introduction

The LEAD (Linking Education Aid Development Organization) is a non-profitable, non-governmental and non-political Education Development Organization registered with the Ministry of Economy of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with license number 5835 dated 07/19/2023. LEAD is dedicated to linking education aid and development with the purpose of poverty reduction, promotion of culture of education and expanding Afghan citizens’ opportunities to self-reliance through education. LEAD intends to assist the most vulnerable Afghan communities and youth to have access to education, eventually get control over their lives and build a sustainable culture of educational achievements, development and stability in the country. LEAD engages in these activities through linking those Afghan communities to education possibilities that do not have access to schools, universities and education. 

vision

To help education institutes in Afghanistan provide quality education, while equipping students with knowledge and skills in their chosen stream, coach values, identify hidden talents, provide opportunities for students to realize their full potential and thus shape them into future Leaders, entrepreneurs and above all good human beings.

mission

To strive for quality education in keeping with motto of the LEDA “Excellence in Education” and prepare young minds for absorbing knowledge, skills and sensitivity.

LEAD Core Values: 

1. Obeying enforced Laws and norms and adjusting all its project and activities in accordance to it. 
2. Gender equative and rights-based approach.
3. Culturally specific and sensitive.
4. Creative and innovative, effective and efficiently focused.
5. Beneficiaries focused.
6. Respect for Human rights.
7. Inclusiveness.
8. Responsiveness.
9. Transparency and accountability.

LEAD Areas of Focus: 

• Education 

1. Facilitating access of those Afghan children to education who do not have access to school due to long distances and lack of proper educational environment. 
2. Equipping those schools that are lacking the required equipments and learning materials.
3. Providing food security to school students.
4. Constructing school buildings.

• Agriculture 

1. Designing and performing modern and local irrigation systems.
2. Distribution of quality fertilizer to poor formers.
3. Distribution of improved seeds, new varieties of trees in horticulture to gardeners and agricultural medicine to the poor formers.
4. Providing agricultural services and technical consultation to the farmers.
5. Providing support to the farmers to be able to utilize irrigation resources and increase their agricultural productivities.

• Health

1. Facilitating access to basic health services at most remote areas to the most marginalized populations of the communities.
2. Construct and equip health clinics in the most remote areas of the country.
3. To promote modern medical technologies and health services standards.
4. To facilitate access to quality medicine to improve their medical treatment. 

• Humanitarian aids.
• Research and surveys.
• Natural Resources management.
• Community resilience.
• Community development.
• Self-reliance.
• Influencing policy and procedures to improve access to education and agricultural services.

Goals and Objectives: 

1.  Goals:

To voluntarily contribute to a peaceful, sustained, resilient, and well developed Afghanistan where people have fair access to all types of social services including education, health, agriculture and humanitarian aids.

2. Objectives:

LEAD is to work jointly with its stakeholders in order to: 

• Impart education of the highest standard through value based holistic teaching and learning by integrating traditional and innovative practices.
• Create a platform for students for exploring their creative potentials and nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship and critical thinking.
• Inculcate a strong belief in hard work and core values of gender equality, human rights and ecology in order to make them socially responsible citizens.
• Equip students with the skills needed to adapt better to the changing global scenario and gain access to multiple career opportunities.
• Provide inclusive education by making it accessible to all sections of society. To maintain and promote quality, transparency, compliance and sustainability.
• Promote and facilitate people’s access to quality education at all levels.
• Support orphan children, widows and poor people at rural and urban levels. 
• Deliver services to the people affected by disasters (in emergency).
• Pave job opportunities for youths through vocational training and hand made products.
• Improve the livelihood of children, youth, women and marginalized people who live in remote areas of the country.
• Support the beneficiaries of LEAD to have access to skills, resources and required information to be involved in investing in creation of job opportunities.
• Facilitate access to safe drinking water and remote areas.
• Support people to take care of their personal and environmental hygiene.
• Identify the root causes of hunger and address it

LEAD Professional Focus: 

1. Education:

• Formal Education.
• Humanitarian assistances.
• Community development and livelihood.
• Informal education i.e. community, home schools, adult literacy, formal education.
• School buildings construction
  • Teachers training.
  • Vocational skills training.
  • Business skills development.
  • Micro-credit schemes.
  • Microenterprise development.
  • Health/Hygiene education.
  • Environmental education.

2. Infrastructure development i.e. building of schools, clinics, veterinary centers, culverts, washes, retaining walls, sewerage systems, sports facilities, water-supply schemes … etc. 
3. Agriculture development. 
4. Extension works, improving seeds. 
5. Irrigation systems development. 
6. Improved seeds, fertilizer and medicine distribution.
7. Promoting new varieties of fruitful trees.
8. Health.
9. Advocacy with related departments to promote policy, procedures and practices in the health sector at all levels.
10. Construction of health clinics and mobile clinics where there is need due to geographical conditions of the most remoted rural and mountainous areas. 
11. To promote modern medical technologies and health services standards.

