A ceremony attended by Afghan government officials and medical school leaders has marked the beginning of a historic project aimed at improving educational facilities at the Kabul Medical Institute. The project, which has been undertaken by the Seventh-day Adventist owned and operated Loma Linda University and is supported by Global Mission and Maranatha Volunteers International, will provide Kabul medical students with essential resources as well as first-time access to the Internet.  According to Global Mission director Dr. Michael Ryan, improving medical education in Afghanistan is a necessary first step toward raising the quality of health care available in the country, which has been devastated by years of war and civil unrest. Held on the future site of the medical school study hall, the September 13 ceremony was attended by local leaders including Din Muhammad, Afghanistan’s minister for higher education, and Hamdullah Momany, mayor of Kabul.