Paths Operation Exceptional Child

OPERATION EXCEPTIONAL CHILDAfghanistan
Debbie Smith
PATHS Executive Director
www.paths2choice.com

Agenda
Conditions in Afghanistan
Mission Statement
Rationale
Strategic Vision
Resources
Timeline
Public Relations and Media
Bottom Line

Conditions in Afghanistan
There are more than 200,000 children in Afghanistan living with permanent disability (physical, sensory and/or mental impairment), according to a 2007 survey by Handicap International – and Save the Children documents that roughly 75% of these children do not receive any kind of formal education
In a society like Afghanistan, disabled children are typically shut out and shut away from the mainstream population as there are little or no services available to them
It is a heartbreaking and dismal existence for these children as they are often times treated worse than animals

Mission Statement
Build a school for disabled children in Afghanistan
Manas
Kyrgyzstan
Hairaton
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Tajikistan
Karshi-Khanabad
Turkmenbashi
Ashgabat
Islamabad
Bagram
Afghanistan
Kabul
Multan
Kandahar
Pakistan
Shamsi
Karachi

Rationale
Children, ravaged by war and disease, suffer immensely and have very few resources available to them in Afghanistan offered publicly or privately to help improve their lives
These children have suffered for years with physical and cognitive impairments due to decades of war, injuries from land mines, the spread of polio, and pre-natal drug abuse

Strategic Vision
Take PATHS abroad in an effort to address the educational needs of children in developing countries because I believe firmly that building up the civil society in countries such as Afghanistan will not only help to alleviate human suffering, but will also have profound national security implications for our country.
Build a state-of-the-art school, built and staffed by Afghans that will be a shining example in the region of the good intentions of the American people to genuinely help some of the neediest children in Afghanistan.
Offer hope to thousands of Afghans by addressing the dire needs of disabled children that have been largely ignored up to now.
This project is quite unique not only because it will be state-of-the-art, but also because it will serve children with a wide variety of disabilities in grades K-12 – certainly a first for Afghanistan and a wonderful contribution to the US hearts and minds campaign in winning over the local population and changing the tide of the war so that our troops can begin to come home.

Why This Effort Is So Important
Any child suffering from disabilities can achieve amazing things, become contributing members of society and live rich and rewarding lives - as long as they receive the right help.

Timeline
Timeline: School to be completed in approximately 12 months from groundbreaking
Production of documentary to begin as soon as funding is secured
This is of course contingent upon VISA’s, security, completion of all permitting requirements, etc…
Estimated Timeline: 12 Months

Resources
Funding of production of the Insight public television documentary that would highlight the need of disabled children in Afghanistan and the goals of the mission to build a school in Kabul, as well as how this project will impact the overall US hearts and minds campaign
Funding of construction of the school
Funds to staff the school
Funds to equip the school
Total Estimated Funds Needed: $350K

Public Relations and Media
Leverage the offer of Insight, a nationally-syndicated public television program, to produce a documentary on the effort
This program will document our travels and our plans to build a school
Will highlight our special mission and contribute to the US ‘hearts and minds’ campaign
Voice of America radio interview already completed
April 2011: Operation Exceptional Child Presented at the National Press Club, Washington, DC

Bottom Line
This effort would offer hope to thousands of Afghans by addressing the dire needs of disabled children that have been largely ignored up to now. This renewed hope in the future of so many of its citizens would also help to embolden Afghans to stand-up against the radical insurgents and fight to take back their country enabling our troops to come home.

http://www.paths2choice.com	334
http://paths2choice.com	49
http://005f3c3.netsolhost.com	21
http://pathsthroughschoolchoice.com	13
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	8
http://www.pathsthroughschoolchoice.com	1

Paths Operation Exceptional Child

by paths2choice on Apr 17, 2011

Accessibility

Upload Details

Usage Rights

6 Embeds 426

Statistics

Paths Operation Exceptional Child — Presentation Transcript