In 1997 a group of Americans, including our founder Daniel Batchelder, became involved in economic and community development initiatives in Afghanistan. Out of those initiatives, Morning Star Development was birthed in 2002. Our work has included developing community centers, rebuilding hospitals, providing relief aid, setting up medical clinics, starting businesses and establishing schools and Leadership Institutes throughout Afghanistan. We take a strategic approach to our involvement, attempting to engage the majority population where they live in rural Afghanistan with Community Centers and at the same time helping to prepare the next generation of leaders at our Institutes for Leadership Development. We are encouraged by the progress we see on both fronts.
Timeline
2020
- Covid-19 Relief Work (Bamyan, Kabul, Herat, Mazar)
- Health & Education classes in Bamyan
- Literacy classes held in women’s prison in Bamyan
- Opened New Life Addiction Recovery Center for Women
2019
- Started LaBBS (Literacy and Basic Business Skills for Women)
- Sports Club at a local Orphanage
- A New English Course
2018
- Initiated leadership seminars in Bamyan, Afghanistan
- Expanded the Health Clinic at the local university
- Expanded our US refugee program to a new city in the USA
- Leadership training for professors on the Afghanistan university campus
2017
- Launched a new ILD in Mazar-e-Sharif
- Re-launched the medical residency program Hope Family Medicine Afghanistan
2016
- Launched a refugee program in New Delhi, India to provide affordable education to Afghan teenagers who otherwise would have little to no educational opportunities
- Initiated New Life Addiction Recovery program in Kabul
2015
- Equipped 345 Afghan professionals through our ILD programs with knowledge, skills, and personal character development needed to succeed as leaders
- Launched a refugee assistance program in the US that provides practical help and guidance in the resettlement process for Afghans
2014
- Opened a new campus counseling center that serves 25,000 students and faculty at Kabul University
- Our BLiSS Program trained 800 men and women from 16 villages representing a population of 30,000 with the basic skills needed for success before and after birth
- Relaunched the Institute for Leadership Development (ILD) in Kabul
2013
- Launched the Bliss program (birth life saving skills) for rural villages in Herat Province
- Added 14 new field staff working and living in Afghanistan
- Hosted a doctoral research project that highlighted the remarkable socio-economic impact of our Community Centers
2012
- Established a new Educational Training Center in Jalalabad
- Graduated more than 100 students through our ILDs
2011
- Launched a new ILD in Faizabad
- Helped establish a new Comprehensive Health Clinic (CHC) in Murad Khane, Kabul
