Doing Good and Finding Hope in Afghanistan
Two Organizations Helping Children in a War-Torn Country
Aug 29, 2008
Many of Afghanistan's children are victims of war and poverty. Because of this, some may be the sole breadwinners for their families and end up foregoing school to work on the streets. Or, girls may be sold as child brides and bypass childhood.
Under the rule of the Taliban (1996 to 2001), women were not allowed to be seen without a burqa and could not hold jobs. Some girls were educated secretly in homes while others obeyed Taliban law and didn't receive any education. In a post-Taliban Afghanistan, the literacy rate of Afghan women is about 20% (UNICEF), meaning, nearly 80% of the female population is illiterate.
Today, special schools for girls and young women who missed out on schooling during the Taliban are found throughout Afghanistan but primarily in Kabul. Afghans4Tomorrow and Aschiana are just two of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) reaching out to Afghanistan's youth and offering hope for the future through education and protection.
Doing Good in Afghanistan: Afghans4Tomorrow (A4T)
A4T runs three schools specifically to educate girls who did not receive schooling under the Taliban. Two of these schools are in Kabul with the other in Wardak province, located southwest of Kabul.
Students are primarily girls ranging in age between 7 and 20-years-old in grades first through eighth. It's common for an 18-year-old young woman to be studying in the third grade. Two grades are studied annually and students attend either morning or afternoon sessions. Most teachers are part-time and teach subjects such as math, history, biology, the Koran, Pashto, Dari, English and a vocation such as tailoring or information technology. Through teaching a trade, the girls and young women can become financially independent or a contributor to their family.
Although Afghanistan's Ministry of Education oversees the curriculum, A4T relies on private funding. Tuition, notebooks, pens and pencils are free for students.
Unfortunately, girls have not attended school in Wardak since the spring of 2007 due to unstable security. Some people in Afghanistan still believe girls should not be educated and find tactics to scare them and their families, such as by burning schools. But, there is hope in Wardak. Some girls have been receiving in-home education and if they make progress, the next grade up may be offered.
Established in 1999, Afghans4Tomorrow is a volunteer-supported, non-profit, non-government agency which also supports agriculture and health programs. A4T is committed to rebuilding a sustainable Afghanistan and recognizes children are the country's future.
Doing Good in Afghanistan: Aschiana
Street children wander Kabul begging for money or offering to do odd jobs for Americans and U.N. workers. Unfortunately, due to Afghanistan's poor economy, the families of these children see them more productive on the street earning money than in school receiving an education.
Aschiana has six centers throughout Kabul where children ages 8 to 18-years-old can receive a basic education and learn a trade so they no longer need to work on the streets. Staff find the children on the street, explain the Aschiana program and eventually seek permission from the parents for enrollment. Trades taught include painting, information technology, and tailoring. Items created by the children, such as artwork, are for sale and revenue goes to the children. Aschiana has established a bank where children keep their earnings and learn the value of saving for their future.
Aschiana was established in 1995 and is a non-profit, non-government organization relying on private funding. As the organization has grown, it's expanded its vocational training to women. They can train in such skills as carpet weaving, tailoring and hairdressing.
Doing Good in Afghanistan: There is Hope
Many NGOs in Afghanistan are committed to rebuilding and developing a self-sustaining nation. They rely on the support of foreign dollars and volunteers to educate and empower the Afghan people. Afghans4Tomorrow and Aschiana are helping to rebuild the county and recognize Afghanistan's future is with her children.
Doing Good in Afghanistan: Understanding
The book, Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, written by American hairstylist Debbie Rodriguez, is a first-hand look into Afghanistan's male-orientated society and provides a good understanding of what life is like for women and children. Global Exchange is an organization helping Americans connect with Afghans through travel.
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