Filmannex is a successful company offering an online video platform for film makers to promote films. Independent film makers are given the opportunity to broadcast their latest independent movies at no cost. Revenues are generated by on line video advertising and shared evenly between the film makers and the on line film distribution company, which provides access to anybody who wants to watch independent movies at their own convenience for free.

The Afghan Citadel Software Company (ACSC) is a brand new group of self-employed Afghan women based in Kabul and Herat, the first and third largest cities in Afghanistan. ACSC provides services such as the design and implementation of software application and databases, website publishing and manipulation, ICT design and establishment, consulting and IT solutions. In a world plagued with cultural conservativeness and gender discrimination, in which females struggle to be taken seriously and find themselves fighting against prejudice and obtuseness on a daily basis, these Afghan women are challenging the Afghan culture.

 

The Afghan Development Project, a dream come true started 3 months ago, represents the product between these two realities. ACSC is currently facilitating the construction of 40 Internet classrooms in 40 schools in Herat, while Filmannex provides the financial support. All is being done while the war in Afghanistan still goes on. One classroom has already been built in Baghnazargah School, and a second is being built as we speak in Houz-e-Karbas High School, an Afghan school for girls. What amazes me is that the two companies had never met in person until a few days ago, when Fereshteh Forough - one of the founding partners of the ACSC, the director of the company's Herat branch and a lecturer in the Computer Science Faculty at Herat University - was interviewed in this video by the staff of Filmannex.

 

This is the demonstration that when good ideas are fed with enthusiasm and followed by action everything can happen. And it's the living proof that businesses can build bridges more quickly and efficiently than politics. Just bring me politicians who can accomplish what Filmannex and ACSC have in 3 months for the education of Afghanistan and they'll get my vote when they're up for elections. 4000 Afghan students in Herat are already potentially increasing their professional future by utilizing the tools provided for them. Another 4000 will have the same opportunity in a matter of weeks. 152,000 more will follow during the next 3 years. The wheels are spinning, and they're spinning fast. What a chance for the economy of Afghanistan!