Information

The word "ZAKI" comes from the Pashto language spoken in Afghanistan and stands for "clever" or "clever". Since it is very similar to the German-speaking "Auf Zack sein" or "zackig" in the sense of quick-wittedness, we think this adjective is an excellent fit for an educational project.

• General

Club data:

Name: ZAKI Afghan Children's Foundation / ZAKI Afghan Children Foundation

Registered office: 6166 Fulpmes, Michael Pfurtscheller Weg 8, Austria

Founding date: 17.12.2021

Chairman: Zahir Shah

Deputy: Christoph Bierwirth

Documents from the Innsbruck District Authority:

• Non-profit, current status

Our non-profit association "ZAKI-Afghan Cildren Foundation" was established in December 2021 and has fulfilled all the legal and police requirements. The Innsbruck district authority, as the competent authority (association authority) in accordance with Section 9 of the Associations Act (VerG), approves the achievement of our application. After three years of existence - i.e. in December 2024 - our association can apply for a place on the list of institutions receiving donations. ZAKI is based on volunteer work and donations, which we carry out through events and various projects.

• How does the money get to Afghanistan?

Since money transfer services such as Moneygram or Western Union do not currently work with Afghanistan and direct bank transfers are not possible due to the unrecognized Taliban government, we are forced to send funds via Pakistan. This detour is unavoidable and naturally also requires fees. Money transfers will only be possible again once Afghanistan's political leadership has adapted to Western ideas. Nevertheless, we have committed ourselves to securing our children's school education in the long term, so we are willing to take detours.

Do you have any further questions?

Please contact us anytime.

The situation of the people in Afghanistan

The general situation of the people is catastrophic. The situation, which had been tense for many years, worsened when the Taliban took power, leading to unrest in the country and outbreaks of violence. The country's economy has collapsed and a severe drought has wiped out much of the crop, leaving hunger and malnutrition widespread.

Unicef reports that by 2022 more than 24 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of them children.

Access to school education

According to Unicef, an estimated 4.2 million children are out of school, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. The majority of them (over 60 percent) are girls. To improve this situation a little bit is the central concern of the ZAKI-Children Foundation.

"Afghanistan has been one of the worst places in the world to be a kid for many years.

It's gotten worse in the last few weeks."

With these words Mustapha Ben Messaoud, head of UNICEF's emergency aid in Afghanistan, describes the situation in the country.