This is Afghanistan — a nation traumatized and fatigued by decades of war, oppressed by religious and political violence, addicted to and funded by opium, and crippled by unrelenting poverty.

In a land so desperate for hope, proselytizing is illegal, and conversion from Islam is punishable by death according to Afghan law. It is a country said to be the second most hostile nation to the Gospel in the entire world.

World Compassion believes this cycle of poverty and hopelessness can be halted, giving Afghanistan the chance at a brighter future. We believe this, because we have seen it with our own eyes.

Sitting outside of our classroom in the rural Bamiyan Province of Afghanistan, one can see boys competing in volleyball and playing with old tires after their classes. Many of the girls sit facing the sun, soaking up its gracious heat in the frigid winter months. These women and children smile, because they feel, many for the first times in their lives, that they now have a chance at a good life. One of these students is Ta Hira.

World Compassion is bringing hope to Afghanistan by offering free educational courses in some of the most hostile and poverty-stricken regions of the country. We have already graduated over 8,000 students from our programs in English and Computers. Each of these students have a story like Ta Hira’s, each being able to break free of the cycle of poverty and live a life of hope.

This work opens the door to building relationships with students and the community as a whole, and is laying the ground work to share the gospel in this country.