According to the latest estimate by the United Nations, the conflict for the last 4 decades has resulted in over 2 million widows. This disproportionate statistic makes Afghanistan a country with one of the highest rate of widows, and this issue is further exacerbated by lack of literacy and vocational training. Additionally, without a male figure in the family, these widows and their children are more vulnerable to violence and abuse. Typically, families headed by widows rely heavily on their school age children to work remedial jobs for financial purposes causing them to miss out on education.

Providing support to widows and their families is at the core of the IOC mission. IOC has designed a transparent donor-sponsored program where families are first vetted to identify and understand their needs and then enrolled into our sponsorship program. In addition to financial need, the other criteria for being accepted into this program is for their families to agree to send their children to school. The families are provided with monthly cash disbursements that depend on the needs and size of the family. Throughout the sponsorship period, the families are closely monitored by our staff to address their needs. Typically, the head of the household, dependent on their age and physical abilities, is encouraged to enroll in a vocational program.

This donor-sponsored program has had transformational changes on the lives of widows, their children and families. We have several qualified families waiting for sponsorship. Please contact us if you would like to learn more and want to sponsor a needy and deserving family.