Espalo, meaning “the light before sunrise or dawn” in Hazaragi, is a non-profit organisation committed to providing educational support to refugees and internally displaced, including at-risk youth and children in Afghanistan.  

The children who are receiving our support come from different backgrounds. They were forced to escape their countries due to conflict and deprived of their basic human rights, most importantly, the right to education. Most students have lost one or both parents to terrorist attacks and are forced to enter the child labor markets for survival. Moreover, thousands of school-age children are left out of the classroom due to conflict-related displacement and severe poverty. The majority of these children are female.

Espalo was established in 2019, with half of the executive members being former refugees and immigrants. We, at Espalo, personally understand the conflict and poverty behind preventing refugees access to education. Now that we all have the opportunity to live in a safe place, we are helping other children have access to education.