About Afghanistan
Afghanistan is located in central Asia. It is a land-locked country with a mountainous terrain about the size of Texas. It has a population of 31,000,000 people. The official languages are Pashtu and Dari. The primary religion is Islam — 80% Sunni and 19% Shi’a, and 1% Christian.
Afghanistan is an extremely poor country one of the poorest in the world. It has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $800 per capita. As a point of reference, the US GDP is $46,000 per capita. In Afghanistan most families live modestly earning the equivilent of only a couple hundred dollars per month.
The literacy rate in Afghanistan is about 20-25% of the population. Female literacy is 13%. This means that 87 out of 100 Afghan women are unable to read or even write their own name. In addition, women cannot travel freely and most wear burkas. There is very limited infrastructure–no consistent power, few paved roads, and a lack of clean water and health services.
About Ghazni Province
Ghazni Province is the second largest province in Afghanistan. It is located just 60 miles southwest of Kabul, the capital of the country. Agriculture is the region’s primary source of income. It has 16 districts and the largest city is Ghazni city. There are very few paved roads and limited traditional telephone service. Cellular phones, however, are widely available.
Security, lack of adequate healthcare, clean water, and a shortage of trained teachers continue to be a major issue in this region.