Central Asia Institute

Central Asia Institute

The Central Asia Institute (CAI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and provide community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia. [ [http://www.ikat.org/about.html "About CAI"] , Central Asia Institute] Additional projects are in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asia Institute's achievements include:
* 70 schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan [ [http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/NEWS01/804020894/1008/NEWS01 "Author speaks of quest to aid the poor in Asia: Says education key to solution,"] Peter Smith, "Courier-Journal", Louisville, Kentucky, April 2, 2008]
* 562 fully or partially supported teachers
* Education for over 25,000 students, including 14,000 girls
* Temporary education for victims of Pakistan's October 2005 7.8 Richter scale earthquake. The quake killed 74,000 people, including 18,000 students, and displaced 2.8 million refugees. CAI "replaced seven government schools destroyed in the quake." [ [http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/pakistan/devastation.php "Devastation and hope: School promises brighter future for girls in Kashmir"] , Karin Ronnow, "Bozeman Daily Chronicle", April 2, 2008]

Due to "a unique approach in which villages donate land, labor and some materials, Institute founder Greg Mortenson completes his projects for a fraction of the normal cost. To build a school, for example, the CAI typically spends less than $15,000—a quarter of the price charged by the World Bank and half of what it costs the government of Pakistan." [ [http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2003/edition_04-06-2003/Greg_Mortenson "He Fights Terror With Books,"] Kevin Fedarko, "Parade Magazine," April 6, 2003] "A village must agree to increase girls’ enrollment by 10% a year" before CAI will build a school. "Mortenson believes, as do many experts, that providing education for girls directly helps to lower infant mortality and bring down birth rates—which in turn reduces the ignorance and poverty that help fuel religious extremism." [ [http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2003/edition_04-06-2003/Greg_Mortenson Ibid, Fedarko] ]

CAI also sponsors the "Pennies for Peace" program, where schoolchildren raise pennies to help fund CAI's activities. [ [http://www.penniesforpeace.org/home.html "What is the power of a penny?"] , www.penniesforpeace.org] [ [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=6001746 Students raise $3,700 in 'pennies for peace'"] , "ABC7News", KGO San Francisco, California, March 5, 2008]

Silicon Valley microchip pioneer Jean Hoerni co-founded the Institute in 1996 and named Greg Mortenson as its first Executive Director. The headquarters are located in Bozeman, Montana. [ [http://www.ikat.org/history.html "Central Asia Institute History"] , Central Asia Institute]

The full story of CAI is outlined in the 2006 "New York Times" best-selling book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/books/bestseller/0316bestpapernonfiction.html?scp=1&sq=three+cups+of+tea&st=nyt "Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers"] , "The New York Times", March 16, 2008] [ [http://www.wickedlocal.com/mansfield/fun/entertainment/books/x257793213"'Three Cups of Tea' Talk of Town"] , "Mansfield News", February 21, 2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.ikat.org Official Website of CAI]
* [http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ Three Cups of Tea]
* [http://charityreports.give.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=28 Report on CAI at the BBB Wise Giving Alliance]
* [http://www.penniesforpeace.org Pennies for Peace website]


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