Afghanistan Through our Eyes
In 2004, Samsortya’s founder Mariam Raqib returned to her village in Eastern Afghanistan for the first time after fleeing the country as a child refugee. Far from the lush, ancient, and beautiful country she had left, Dr Raqib returned to find a devastated ecosystem, shattered infrastructure, and families struggling to support themselves in the only home they had. Upon returning to the United States, Afghanistan Samsortya was born from a handful of seeds and nurtured over the years by donations from a growing network of supporters across the world. Samsortya is a support system for the Afghan communities it serves by establishing plant nurseries and gardens, offering employment and educational opportunities, and supporting ongoing community health and wellness initiatives that seek to improve the quality of life for all Afghan families. We maintain that meaningful, lasting change for the people of Afghanistan is only attainable through mutual support, community empowerment, and the commitment of everyday people to support their fellow human beings, be they next door or halfway across the globe.
Watch our video to see with your own eyes the mission and impact of Afghanistan Samsortya, or learn more on our Projects page.
News and Blog Updates
Current Projects
Nurseries and Gardens
Samsortya has established five greenspaces in the areas of Kabul, Jalalabad, and rural Nangarhar. The gardens provide food, fuel, and comfort to their local communities, as well as creating employment opportunities for locals.
Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship
Our newest initiative, the scholarship program covers tuition for young Afghan women entering a two- or four-year nursing or midwifery course.
Saffron Cultivation Project
Last year (2023) we began a partnership with the Department of Agriculture at Nangarhar University to establish a research program dedicated to studying Saffron cultivation. We also identified a second space to carry out this groundbreaking and exciting work. 2500 total students with University studying cultivation.
Support the Nursing and Midwifery Scholarship Program!
Our newest initiative honors the life of one of Afghanistan Samsortya’s first and most passionate supporters. As part of our ongoing mission to revitalize Afghan communities and support the health of Afghanistan’s ecosystem as well as its people, Afghanistan Samsortya has partnered with accredited nursing programs to provide pathways to a career in nursing or midwifery for young Afghan women. The scholarship aims to provide local women the opportunity to enter a two- to four-year program to become a nurse or nurse-midwife. As of 2019, approximately a half dozen young women have taken the first step to joining Afghanistan’s medical professional community, with more scholarship recipients on the horizon.
Read more about the scholarship program on our News page, or make a directed donation to the scholarship fund using the button below.
Make our Year-End Fundraiser a Success!
After our summer projects have come to a close and planting season draws near in eastern Afghanistan, Afghanistan Samsortya is looking to expand upon existing reforestation and livestock projects, as well as establish a new nursery space in Kabul. We have set our most ambitious fundraising goal yet, and we hope to reach it through the continuing generosity of Samsortya's network of supporters around the world. Learn more about our projects, read our fundraising appeal letter, or contribute a tax-deductible donation.