Education Initiative
Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP)
The Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP) is the flagship program of the Afghan Future Fund. In partnership with multiple higher education institutions, including the Yalda Hakim Foundation, the Qatar Fund for Development, Education Above All, and the Institute of International Education (IIE), QSAP offers fully funded scholarships to displaced students from the American University of Afghanistan—making it the largest initiative of its kind. Since its launch in 2022, QSAP1 has placed about 500 Afghan students—with gender parity—at over 60 colleges and universities across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Albania, and Qatar. QSAP does more than open doors to higher education. We wrap each student in a network of support—helping them thrive academically, socially, and personally as they build new futures far from home.
AFF continues to support QSAP alumni by connecting them with organizations that assist in career development and job placement. Through partnerships with Tent and Upwardly Global, we help open doors to meaningful opportunities and ensure our graduates are equipped to thrive in their professional journeys.
Entrepreneurship
Ventures Beyond Borders (formerly REP)
Refugees in the United States are 40% more likely to start a business than native-born Americans. Yet, they face systemic barriers to accessing the financial and social capital needed to launch and scale their ventures. Ventures Beyond Borders exists to close this gap—transforming refugee talent into thriving entrepreneurship through training, mentorship and investment. The initiative began as The REP (Refugee Entrepreneurship Program), launched by the Afghan Future Fund in collaboration with Schmidt Futures and Antler. It was designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs from refugee backgrounds by offering a clear pathway to launch and grow their own businesses. The program featured a four-week online course in entrepreneurship and innovation, facilitated by Antler, and culminated in an intensive, in-person bootcamp in New York City. Today, Ventures Beyond Borders has grown into a nonprofit venture fund building a global ecosystem for refugee-led startups. By equipping refugees with the skills, networks, and resources they need, the initiative empowers them to lead, innovate, and drive change in their communities and beyond.
Skills Development
America’s Allies Scholarship Program (AASP)
The Afghan Future Fund (AFF), in partnership with No One Left Behind, launched the America’s Allies Scholarship Program (AASP) in 2025—a dedicated initiative supporting Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders who have resettled in the United States. AASP is a groundbreaking effort to provide competitive financial assistance to Afghan and Iraqi translators, interpreters, and allies who served alongside U.S. Armed Forces. The program empowers recipients to pursue college degrees or professional training, helping them build meaningful futures and continue their contributions to their new communities.
Refugee Resettlement And Empowerment
Afghan Refugees in Albania
The Afghan Refugees in Albania program was launched by the Afghan Future Fund (AFF) in response to the 2021 collapse of Afghanistan and the urgent need to protect at-risk individuals under Taliban rule. This initiative began as a humanitarian evacuation effort and has since evolved into a long-term resettlement and empowerment program. AFF successfully evacuated hundreds of vulnerable Afghans to safety in Albania, with the support of the Albanian government and a coalition of NGOs, to deliver essential services. These services included emergency medical care, housing, primary education, psychosocial support and legal assistance. At its peak, the program supported nearly 3,000 Afghan refugees and displaced persons. In addition to emergency relief, AFF remains committed to the long-term success of evacuees. The organization continues to provide immigration support, helping nearly 100 individuals resettle permanently in the United States and Canada. AFF also focuses on empowering evacuees through access to education, job training, and employment—especially in the tech sector—to help them build sustainable futures. Through this comprehensive approach, AFF is not only offering safety but also restoring hope and opportunity for Afghans forced to flee their homeland.
Canada, and beyond
with humanitarian aid
Children Empowerment
Enabled Children School – Kabul
This critical 12-month initiative helps children with disabilities, orphans, and other vulnerable groups in Kabul safely enroll and integrate into mainstream schools. The program focuses on creating inclusive learning environments that support the dignity, development, and long-term success of these children. Implemented in partnership with Enabled Children Initiative (ECI) — a trusted independent nonprofit — the project provides safe spaces and tailored support to ensure children with disabilities can access their fundamental rights to education, healthcare, and essential services. By promoting inclusive education and community integration, this program not only empowers individual children but also challenges stigma and advances broader social equity in a fragile context.
Completed Programs
Explore the legacy of our past initiatives that have empowered thousands of Afghans through education, entrepreneurship, resettlement, and cultural preservation. Though these programs have concluded, their impact continues to shape futures and inspire change.
The Afghan Free Media Project was dedicated to empowering Afghan journalists—especially women and citizen reporters—to reach their full potential and produce accurate, independent, and timely journalism during a time of crisis.
We supported Afghan content creators evacuated to Albania, helping them build and monetize YouTube channels while producing meaningful educational and journalistic content. At the same time, we built a network of citizen journalists and freelancers inside Afghanistan committed to bridging information gaps, including a team reporting daily from every province.
Through these efforts, the Afghan Free Media Project uplifted Afghan voices, strengthened independent media, and championed the principles of free and reliable journalism.
150+
entrepreneurs supported
30+
founders as part of in-person accelerators
3
business funded
The Refugee Entrepreneurship Program is an initiative started as part of the Afghan Future Fund to empower aspiring refugee entrepreneurs. The program includes both a four-week online training and a one-week in-person workshop. At the conclusion of the program, entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges. Today, Ventures Beyond Borders continues this work, providing refugees with the skills, support, and capital needed to build successful businesses and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. The Afghan Future Fund and Ventures Beyond Borders believe in the power of entrepreneurship to unlock the extraordinary potential of refugees around the world.
