CAI stands for Central Asia Institute. It is a NGO that builds schools for children in remote villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan--and this includes classes for girls. It was started by Greg Mortenson, former mountain climber and nurse. He became lost and disoriented after a failed climb of K2, the second highest mountain in the world. He wandered into an impoverished village where he was given shelter. He was moved by the villager's kindness, and vowed to come back and build them a school. This promised blossomed and grew.

The book really gives us a blueprint on how we can work with Muslims in the region, gaining trust and even praise. The book shows another side of Islam rarely seen in the US--how Iranian Ayotollahs give Mortenson their blessing to build schools for girls ("our Holy Koran tells us all children should receive education, including our daughters and sisters."). It also shows that when women are given power through education and training, they can turn the lives of villages around.

There's lots more, including the threat from Saudi Arabia as perceived by Pakistanis.

Visit www.threecupsoftea.com for more information. Also check out www.ikat.org for more information on the Central Asia Institute.

Or send donations to:

Central Asia Institute
PO Box 7209
Bozeman MT 59771

It costs them $1 a month for one child's education, a penny to buy a pencil, and a teacher's salary averages $1 a day.