FEDAA Introduces Hamkaran Program, Forging a Promising Future
September 2023
Scholars enjoying lunch at a local Kabul restaurant.
Through the Hamkaran program, we aim to cultivate a generation of leaders equipped with the skills, support, and connections necessary to drive positive change in Afghanistan.
The term “Hamkaran” translates to “Partners” in Persian. The Hamkaran program model is designed to support Scholars’ success.
It is based on the belief that a close-knit and diverse group of talented students can act as a catalyst for individual and community development during their educational journey and beyond.
The key to a promising future for Afghanistan lies in the ability of strong leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop solutions to complex social problems. Hamkaran’s primary goal is to nurture and support FEDAA Scholars, tomorrow’s leaders.
Concept
The Hamkaran program was launched in 2022, because FEDAA wanted to ensure that no student would ever drop out of college due to an inadequate support structure.
In collaboration with selected Universities, FEDAA identifies high school students who show extraordinary academic and leadership potential and awards them with full-tuition leadership scholarships. Hamkaran’s mission is to engage these students in this program, which is designed to ensure that FEDAA Scholars persist in their academic studies, forge strong relationships with other FEDAA Scholars, and ultimately graduate, equipped to take on leadership roles in the workforce.
Program Components
Congratulatory Ceremony
All first-time FEDAA Scholars and family members are invited to an in-person celebratory ceremony at a suitable venue in Kabul.
Advisor
Each FEDAA Scholar is assigned a dedicated FEDAA Board member who serves as an advisor and counselor, encouraging and empowering personal development, identifying and addressing issues, and acting as a confidential sounding board for ideas and challenges.
Connecting Opportunities
FEDAA funds monthly luncheons at restaurants of the Scholars’ choice, allowing them to get to know each other better and foster strong connections that enable mutual support and engender life-long friendships.
Scholars create chat groups to establish a robust support system for discussing school-life, courses, challenges, and issues they face.
Future Program Elements: Connecting Opportunities
The Hamkaran program plans to introduce additional elements in the future to further enrich the Scholars' experience:
Graduation Ceremony: to celebrate the Scholars’ academic milestone.
Yearly FEDAA conference: a gathering that brings together FEDAA cohorts from different universities and graduating classes to learn from one another, share stories of triumphs and setbacks, and debate ideas on how to affect positive change.
Listen to what Yousaf values about the Hamkaran program.
The cost of a scrumptious lunch for six Scholars amounts to 1,640 afghanis or $19.29.
