Community Impact International
The creation of Community Impact International (CII) was inspired by the despair and decreasing opportunities of those affected by more than 40 years of conflict in Afghanistan. Those working with CII know first-hand of the deteriorating condition of Afghanistan and the increasing vulnerability of families trying to survive there. There is also a need for Afghans to learn skills in new countries where they now live, skills that can help to provide them with income for their families.
Over the last two decades CII President Hasibullah Kalemzai has established a successful construction company in Afghanistan in which he has employed more than 5000 vulnerable people, 20% of whom were women. Through his company he now has two decades of experience assisting the vulnerable, both men and women in need. They have been helped both financially and educationally, finding effective, empowering solutions to meet their needs.
In response to the changes in the economic and political environment in Afghanistan in mid-2021, Community Impact International (CII) as a Non-Profit organization in the USA was envisioned. Hasibullah Kalemzai, as President, has taken the lead to help Afghans in the areas of education, health, business development through handicrafts, and help mobilize relief funds for families and communities where needed.
CII plans to start by focusing on selling the handicrafts made by Afghans still living inside Afghanistan. Money from the sales will help purchase more handicrafts and enable their businesses to become more sustainable. Plans are underway to assist Afghans who are resettling in the USA, doing online training or in small classrooms, with a view to assist Afghan immigrants in new skills such as making soaps and lotions, to help provide income for their families.
