AFGHANISTAN: Local Woman Strives to Highlight Social Issues in Afghanistan

After being a member of Pictou County's dragon boat team for many years, Susan Hartley decided she wanted to expand her volunteer efforts towards more global and human rights issues.

The local psychologist began researching groups that focused on these issues and she came across Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.

“I met with the national board who impressed me with their integrity,” she said following a recent presentation on the organization at the Nova Scotia Community College. There are about 90 people involved in the Atlantic chapter that she heads and about 14 chapters across the country.

She is currently taking the steps to sit on the national board, all the while trying to bring awareness of this global issue to the local forefront.

She admits it more challenging to raise money and awareness for a cause that is half way around the world rather than a local dragon boat festival, but feels it's an issue that is worth drawing attention to.

“Sometimes it is a hard sell, but most people are touched by Afghanistan and it's a women's issue and a human rights issue and it is a literacy issue and showing people what literacy can do.”

Hartley said she does presentations similar to the one at the community college and takes along clothing and books on Afghanistan to bring the issue closer to home. She also hosts Breaking Bread fundraisers which is similar to traditional pot lucks where people bring monetary donations and food to a dinner party and discuss issues important to them. Money raised during the Breaking Breads supports teachers' salaries and education resources in Afghanistan.

She said a teacher's salary in Afghanistan is $1,500 a year while $750 will buy a library kit. Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan have helped build one school for women and a second one is being developed in the near future.

Breaking breads and presentations allows people to hear some of the good news that is coming out of the country rather than the negative reports that are in the media.

She said as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan becomes more recognized it is easier to fundraise and create awareness. For example, students with NSCC's adult learning just did their own fundraiser and collected more than $500 for organization that will go towards educational tools.

The NSCC adult learners found out about the organization through word of mouth and offered their support.
Hartley says she would like to visit Afghanistan in the future, but right now she is focused on bringing awareness to the cause on a local level.