Why is our foundation particularly involved in Afghanistan, one of the most corrupt countries with large streams of internally displaced people who are fleeing the chaos of war, or refugees who are returning from neighbouring countries disillusioned and destitute?

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One reason is the Jesuits themselves. They are convincing with their education and training programmes and they do a great job even under the most difficult conditions.  This especially applies to Afghanistan, a place many other NGOs left because of the dangerous situation.

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But perhaps it is also people like Peter Balleis, the former director of JRS International, who at that time told us about the many young people in Afghanistan who voluntarily sit in unheated classrooms even on Sundays, hungry for education. From him comes the saying, "what you put in the children's rucksack in terms of education is a solid value for life."

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We are certainly also motivated and impressed by Silvia Käppeli, a busy Swiss woman who, together with the Jesuits, works for people in camps around Kabul. She has an open sympathetic ear for women, organizes handicraft courses, arranges literacy courses, paints with children and young people, and allows them to work through their traumas. Above all, she is a strong and professional consultant to the Afghan Health Care System.

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As a foundation, we are convinced that the work of the Jesuits in Afghanistan is urgently needed and that our investment in education gives the people there a chance for a better future.