Afghanistan-based projects

In Afghanistan, DRYV leads a range of projects focused on education, empowerment, and social change. Our initiatives include mentorship for youth, mental health training to support well-being, teacher training to enhance educational practices, and neurodiversity training to promote inclusion. We empower educators, uplift youth, and foster communities where mental well-being is a right—not a luxury.

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others."

Nelson Mandela

Project Nooria

Healing begins in the classroom

A Personal Spark That Became a Movement

In many Afghan classrooms, the weight of unspoken trauma is quietly carried by both students and teachers. For us, this reality wasn’t just statistics, it was personal. That's why we started this project to educate teachers and parents about students well-being

“Nooria,” meaning light or illumination in Dari, reflects what we strive to bring into Afghan schools: clarity, compassion, and emotional support.

Our Mission

Project Nooria raises awareness about mental health in Afghan schools by empowering teachers—the heart of every classroom—with the tools, language, and confidence to support their students’ emotional wellbeing.

We work to break stigma, nurture empathy, and help educators lead by example—modeling active listening, emotional intelligence, and mental health literacy in spaces where healing is deeply needed.

What We Do

Teacher Workshops :on trauma-informed and compassionate teaching

Culturally Adapted Toolkits :for mental health awareness and classroom use

Support Circles :for both staff and students—safe spaces for sharing and healing

Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: to help educators support one another

"One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world."

project shekiba

“Understanding is the first step to inclusion.”

That moment of pain and confusion became the seed of Project Shekiba.

We realized too many parents were navigating neurodiversity alone, in silence, with more shame than support. This project was created to change that.

Why “Shekiba”?

“Shekiba” means patience — a reminder that love, time, and understanding are the most powerful tools we can give our children.

Our Mission

Project Shekibaa supports Afghan families in understanding and embracing neurodivergent children — including those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. We believe every child deserves to be seen with compassion, and every parent deserves tools, not judgment.