200
Afghan learners supported
80%
women participation
The Afghan Future Fund (AFF), in collaboration with the Institute of International Education (IIE), launched the Supporting Access to Higher Education for Afghans (HEA) program in 2023. The initiative is designed to empower talented adult learners—particularly Afghan women—by expanding access to professional skill-building and educational opportunities in high-need sectors.
HEA provides funding for online coursework and certificate programs in the following five fields critical to Afghanistan’s development:
- Business: Business Management Essentials
- Information Technology: Data Science Essentials
- Education: Communication
- Law: Legal Essentials
- Allied Health Sciences: Healthcare Management
To date, the program has supported 200 Afghan women and men inside Afghanistan, enabling them to earn professional certificates and enhance their career prospects in these key areas.
100%
Retention and Academic Progress
Partnering with Landmark School, the Afghan Future Fund (AFF) has initiated an educational support program for Afghan students from middle school through high school. Recognizing the unique learning profiles of some students, including those with dyslexia, Landmark School offers a tailored curriculum and remedial approach, providing support unmatched by traditional American boarding schools. This collaboration reflects AFF’s commitment to empowering talented Afghans to realize their full potential by ensuring access to quality education tailored to individual needs.
In 2023, Landmark School partnered with a refugee resettlement organization and the Afghan Future Fund (AFF) to support four Afghan refugee students—young women with language-based learning differences—by enrolling them in its specialized residential high school program.
Landmark School, a nationally recognized institution for students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities (LBLD), provides individualized education, comprehensive residential care, and a deeply supportive community. The school committed to supporting these students for the full duration of their high school education.
With AFF’s support, Landmark ensured these students had not only access to quality education but also the basic resources and life experiences needed to thrive academically and socially.
Impact Highlights
- $5,000 AFF Grant Utilized: Helped cover non-tuition essentials such as winter and summer clothing, toiletries, driver’s education, and travel support.
- 100% Retention and Academic Progress: All four students successfully completed their first academic year, receiving academic awards and participating in extracurriculars.
- Full Integration into School Life: Students engaged in a wide range of activities—community service, music, fashion design, and religious observances—while building lasting friendships and cultural connections.
- Long-term Commitment: Landmark School has pledged to support the students through graduation, with each student’s 4-year education valued at over $390,000.
100
educational video lessons
entrepreneurs supported
6 million
Afghans
The Lapis Middle East and Africa program creates and broadcasts 100 short educational video lessons, developed with experts like UNICEF to align with Afghanistan’s core curriculum. Through Moby Group’s national media platforms—including TV, radio, and digital—these lessons reach millions of children, especially girls without access to formal education. The content is designed to be engaging, age-appropriate, and inclusive, also involving caregivers to foster supportive home learning environments.
160
evacuees from Afghanistan
The FIFA Afghan Project, a collaborative effort between FIFA and the Afghan Future Fund (AFF), showcases the transformative power of football in supporting individuals in need and at high risk. In 2021, FIFA successfully evacuated over 160 individuals, including players, officials, and human rights defenders associated with football and basketball in Afghanistan. In coordination with other concerned organizations, AFF provided crucial support to these refugees, ensuring their safety and facilitating their resettlement. This project not only saved lives but also ignited a beacon of hope for a brighter future, underscoring football’s ability to bring about positive change in people’s lives.
Over 150 students trained across six artistic disciplines
Alum crafts made their way to the Connaught Hotel in London
The Afghan Future Fund partnered with Turquoise Mountain to support the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture, Afghanistan’s leading vocational arts education center. The program provides opportunities for young Afghan women and men in traditional Afghan crafts such as calligraphy, miniature painting, jewelry-making, and woodworking. The program strengthens economic opportunity and cultural preservation by connecting the next generation of artisans with local and global markets.
In response to the Taliban’s crackdown on independent media, Hasht-e Subh Daily and Etilaat-e Roz launched the 8AM Program—a transnational initiative to sustain free reporting from inside Afghanistan despite severe risks.
The program engaged 30 freelance journalists nationwide, produced content in Farsi, Pashto, and English, and operated teams across Afghanistan, Albania, the U.S., and Canada to ensure editorial independence and safety.
With support from partners like Google and the Afghan Future Fund, it strengthened digital security, expanded video journalism, and trained reporters still working inside Afghanistan—keeping truthful, independent news alive in one of the world’s most repressive media environments.
- Evacuation & Resettlement: AFF successfully evacuated over 100 AUAF students to Sulaimani, Iraq, coordinating travel, housing, and enrollment at AUIS.
- Academic Continuity: Students resumed studies in computer science, business, political science, and other fields, maintaining academic momentum despite displacement.
- Pathway to the U.S.: Through the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP) and other partnerships, AFF secured scholarships and immigration assistance to relocate AUIS-enrolled students to American universities, where they have since completed or are completing their degrees.
By forging this bridge from Kabul to Sulaimani and onward to the U.S., the AUIS Program safeguarded Afghan scholars’ futures and positioned them for leadership in their fields.