TKHF has been a proud supporter of Trust in Education's scholarship program for almost a decade. Hewad joined the scholarship program in 2009. At just twelve years old, he was already working on the streets of Afghanistan, selling gum to help support his family and pay for his school expenses.
His father left for Iran many years ago and the family never heard from him again. This left his mother, Mariam, in charge of the family of six. While she worked cleaning houses, she never lost sight of the importance of education and ensured each of her children was able to attend school. Hewad served as a wonderful example of what hard work and perseverance could accomplish for his younger brothers and sisters.
In 2013, TKHF learned that Hewad's original sponsor could no longer support him. We happily took on his scholarship and saw him grow over the next seven years. While Hewad maintained his love of soccer and cricket, his career aspirations changed over the years from a teacher, to an engineer, and finally to help his country as a lawyer. It is all too easy to take for granted the changing desires of a child, but in Afghanistan, to be able to pursue an education and dream of what you will become is a privilege often unattainable.
Hewad studied hard and ensured he supported his family with extra income whenever it was needed by working at a local market and hauling goods on a cart. His hard work paid off with him consistently being ranked near the top of his class. He graduated high school in the top 10% of his class and just earned his law degree at the age of 22! We are honored to have been able to help Hewad attain an education and could only do it with the kindness and generosity of our supporters.