Central Asia Institute
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| Abbreviation | CAI |
|---|---|
| Formation | June 1996 |
| Founders | |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Legal status | Non-Profit |
| Purpose | Promotes literacy and education |
| Headquarters | Bozeman, Montana |
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Region
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Central Asia and South Asia |
| Affiliations | Pennies for Peace |
| Mission | Promote peace through education |
| Website | centralasiainstitute |
Central Asia Institute (CAI) is an international non-profit organization, co-founded by Greg Mortenson and Jean Hoerni in 1996. The organization is based in Bozeman, Montana and works to promote and support community-based education throughout Central Asia, primarily in Pakistan and Afghanistan, by building schools, supporting teacher-training programs, and funding school scholarships.
CAI’s mission is to "empower local communities of Central Asia through literacy and education, especially for girls, promote peace through education, and convey the importance of these activities globally." The organization collaborates with communities to build schools in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, with a particular emphasis on areas where there is little or no access to education. Pennies for Peace is an affiliated organization that partners with schools and clubs in the United States and around the world to raise pennies for CAI's educational efforts.
After a 60 Minutes segment aired questions about the organization's effectiveness, the Central Asia Institute has become a reference example for the limitations in evaluating charities based solely on financial analysis.
CAI was registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1996.Greg Mortenson, co-founder of CAI, began his work in Pakistan in 1993. The organization was established with funds from co-founder Jean Hoerni, a Swiss physicist and Silicon Valley microchip pioneer. Mortenson's first visit to Pakistan was during his expedition to climb K2, the world's second-highest mountain. It was on this expedition that Mortenson met the Balti people, who inspired his humanitarian efforts.
For three years, from 1993-1996, Mortenson spent long periods of time in the Karakoram Mountain villages of Pakistan. His first project was a bridge over the Braldu River, which enabled the community and him to transport building materials to Korphe village, where he built his first school. Hoerni provided funding for these first two projects and subsequently established Central Asia Institute as a non-profit organization in the United States in 1996. Mortenson was appointed as its director. Hoerni died a year later from leukemia. CAI's first Board of Directors decided to focus the organization's efforts in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan in order to establish relationships to further community-based projects in the area.
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