(link) The new Bibi Fatima Zahra School for Orphans was dedicated by Mr. Ehsan Bayat, Bayat Foundation Chairman, on Friday, 30 Oct, 2009. The Faryab Provincial Governor, the head of the school for orphans, high ranking local dignitaries and many of the orphans who will attend school there attended the ceremony, which marked the handover of the building to the local authority that runs the school for orphans. This is the sixth new or reconstructed school for orphans built as part of the Bayat Foundation's commitment to Afghanistan's children.

Bibi Fatima School for Orphans is located in Maimana, in the northern Afghan province of Faryab. With a total area of 13,000 square feet, the modern building consists of 12 classrooms, conference rooms, a management room, a dining room, an information room, a store, a laboratory, modern toilets, an advanced drainage system and an electrical system that meets international standards. It is designed to house 350 orphans who will attend classes in a proper building for the first time. Construction on the facility started in March 2009 and was completed before the onset of winter. One local official said, "On behalf of the people of Faryab, we cannot begin to express our gratitude for this project. It is rare that a donor runs such a large project and delivers it in such a short time. It will provide a lasting impact for many young Afghans."

(link) The Bayat Foundation announced a 2010 Bayat Foundation Empowering Women Grant in the amount of US$10,000 to the Justice For All Organization (JFAO) to provide legal advice and representation for accused and imprisoned women who cannot afford a lawyer and who may have limited knowledge of their constitutional rights in Afghanistan.

JFAO is led by Afghan women and advocates for women's rights through the law.  The organization is helping to rebuild the Afghan judicial system and prepares women for leadership roles with Afghanistan's legal and political sectors.

Many Afghan women have not previously had any knowledge of their legal rights, and have lacked a resource center to go to for legal information and legal defender assistance.  Now, JFAO provides them with the support they need to assert those rights.

Bayat Foundation President and Executive Director Fatema Laya Bayat made the announcement saying, "We are thankful for this opportunity to support the valuable work of the Justice For All Organization as they educate and defend the rights and interests of Afghan women.  Their work embodies the values of the Bayat Foundation Empowering Women Grants."  This is one of three 2010 Empowering Women Grants awarded by the Bayat Foundation.

(link) The Bayat Foundation announced a 2010 Bayat Foundation Empowering Women Grant in the amount of US$10,000 to Women for Women International (WfWI) for their work supporting vulnerable women in Afghanistan with job skills training and small business support to improve their income earning potential.

These funds will provide women who have survived the effects of war in Afghanistan with the resources they need to move out of crisis and poverty to lives of stability and self-sufficiency.  These women include widows, victims of human trafficking, single mothers and refugees.  On average, 96% of the participants have no education, 99% have no income and 93% live without electricity.  WfWI's resources include supplemental income generation activities, such as small poultry business development, and access to microcredit.

Diana Rowan Rockefeller, Co-Chair of the New York Leadership Circle of Women for Women International and U.S.-Afghan Women's Council member said, "Women for Women International has made a significant difference in the lives of thousands of Afghan women.  It is a privilege to witness these inspired women engaging with their communities – skillfully, within the often restrictive cultural parameters they face – and yet, inspiring their communities to become whole again, daring to hope for, and to work for a better future."

Bayat Foundation President and Executive Director Fatema Laya Bayat said, "We are humbled to provide the women ofAfghanistan with the encouragement and income generation support they desperately need through a 2010 Bayat Foundation Empowering Women Grant to Women for Women International."

(link) The Bayat Foundation announced a 2010 Bayat Foundation Empowering Women Grant in the amount of US$10,000 to the Business Council for Peace (BPeace) to support the Mazar Fast Runner Initiative, focusing on nurturing Afghan women business owners who are creating jobs for others.

At this point, 28 Afghan women in the BPeace program have already created 1,328 jobs that support 9,419 family members.  More than 755 of their employees are women who work from home and would otherwise have no source of income.  In operation since 2004, BPeace previously received three grants from the U.S. Department of State.

Bayat Foundation Chairman Ehsan Bayat and President and Executive Director Fatema Laya Bayat issued a statement saying, "We share a common vision with BPeace CEO Toni Maloney who believes that creating jobs is a necessary step towards peace, and believe that it is vital that women are empowered in the process."

(link) On May 19, 2011 the Afghan Trusted Network and Pepperdine University co-hosted the 2011 Afghan Symposium for Humanitarian and Leadership Engagement attended by NGO, government and private sector leaders currently engaged in supporting Afghanistan to highlight best practices and recommendations for women helping women, mothers and children in Afghanistan.  The Afghan Trusted Network's commitment to empowering women in Afghanistan is steadfast while leaders worry that the US will ratchet down its assistance.

 Afghan Trusted Network Director, Ms. Rosalie J. Wyatt, proposed an initiative in collaboration with League for Hope and other partners, the Women's Trust, to empower women in Afghanistan through a process and guidelines for local initiatives that leverage local solutions and norms to serve as a catalyst for changing the culture to view women as valued partners throughout society.  The proposed Afghan Women's Trust is an example of a new approach that Honorary Chairman Mrs. Doris Buffett challenged the Afghan Trusted Network to produce; "As daunting as this may be, women of the world must think big, act boldly and work together to leverage assets and combine every small victory into a scalable template for others to use; a template that is adaptable to existing programs, and that rewards enterprise while embracing tradition and promotes a new paradigm of the economic, cultural and social importance of women and children to the future of Afghanistan."  A follow-up meeting will take place in Washington, DC to further develop the initiative.

The 2011 Afghan Symposium Co-Hosts include Fatema Laya Bayat (Bayat Foundation); Caroline Firestone (New Hudson Foundation); 2011 Afghan Trusted Network Co-Chairs Jessica Kruvant (Creative Associates International); Diana Rowan Rockefeller (Afghan Women Leaders Connect); Qasim Tarin (Afghan Business Network); and Charter Member Co-Chairs Hon.David Aufhauser (Williams & Connolly); Jeb Carney (League for Hope); and Ajmal Ghani A. (Afghan Sports Federation).