[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4279]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING RONA POPAL ON HER DEDICATION TO HELPING IMPROVE THE LIVES OF 
                              AFGHAN WOMEN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2002

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rona Popal on her 
distinguished dedication to helping and empowering women in 
Afghanistan.
  Rona Popal is a 20-year resident of Fremont, California who was born 
in Afghanistan. She recently returned to her country of birth because 
she feels she has a responsibility to help women overcome the obstacles 
of their daily lives in Afghanistan. Oppressed under the former Tallban 
government, and still not equipped to handle the realities of daily 
life, women in Afghanistan enjoy few civil rights.
  Driven by an intense desire to help the people of Afghanistan in any 
way she can, Rona Popal handed money to the poverty-stricken on the 
streets of Kabul and met with interim Chairman Hamid Karzai on her 
recent trip.
  Now she intends to form a partnership between a school for the deaf 
in Kabul and the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. She also 
plans to work on projects to help women in Afghanistan become self-
sufficient.
  Rona Popal is the founder of the Afghan Coalition and the Afghan 
Women's Association International, two groups in the United States that 
work to improve the lives of Afghan citizens.
  I am honored to commend Rona Popal on her inspiring and selfless 
efforts to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan.

                          ____________________