Afghan Connection – Building a Legacy of Education in Afghanistan

Historically, women and girls in Afghanistan have faced significant obstacles to education.  Decades of conflict – marked by a lack of public safety and the destruction of vital infrastructure – severely limited access to schools.  When the Taliban came to power in 1996, it strictly forbade female education and closed girls’ schools throughout the country.  As a result, 76 percent of women and girls in Afghanistan today have never had the opportunity to go to school, and only 12 percent can read and write.

Investments in education were a priority for the Afghan government and for international donors after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.  Massive efforts to rebuild school buildings, train new teachers and enroll boys and girls led to exponential growth in the Afghan educational system.  Since 2001, the number of children enrolled in school has risen from 1 million to almost 10 million, nearly 3 million of whom are girls. 

Afghan Connection

Afghan Connection (AC) is one of the champions of education in Afghanistan.

Since 2002, AC has funded the construction and operation of 39 schools in 11 provinces of Afghanistan, providing education for 50,000 children.  AC schools are fully equipped with classrooms, science labs, libraries, computer suites, meeting halls, sports facilities, sanitation and clean water.  In Afghanistan, where 47 percent of schools have no building and 75 percent do not have safe sanitation,[1] AC schools shine.

Reaching Critical Mass

In 2011, AC decided to concentrate all of its efforts on a single district – the Worsaj district of Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan.  In this mountainous region, most adults are illiterate but are determined to see their children receive an education.

In just over two years, AC has built eight schools and four resource centers that provide a safe, well-equipped learning environment for over 5,000 children.  For families who live more than three kilometers from a school, AC has added Community Based Education (CBE) classes to reach the most marginalized children.  These classes will continue until more schools can be built in the district.

In addition to rebuilding educational infrastructure in Worsaj, AC is determined to set a high standard of education in the district.  In many remote areas of Afghanistan, teachers do not have basic qualifications and many schools lack female teachers necessary to draw and keep girls in school.  AC training classes have recruited and equipped teachers, both male and female, and management courses have provided vital leadership and management skills to 54 district headmasters and principals.

The results of AC’s tireless work are clear.  Building on the long-standing relationships of their main partners, AC seems to have reached a critical mass in Worsaj.  In a district where hardly a single woman can read or write, nearly all children are enrolled in school.  Dropout rates have fallen to close to zero, and a female graduate from Bibi Ayisha school was the first girl from Worsaj to attend university.  365 young mothers have returned to school to continue their education, an uncommon occurrence for girls married young in Afghanistan.  Families, confident in the quality and safety of AC schools, continue to send their boys and girls to class each day, rewriting the story of their families and their communities.

Afghan Connection’s Measurable Goals

Each year, Afghan Connection seeks to:

• Fund two school constructions
• Support 1,000 children in community based schools
• Train 200 teachers in Worsaj

National Geographic has pledged to match up to $80,000 in funds for a new AC school in Worsaj.  If you would like to support AC, tax-deductible gifts can be made through www.give2asia.org/afghanconnection