Leadership That Serves | Asif Foulad | TEDxShar e Naw

Quick Overview

Mohammad Asif Foulad shares his personal journey into humanitarian work in Afghanistan, emphasizing that service is a moral choice, not just a job, and detailing how his organization, Muslim Hands International, supports education and provides aid to nearly 1.9 million people, 25% of whom are children.

Key Points: Humanitarian work is framed as a moral choice, not merely a job, determining whether a family eats or goes hungry. Foulad received an offer for a scholarship to Malaysia, but he chose to return to Afghanistan to work with the NGO Muslim Hands International. The organization he directs provides services including health, education, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), livelihood intervention, and orphan sponsorship programs. In 2021, 25% of Afghanistan's 1.9 million population required humanitarian assistance due to ongoing crises like earthquakes and floods. His organization implemented a vocational training and skill development program that trained nearly 4,000 women and men. Foulad's message is to be ready, believe in one's potential, and use opportunities to help others, acting as a bridge to civilization.

Context: The video features a TEDx talk by Mohammad Asif Foulad at TEDxShareNaw, where he recounts his transition from considering further studies abroad to dedicating himself to humanitarian work in Afghanistan. He uses personal anecdotes and statistics to illustrate the critical need for aid and the impactful work being done by organizations like Muslim Hands International in providing essential services amid ongoing conflict and natural disasters in the region.

Detailed Analysis

Mohammad Asif Foulad delivers a TEDx talk emphasizing that choosing humanitarian work is a profound moral commitment that impacts daily survival, contrasting it with simply taking a job. He recounts a pivotal moment when he turned down a scholarship opportunity to study in Malaysia to return to Afghanistan in 2013 and work with Muslim Hands International in Badghis province. This organization focuses on providing comprehensive aid including health, education, WASH, livelihood support, and orphan sponsorship programs. Foulad cites alarming statistics, noting that in 2021, 25% of Afghanistan's nearly 1.9 million people required humanitarian assistance following natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. He highlights their success in capacity building, including training nearly 4,000 men and women in vocational skills and ensuring that 28,000 children could return to school by supporting their parents' income generation. Foulad concludes by urging the audience to be ready, believe in their potential, and use their opportunities to help others, serving as a bridge to civilization.