As of April 1, 2005 the Afghan Children's Fund is no longer accepting contributions. President Bush thanks those among America's youth who participated for their support.

The U.S. Commitment to the Afghan People

The United States is providing historic amounts of humanitarian aid to the Afghan people to help them prepare for the opening of school, and to recover from years of civil war, decades of drought and the effects of terrorist rule.

The Taliban have left the Afghan people without even the most basic infrastructure and health, education, and medical services. President Bush has a comprehensive and compassionate program to bring a brighter future of freedom, hope and opportunity to Afghan families.

While humanitarian relief efforts continue to meet immediate needs, reconstruction activities have begun as well. The government has pledged nearly $300 million in this fiscal year alone to help Afghans with relief and reconstruction in the following areas:

• Education In helping the Afghan people rebuild their country, President Bush has placed a central focus on education. When school opens next week, Afghan children will begin the year with new textbooks, supplies and uniforms.

  Beginning this month, USAID is funding 20 teams of five teacher-trainers to conduct four-week training sessions with 4,000 educators. The State Department will also bring 10 Afghan women teachers to the United States for an intensive 3-week refresher class. The teachers will then mentor other teachers upon their return to Afghanistan.

  USAID is also printing and distributing nearly 10 million textbooks for science, math and reading for grades 1-12, 4 million of which will be distributed in time for the first day of school. The textbooks are printed in the Afghan languages of Pushtu and Dari and will be accompanied with teachers’ kits and other school supplies.

• Vaccinations. Scheduled for May 2002, the American Red Cross, World Health Organization and UNICEF will work together to support a comprehensive campaign to vaccinate 9 million Afghan children against measles.

• Health Care The United States is spending over $10 million to improve health care in Afghanistan. Funds are being used to rehabilitate health clinics, provide primary health care, train community health workers and vaccinate children.

  The U.S. government and others are educating Afghans—especially women—on basic health, nutrition, childcare, hygiene and maternal health. USAID is granting an additional $1 million to support the social and economic rehabilitation and integration of landmine victims and other disabled people.

  These funds will provide training and specialized technical expertise to Afghan orthopedic technologists. The U.S. government is supporting Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health and working to establish a health surveillance system to meet the health care needs of the Afghan people.

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