Bayat – a story of success ::: Afghanistan 2007

A Story of Success behind Afghan Clouds of Dust
by Kurt Hörbst/Alexandra Grill (Text)

Economical skills and the strong desire to build up the home country is sourrounding the area around Eshan Bayat. Having studied in the US and living as an entrepreneur in New York he only could come back to Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 when the Taliban regime had collapsed. His idea to create a functional mobile phone network (“Afghan Wirless”) has been realized promptly and soon after that he could fullfill his biggest personal wish: to create the Bayat-Foundation. During the past years this foundation has become the biggest and most important NGO in Afghanistan. The family Bayat additionally owns a TV- and a Radio-Station, also to spread the news about their activities in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world, where Afghans live in exil since many years. That alternative programm, which is a little different to the afghan one, reaches many of them via satellite. There are numberless projects: building schools, orphanages, hospitals university-classes, gyms, mosques and dormatories, organizing bicycle-races, city-runs and soccer-tournaments.The focus is on education, peace and in general a higher level of living. – Which is more than necessary in Afghanistan.
Some people seem to push Eshan Bayat to be canditate in the next presidental elections, but acctually he is just busy organizing all the social activities, helping and donating.