CARE Announces Local Girls' Education Classes In Afghanistan

(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Written By: Tabasum Nasiry

The CARE organization has announced the establishment of local classes for girls' students throughout Afghanistan, enabling them to complete two grades in a single calendar year and advance to the next grade.

On Sunday, January 14th CARE published a report titled“Imagining the Fight for Girls' Rights in Afghanistan.”

CARE emphasizes that the instructors in these educational classes are from areas where girls are deprived of going to school. In such circumstances, these girls' source of empowerment and strength comes from education. They witnessed the brilliance of girls who knew they would soon be deprived of their basic right to education.

Lida is one of the instructors in Ghazni province, where her class follows the local Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) administered by CARE in Afghanistan. She says,“I take immense pride in my students because when I first met them, they knew very little. They were girls kept at home, suppressed. With the establishment of CARE classes, we were able to create a conducive learning environment for them.”

Lida, expressing her delight that the girls have reached this level from scratch, emphasized,“We are very happy that our students have reached their maximum potential, and they have big goals for the future. They want to achieve excellence. Some even aspire to study abroad. Even their families have accepted that their daughters have transformed and are now able to contribute to their families.”

According to CARE, women across Afghanistan have suffered, carrying the burden of significant changes over the past two years in Afghanistan.

Nargis Mohammadi, a university graduate who taught at a school in one of the provinces for a year, says she cannot definitively say whether studying two grades simultaneously can be helpful for students given the pressures they face. She believes that the ban on girls' education, especially at the age when these girls are experiencing critical stages in their lives, will negatively impact their learning process.

She adds,“The prohibition of girls' education, especially at the ages these girls are, will have a detrimental effect on their spirits. Girls beyond the sixth grade gradually experience critical phases in their lives. Alongside these sensitivities, the added difficulty of closed schools will weaken their morale.”

One of the instructors from the CARE organization expresses hope that the educational challenges faced by girls in Afghanistan will be heard. She says,“Help us to allow girls to study again. This is my only request and wish. These days are extremely tough for girls in society and for me personally. But I encourage girls to study at home, engage in extra activities, never lose hope, and always continue their studies to achieve their goals.”

It should be noted that through the programs of this organization, girls aged 10 to 17 study six days a week throughout the year. They complete two grades in one calendar year, with each grade lasting six months.

The CARE organization states that girls have many unanswered questions. Saleha, in her conversation with the organization, asks,“Has anyone been able to become a teacher from home? A doctor or an engineer? Has anyone been able to achieve their goals from the corner of their home? Women have not been created just for household chores; a woman should have her freedom and continue her work outside the home. Women are stronger than men.”

Seleha, a 17-year-old girl who expressed her happiness about the establishment of local classes, adds,“I used to think that anyone who studies can freely talk about their goals, become self-sufficient, and achieve their position. I used to think I could study one day, become self-sufficient, and find my purpose in life because having a goal in life is very important. But today, the girls in my land are deprived of the right to education.”

This student emphasizes that she wants to become a teacher in the future because she believes that“a teacher can change society and teach morals. If someone is a lawyer, judge, or engineer, it is the blessing of a teacher who has educated them. No one can become an engineer, teacher, or judge without hard work and without having a teacher. So, I want to become a good teacher so that I can help my family and my community.”

It is worth mentioning that girls were banned from attending school in August 2021, following the rise of the Taliban regime, a ban that has consistently faced international backlash.

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