Organization:

The Organizational Structure of LEAD consists of: 

1. General Assembly.
2. Board of Directors.
3. Executive Management Committee.
4. Director.
5. Management team.
6. Project Management Staff (Headquarters and site).
7. Finance, administration and logistics support staff.
8. Casual staff including security guards.

1. General Assembly

General assembly is the powerful decision-making body of LEAD. It encompasses members of board of directors, executive management committee, main staff members and the representatives of the sectorial ministries. The representative of ministry of economy also could attend the meeting, but do not have the right to vote.

2. Meetings of General Assembly 

Normally general assembly would be organized annually, but based on necessity it could be organized at the request of board of directors or 2/3 of its members. 

3. Authorities and Responsibilities of General Assembly

The authorities and responsibilities of general assembly are as per bellow:

1. To hear reports of board of directors and executive management committees about projects, programs and the income and expenses of the organization.
2. To hear reports of the M&E team that could be assigned by organization.
3. To approve annual plan and budget of the organization.
4. To elect and fire the proposed members of the board of directors.
5. To make decisions regarding amendments and reform in the organizational constitution.
6. To rectify and approve organizational policies, procedures and to provide strategic guidance to the organization.
7. To rectify and approve changing name, type and mandate of the organization and also cancellation of it. 
8. To make decisions about the agenda of the general assembly.

LEAD Board of Directors

a. The Board of Directors has an advisory role and shall advise LEAD during the important and major decisions making, and the members will have an annual meeting to discuss and guide strategic direction to LEAD executive management committee and they will also organize meeting whenever there is a need.

The table below provides details about board members. 

Board of Directors / Steering Committee 

NO	Name	Father’s Name	Position within the org	Education	Email address/ phone
1	Sayed Masoum Sayedi	Sayed Maqsoud	Chairman of the Board	Bachelor	sayedmasoum1960@gmail.com+ 93 799 408 282
2	Mohammad Daoud Abedi	Mohammad Asif	Board member	Bachelor	Daoudabedi@gmail.com+ 93 780 815 038
3	Shah Faisal Faraz	Salam jan	Board member	Bachelor	faisalfaraz24@gmail.com+ 93 787 046 462
4	Mohmmad Abid Elmi	Hamdullah	Board member	Bachelor	abidelmi@yahoo.com+ 93 770 721 919
5	Matiullah Suliamankhil	Habiburrahman	Board member	Bachelor	suliamankhil@gmail.com+ 93 780 176 705

1. Membership:

LEAD board of directors consist of 5 people who have been elected by the general assembly and have extensive knowledge of the country, civil society and aid assistance, development and NGO environmental context. They are well educated and well aware of overall country context and have experience in aid and development context inside and outside of Afghanistan. Only managing directors of the organization have membership of the board of directors and the rest come from outside of the organization. 

• New members for the board of directors are to be proposed by the executive management committee.
• New nominated members by the executive management committee are to be approved by the general assembly. 
• Members of the BoD should be well educated, influential in the society, scholars and senior personalities. The LEAD director will also be a member of the BoD.
• In case of any serious concern(s) about the member(s) of the BoD, the BoD can terminate his/her membership, but after the approval of the BoD.
• The BoD shall consist of minimum five and maximum seven members including the LEAD director.
• The members of BoD are voluntary except the LEAD director and shall not be entitled to any financial support and other privileges from the organization.

2. Responsibilities:

• Appointing the chairman for the committee through election by simple majority of the BoD.
• Electing the deputy chairperson and secretary.
• If required selection and removal of the director in close coordination with LEAD staff.
• Making sure that the LEAD policies are implemented in cooperation with LEAD programs targeted beneficiaries and staff.
• Providing advice on charter, rules and regulations and on policy management of LEAD
• Providing advises on LEAD vision, missions and overall goals and objectives.
• Providing advises on strategic plan in order to give strategic direction to the organization.

3. Quorum:

• Decisions shall be made by a simple majority.
• Minutes of the BoD meeting will be sent to all members of the BoD by the LEAD director no later than three days after the meeting. 
• The meeting agenda shall also be sent to all BoD members five days before the meeting unless with a rational reason.
• The chairperson of the BoD shall normally not vote in case of a tie. The chairperson’s vote is decisive.
• If there is a lack of consensus, after reasonable discussion and decision, the chairperson may resolve the issue through voting.