AFGHANISTAN FRIENDS REHABILITATION CENTER
Living with a disability anywhere is a challenge, however in Afghanistan disabled individuals must face their personal challenges in a country that has an infrastructure deeply damaged from years of war. Resources for disabled people are poor or nonexistent in most parts of the country, and those with disabilities are not given equal rights to those who are able-bodied. There is a common perception in Afghanistan that people have received disabilities through God's will, for bad actions. Many disabled people feel disrespected or as if they are less than human. This hopelessness and being outcast from society have fuelled opium use and suicide among the disabled Afghan population. In America and many other nations around the world, people with disabilities are included in the decision-making and policy-shaping process. They have a voice, and are listened to. Their needs have been honestly considered and acted upon. In the past two decades, disability rights groups around the world have begun to use the phrase, “nothing about us without us’’ as a rallying cry. The phrase is meant to convey that people with disabilities want to have a role in society and that they know what is best for themselves and their community. But in Afghanistan there are more than a million handicapped people who live without any facilities or support. These people have lost their bodies, hope, respect, fate, and life. The number of people with disabilities is still increasing in Afghanistan because of landmines, suicide bombing, polio and measles. Numerous disabled Afghans beg the streets or in the markets to support themselves and their families because of a lack of social security. They cannot afford to study or learn to work. On the other hand, lack of accessibility forces them to stay inside home absent from happiness, traditional gatherings and education. The buildings, schools and public spaces are largely not accessible to people with disabilities. AFRC team is in deep need of friends like you to join us and lend a hand to reach our goals, furthermore make those innocent sad people smile.
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WELCOME TO
A.F.R.C
Our mission is to assist disabled individuals in
Afghanistan, to help them achieve:
* Their educational goals
* Empowerment and independence
* Equality within society
AFRC in the News
In 1999, Dost Mohammed Khairy contracted Guillane Barre Syndrome - an infection that attacks the nervous system. He is one of 9,000 Afghans given refuge in the US since Sept 11. He established an organization here to help the disabled in Afghanistan. Recently he made his first trip back.
A Journey Home: Afghanistan through the
Eyes of a Returning Refugee
A reporting team, comprised of lead reporter Jessica Wanke, reporter Don Duncan and photographer Peter van Agtmael, travels with Fahim and chronicles his experiences after years away from his homeland full story
About one in ten Afghans is disabled, a legacy of decades of war and poor health care.
The New York Times
Afghanistan's Disability Crisis
A disabled Afghan refugee returns to Afghanistan to advocate for greater services for the country's disabled population. full story
Latest News About our Activities
Phoenix Magazine
As a paralyzed man, Dost can relate to these patients. read more
The Arizona Republic
"If you are disabled, it means that you are not human anymore," more
Kobre Guide
As many as 10 percent of Afghanistan’s people are disabled from untreated illnesses or war-related injuries, more
Afghanistan Friends Rehabilitation Center
Sideshow: Our Last Trip to Afghanistan
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Interview with Voice of America
