn women away. Even so it is not unusual for them to sit and wait patiently in the hot sun with a hope in their heart that they might be able to attend class. We would dearly love to have the continual flow of funds to support them.
We have two teachers and a wonderful woman called Rahila who runs the entire complex at great personal sacrifice to herself. She left her paid position as a teacher to volunteer with Tents4Peace. We are hoping that we will be able to get some sponsorship funds to pay Rahila $250 a month for her enormous efforts.
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| Women at Rumi House waiting for education class |
Children in education classes |
Rahila and the teacher |
(Please see our Afghanistan gallery for more pictures)
– LAND IN KABUL –
On Fazila’s second trip to Afghanistan, Tents4Peace was given another parcel of land in new Kabul. This land was given on the understanding that our project in Afghanistan, is to develop this site into an orphanage, a pre school and a school. There are park areas around this land and it is ideally situated to establish a beautiful environment for the widows and their children.
Fazila Hajeb works mainly on our Afghanistan projects and does an extraordinary job.