Our Mission
"Back to Learning" Campaign, Education Cannot Wait program in Behsood District, Nangarhar Province, May 2021
We envision a peaceful, healthy, developed, and prosperous Afghanistan that has a strong and positive relationship with the outside world. We aim to stay engaged with and continue serving communities affected by conflict and extreme hardship. Our mission is to deliver education opportunities, build sustainable livelihoods for impoverished people, encourage rehabilitation, and forge meaningful connections locally and globally to build back communities.
Our Journey
Nearly 20 years ago, a group of progressive, patriotic, and hopeful Afghans founded The Welfare Association for the Development of Afghanistan (WADAN). Over the years, WADAN worked in all 34 provinces and grew to be well known and well respected in Afghanistan and internationally. Currently, WADAN's focus is the community-based primary schools that we have set up, and maintaining drug demand reduction efforts including residential treatment for men, women, adolescents and children.
WADAN has steadily encouraged civic engagement and responsibility, particularly emphasizing women’s participation in elections as voters and candidates. In regards to livelihood efforts, we have delivered financial education and live assets (usually a dairy cow) to provide food for families. Plus, we have set up a space for artisans to build female-run businesses as well. WADAN brought male and female university students from four provinces to Kabul for Model UN conferences in Kabul, the yearlong preparation training taught them about critical thinking, in-depth research, and public speaking as they became delegates.
Moreover, WADAN has trained and networked hundreds of local leaders, Maliks, Mullahs and influential women from across Afghanistan. Under our program, Maliks were paired with youths for election monitoring and practitioners of traditional dispute resolution adapted the techniques for restorative justice including gender equity. In Afghan languages “wadan” means to improve, perfect, to bring prosperity and this is why WADAN will continue to work in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees.
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban took Kabul and WADAN was taken by surprise. While WADAN continues to work in education, health care, and community building in locations throughout Afghanistan, Wadan Worldwide was registered in September 2021 as an international non-profit so that we may continue to stay engaged. Thus, Wadan Worldwide was borne out of the need to expand viable options for helping Afghans around the world during these trying times.