Afghan Relief Fund was established in July of 2001. Overwhelmed by the plight and suffering of the Afghan people, who endured one of the longest wars in history, Afghan Relief Fund's founder (Eng. Reza Afshar), staff and members had committed themselves to take part in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and rebuilding the Afghan peoples' lives, one life at a time.

To date, Afghan Relief Fund has:

1. Established and maintained a successful orphanage in Kabul, Kabul Orphan Care, that cares for and educates over 200 orphan boys and girls.
2. Created a Widow Family Program where thus far over 1000 widows with children have received monthly support.
3. Set up a Food Distribution Program through which over 65 tons of wheat flour, 45 tons of rice and 40 tons of cooking oil, 9 tons of meat, 80 tons of charcoal and other necessities (soap,shampoo,blankets,medicine,etc.) have been distributed to over 6,500 of the most vulnerable poor families in Afghanistan.

Recognizing the dire need to help, ARF's future plan is to expand all of its programs. Most importantly, ARF has endeavored to build a 13,000 sq.ft. New Orphanage and School that will provide around-the-clock care and education to 300-500 orphan children.

Afghan Relief Fund's third largest program is the distribution of basic food staples to the ultimately needy families, those that rummage in the streets, those that send their children begging or those that keep their children home out of school as hard laborers in order to survive.  Also included in this program are heads of households that are handicapped  and elderly who cannot support themselves and their dependants.  Social workers search the Kabul neighborhoods to locate the most needy.  The distributions take place approximately four times a year.

Thus far, ARF has distributed over 65 tons of wheat flour, 25 tons of cooking oil and 25 tons of rice to over 1,500 impoverish families in Kabul.

ARF's second most important program was developed for widows with children living in the ruins of buildings or without any shelter.  These desperate women keep their children home and out of school to help with work just to earn a living.

The wars have left a segment of the population without a voice, without a home, and without a door to knock on.  Widows are left to themselves with no welfare office to visit.  Many are seen on the streets in Kabul picking through the garbage (see picture top right).

Afghan Relief Fund's widow shelter program provides shelter to deserving widows and their children. Below, a picture of the first deserving widow and her orphans.