Since 2006, the Bayat Foundation has worked to provide the citizens of Afghanistan with expanded access to maternal and child health care, educational and sports opportunities, and infrastructure development initiatives. The foundation, established through the generosity of Afghan Wireless Communication Company founder Ehsan Bayat, recently undertook a project to improve Afghans’ access to clean water. This effort represents a vital step forward in a country in which only about one-quarter of the population currently has such access. Moreover, appropriate sanitation services extend to only about 5 percent of Afghans.
In rural parts of the nation, the situation is even more urgent, with clean water sources readily available to only about 20 percent of the population. Such figures put Afghanistan among the world’s most underserved countries. The Bayat Foundation aims to change the situation, which has worsened in the recent years of war. The organization has completed construction on four water wells and has supported students’ efforts in greening their environments through planting flowers and trees. Through the assistance of individual donors, residents of Dasht-e-Barchi, Arzan-Qimat, and Qalae Barqe Village in Kabul, as well as the district of Barek Ab in Parwan Province, can enjoy clean and safe drinking water in their communities.