ali zaheer

Having lived in Afghanistan through turbulent times in the 1990’s, Ali Zaheer is now leading a peaceful life in the United Kingdom, where he combines a busy professional career with serving as the current head of a wonderful organization called Noble Connection. Phonetic Planet was honored to speak with Ali recently, and learn a little about the challenges facing Afghanistan’s poorest children, and about how his organization works to help offset these.

Ali, where in the world did you spend your childhood? 

I grew up in Jalalabad, Eastern Afghanistan, where the summers are very hot, and the winters are mild and more bearable. Jalalabad is a large city, complete with the usual hustle and bustle. My childhood experiences were very mixed as I was born just post-Soviet war and I subsequently grew up through the civil war, witnessed the rule of the Taliban in the 1990s, and spent a period of time after 9/11  (September 11, 2001) before moving to the United Kingdom in 2004.

I have many memories of Afghanistan, including the large variety of birds that live there. We used to keep some rock and common-wood pigeons. German shepherds were a common dog kept in houses for security, since pet animals are not very common in Afghanistan. At one point our family also had a cow which was used for milk primarily.

Where do you live now, and if it is different, what kinds of things are the most different?

I now live in North West London and the difference couldn’t be starker, from the weather to all the infrastructure in place compared to Afghanistan. One of the first things I noticed stepping outside Heathrow in March 2004 was the cold and wind chill factor. I also noticed the abundant availability of fruits regardless of season. I work as a project manager for an engineering consultancy, and also run a car dealership with my brother, specializing in performance vehicles. Our showroom is based in the town of Bishop Stortford which is in the countryside, and we like the peace and quiet during the day. We are surrounded by crop fields, and I enjoy seeing the harvest which reminds me of our trips to the countryside in Afghanistan, in my youth.

We are very interested in learning more about Noble Connection. Can you please tell us about it?

We formed Noble Connection in 2015 with the aim of making  a difference both in the United Kingdom and  in Afghanistan. In the UK we feed the homeless and we also mentor youth offenders. The focus in Afghanistan is on educating orphans by taking them off the streets and supporting them financially, through a project called Educate An Orphan. We also carry out other relief projects such as distributing food packages which are a massive need currently. We have over 60 orphans currently in our programme and the project has been very successful in allowing these children to have a somewhat normal childhood.  We are different from some of the larger charities due to our ability to reach the most vulnerable and needy people in Afghanistan and operate a 100% donation policy.

What do the statistics tell us about orphans in Afghanistan at the moment? Approximately how many are there, and how are they being cared for?

There are over 2 million orphans in Afghanistan and the majority have become orphans due to their fathers passing away. They are primarily cared for by their mothers or relatives. It is incredibly difficult for women to earn a living in Afghanistan so often these children are malnourished and have to work from about the age of six.

We are learning about the disruption caused to educational institutions in Afghanistan, although reports are varied. Can you tell us something about the situation? Are all schools affected? Does it affect schools in remote areas as well as city schools?

With foreign aid and support coming to a halt, as well as the central banks assets being frozen, the education of children has taken a blow. The teachers are still going to school but they have not been paid for over 5 months now.  At high school level the girls have not been allowed to attend so far, as the government claims it is engaged in the process of making sure measures are in place for a safe but segregated environment. I have my suspicion that the government is using it as a bargaining tool with the international community to secure funding and un-freezing of assets in the United States.

Many children are helped by your organization. What kind of lives do these children typically lead? Do many of them miss out on a chance to attend school?

A lot of the children that we aim to help roam the streets for rubbish to recycle, polish shoes or engage in other types of street work. Consequently, they are vulnerable to abuse and are very desperate to make an income. They usually make around 70-90 pence per day. Afghanistan is a very difficult place for women, let alone a widow, and that is why we are so passionate about helping these orphans as they are the victims of the ongoing 40 years of war. The children are desperate to attend school but for many of them that seems like a distant dream when faced with their realities.

What kind of school would these children wish for?

They would appreciate just a respite from their daily struggle so any form of school is seen as a luxury. We enrol them into state schools which allows our financial support to be used for food and clothing. This also makes it less of a burden for our sponsors which works out at £1/day.

How can we help? Do you accept donations? Do you have a website?

You can raise awareness, but we also accept financial donations and they can be as small as one pound/euro/dollar. The fundraising link for our Educate An Orphan project is below, along with a link to our website. Our website allows a monthly donation option as well which helps massively in the continuity of our work. We operate a 100% donation policy to ensure every penny reaches those who need it most.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/NC-EducateAnOrphan

https://nobleconnection.co.uk/donate

In the developed world, the opportunity to avail of an education is often taken for granted. Our thanks goes to Ali Zaheer for participating in this interview, and for highlighting the current plight of many, many people in his native Afghanistan. We also thank him for providing all of the photos used in this article. Please take a moment to read more information at the above links, and keep in mind Ali’s wish for us to keep raising awareness about these boys and girls, who are among some of the world’s most vulnerable children.