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Although billions of dollars have gone towards rebuilding infrastructure in Afghanistan, many people are still in need. To help relieve some of the labor and economic hardships on families, Islamic Relief has established an Integrated Family Development Program in Kabul, offering education in much needed skills.

Six years after the 2001 war, millions of Afghans still live in refugee camps and many have settled across the globe. For those that have returned home hoping to restart their lives, many challenges lie ahead. Unemployment for able workers is high while orphans, widows and the disabled are becoming a legacy of the conflict.

Most of the world has forgotten about the orphans and children of war that have grown up in conflict. Many of these children work several hours a day as street vendors, cleaners and carpet weavers. Their dream is to provide for their widowed mothers and families, to become self sufficient and not to be dependent on handouts.

Islamic Relief ’s Integrated Family Development Program helps them do just this. The three-year program consists of courses in literacy training, English language and computer skills to prepare families for better jobs in the future. Currently, there are 60 widows and 60 orphans enrolled. After completion of the program, attendees are guaranteed jobs in Afghanistan by international charities.

The training meets the demand for computer literate and English-speaking  employees. It also offers the children a chance to work with computers instead of weaving, where there hands may be damaged. Instead of cleaning the floor of an office, they could be managing the office.

For many of the enrolled orphans, it is the first time they have been in a building that has fresh paint and new carpets, let lone computers. One student mentioned that she does not attend school because  her teacher, who has another job, does notshow up most of the time.

One current student works the night shift at an orphanage so she can provide for her own six orphans at home. She brings them leftover food from the orphanage. The family has not had meat or fruit in years. She enrolled in the literacy classes so she can read information that her doctor writes. Her aim is to become selfreliant so neither she, nor her children are dependent on others.

A 30-year-old student became a widow three years ago when robbers murdered her husband. Feeling that she was too young to beg on the street, she enrolled in the program because she believes the training will help her to become self-sufficient. “Everybody knows Allah is with those that help orphans and widows,” she said.