A wonderful, heartfelt note came to Governor Luis Carranza from Rotarian Fary Moini of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club who, along with PDG Steve Brown, are strong advocates for the children of Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
As always, Fari is looking for ways to improve the educational reach for young boys and girls in this region as well as ways to encourage business startups to help rebuild the region's economy.
Currently she is working on four projects, three of which have been fully funded by the generosity of friends and Rotarians in the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club and the Del Mar Rotary Club. Funds were used to help three business owners establish small businesses in their community - all supporting technology. She now seeks help in finishing the last project for a computer center at the boys' school. This center will include 15 computers and offer both training and paid digital services such as website development, domain registration, video editing, photography, and CCTV solutions and will offer continued opportunities for students to enter careers that can be successful business ventures right in Jalalabad.
The computer center project caught the attention of one of this year's RYLA students - Kush Shah, a 16-year-old junior at Del Norte High School in San Diego who has always loved teaching what he knows. As President of Coding4Kidz, he has helped bring free computer science education to over 200 underprivileged students, earning him the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. In his free time, Kush loves to bake mindfully. His hobby grew into a cause of teaching seniors in his community how to eat healthier. Whether it's a program, a pastry, or an opportunity for someone who didn't have one before, Kush is happiest when he's making something to share.
Kush shared that when he became president of Coding4Kidz in 2023, the club was already established at his school, but he saw a chance to turn it into something bigger. He wanted Coding4Kidz to be more than just a club. He wanted Coding4Kidz to actually do something real. Club members started teaching. Over two summers, the team ran free coding classes for more than 200 kids who wouldn't have had access otherwise. They taught Python, Java, and Scratch and helped 11 middle schoolers make it to ACSL national finals. The more they taught, the more he realized how much a few weeks of programming could shift a kid's sense of what was possible for them. When he shared what he learned at RYLA about the students in Jalalabad and the training center's ability to create opportunity, it just clicked for him acknowledging that these were kids on the other side of the world who wanted exactly what they wanted: a chance at learning something that could change their lives. He put his desire into action, and the club raised $3500 for this project. Another $1000 was donated by Del Mar Rotarians. Still needed is an additional $4500 to complete the center.
Fari's hope is that Rotarians and/or Rotary friends will help her reach the funding goal needed to make this center a reality. Here is the note she sent DG Luis Carranza and others who have offered help for the projects mentioned above.
Dear Rotary and Non‑Rotary Friends,
I am pleased to share an important update regarding the project that your club — or you personally — have so generously supported. Please accept my sincere appreciation for your contribution to this meaningful initiative. Your kindness continues to uplift young lives in ways that words can hardly express.
Last April, I had the honor of serving as a speaker at RYLA. As always, it was inspiring to meet so many dedicated young leaders. Among them was a remarkable student, Kush Shah, who is active in an organization called Coding 4 Kidz. After RYLA, we met to discuss his interest in supporting the students we serve in Afghanistan. I recently received a message from him confirming his commitment. His organization has contributed $3,500, and the Del Mar Rotary Club has added $1,000 toward our $9,000 proposal project. I will continue to seek funding to complete the project.
One additional project remains #2, and a close friend has kindly offered to assist. I am deeply moved by the generosity, compassion, and sense of service demonstrated by the individuals and Rotary clubs involved. It is a privilege to witness such commitment to uplifting youth in distant and challenging circumstances.
I encourage you to share this story with your members, families, and especially with the young leaders in your community. The example set by students like Kush Shah, Tai Balbac, Viki Kiss and many more ...which reminds us that the future is bright when guided by service, empathy, and action. The young generation of Afghanistan deserves this assistance. The world may have forgotten them, but we cannot — and we will not. Their future is tied to ours, because your children and grandchildren will live in the world shaped by the choices we make today, no matter how far apart we are in distance.
With gratitude and warm regards, Fary
If you have any questions or wish to donate to the computer center project, you may reach Fary at farygodmother1950@gmail.com.