Many women and children in developing countries still have very few opportunities to receive an education and training, but Japanese nonprofit groups are working in nations such as Afghanistan and Cambodia to give them hope for the future.
Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO), based in Kyoto, is working to empower women in Afghanistan, where long-term economic and social instability has severely limited their chances of receiving an education and participating in society. Many Afghan women also experience discrimination and domestic violence, and some are suffering from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, as well as tuberculosis.
NICCO helps them master basic reading and writing skills in Dari (Persian), one of the country's two official languages, and offers classes that teach information technology skills.