Community School Committees Build School Sustainability in Afghanistan
Critical to Afghanistan's long-term development is the ability to maintain quality schools and the continued delivery of quality education to Afghan girls and boys. Unfortunately, too many schools that were established after the initial overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001, lay abandoned or in disrepair, due in part to the lack of on-going funding, but also because those organizations (who established the schools), did not invest properly in building local community support.
HTAC takes pride in the support it receives from local communities where we maintain our model schools, but this support must be earned. Since 2004, HTAC has invested in the development of Community School Committees that allow members of the community to take an active role in managing school-community affairs.
This community-based approach is essential in order for communities to take ownership of their schools and the educational welfare of their children and this partnership has strengthened the HTAC-local community relationship. Committees have been instrument at deal with potential threats of security and theft on school grounds, making repairs to bridges and school access roads as well as school property such as classroom chairs and desks, while providing potable water to schools where deep wells are not always available.
Our committees are typically comprised of local elders, recognized community leaders, other influential citizens, parents of children, as well as teachers and school administrators. HTAC's role has been to 1) help mobilize local committees in neighborhoods where we have model schools; 2) train selected leaders to be Committee facilitators who are responsible for managing meetings; 3) train committees in setting goals and decision-making; and 4) periodically interfacing with committees as they discuss issues, make decisions, and take actions.
Because of the active role our committees play, members of local communities stay connected to their schools and take a personal interest in the education their children receive. By educating and empowering local communities, HTAC is helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of our model schools for many years to come.
With the 2009 Afghan school year well underway, Help the Afghan Children (HTAC) is providing over 18,000 deserving girls and boys with a safe, nurturing learning environment and quality educaiton through its model schools.
One school in particular, Rokhshana Girls School (enrollment 4,169), in the capital city of Kabul, is providing many of its students with diverse and enriching learning experiences that are changing their lives for the better.
HTAC's highly-regarded computer education program is not only training 783 of Rokhshana's high school students fundamental technical skills in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, and Power Point, but valuable experience learning how to navigate and work on projects using the internet. This past year, over 75% of graduating seniors were able to obtain highly valued computer-related jobs in Kabul's rapidly emerging information technology marketplace, and for many of these girls, it provided an opportunity to help move their families out of poverty (and in some cases), prevented others from early forced marriage and child-bearing.
Another 200 Rokhshana students are reaping the benefits of HTAC's "Read Afghanistan" literacy program. In a country where (sadly), about 80% of school-aged girls remain illiterate, this innovative program, using bi-lingual illustrated original storybooks, has raised literacy levels among primary and middle school students to over 85% since their introduction in 2003.
All girls at Rokhshana are benefiting from a diverse educational curriculum and supeior instruction, provided by HTAC-trained teachers.
Afghanistan's future has always rested in the hands of each new generation of its most vulnerable citizens; its children. Yet, for almost 30 years, Afghan girls and boys have too often been the forgotten innocent victims of a never-ending cycle of violence, conflict, and terror.
The emotional trauma for children cannot be overestimated. Many Afghan children who were (and still are) exposed to violence in some way, have difficulty coping and are thus reluctant to seek the comfort from a trusting adult, including their own parents. This in turn affects their attitudes and abilities to develop positive behaviors and critical learning tools they will need if they are to become productive adults.
Help the Afghan Children (HTAC's) peace education curriculum is helping many of these children deal with the emotions and consequences of anger, fear, fighting, and sadness, while helping them embrace values such as patient, apologizing, bravery, sympathy, mediation, and mutual respect.
A new aspect of HTAC's curriculum has been the introduction of our "Journey of Peace" storybooks. Each of these 16 original, illustrated books are written in Dari, Pashto, and English. The books communicate the message of peace on a very personal level. They provide children with current, real-life examples of the challenges they often see for themselves; especially the underlying emotional trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence, while offering realistic actions children can take to help promote the healing process.
Introduced to over 1,500 students this school year, our storybooks are already beginning to help Afghan children, especially boys, better cope with their emotions, engage in positive behaviors with other students, and with the help of teachers (who also provide guidance to the parents of these children), facilitating a more trusting and nurturing home environment.
In a male-dominated society like Afghanistan, helping young boys incorporate the lessons of peace in their daily lives will go a long way in eventually moving Afghanistan away from war and violence as a country.
