Fast Track Education for Afghan Women and Girls

All of us at Creating Hope International (CHI) and the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) would like to thank our donors for their support of our “Fast-Tracking” program. Since January, we have educated almost 15,000 women and girls in a variety of subjects, including literacy, tailoring, and computers. The “Fast-Tracking” program allows women to receive education at a different speed than traditional  school classes, which are more geared toward educating students at a steady pace. The program allows for a flexible schedule, where students can get educated in a subject in a matter of months or at their own pace if their schedule does not permit them to go to class every day.

From January to July this year, AIL has taught literacy courses to over 3,700 students, 2,300 of which were women and girls. Many of our 200+ literacy classes are part of the fast-tracking program, and are a big reason why we are able to reach so many. AIL has also started offering classes in ‘mobile literacy’, that is, teaching literacy through texting with cell phones. This method has proved to be very fast and efficient in literacy education. A student can enter a mobile literacy course illiterate and leave reading and writing at a 3^rd grade level in as little as 5 months.

One girl who attended one of our centers, Nafas, took a fast-tracking course in literacy:

I am a 19 year old girl and I have two children. I hoped one day to go to school and become literate, but because there was no school and the unsafe situation in our area I couldn’t go to school and learn. I told myself that if I could go to school, I would get a job and reach my goals.

It was painful for me when my brother was able to read and write, but I couldn’t. One day I saw some women with their children who were going somewhere, I asked, "Excuse me, where are you going?” She answered, “A learning center has been opened for illiterate women and their children recently. I want to go to register myself and my children." When I heard it, I was so happy and I said to her, “Please wait a minute I should go with you and start literacy class, too.” I soon took my veil and joined them to go to the learning center. When we arrived, I was excited because I saw a lot of women there who had been learning. Right now I can write, read and I can say proudly that I am literate, and I am reaching my wishes and goals. 

Nafas’ story is one of many similar stories. Women with children want to get educated, but cannot do it the conventional way. AIL is reaching thousands of women and children from all backgrounds. The Fast-Tracking program is just one of many programs helping to bring education, health, and equality to Afghanistan. Again, we want to thank our donors for helping so many people, all of us greatly appreciate it!