Reduce Poverty; Educate Street-working Children

Dear AAFE Friends and Family,In the past three months, students in our From the Streets to Classrooms program reached an important milestone: they completed their final exams and successfully advanced to the next level. With your support, children who once spent their days working on the streets are continuing their learning in a safe, structured environment, building confidence, a sense of routine, and hope for a different future.In Afghanistan, the school year typically runs from March 21 to December 21. However, our partner school in Kabul offers an additional 10th month of learning, and we chose to continue for one key reason: we did not want children to return to street work during the gap. Extending the program helped protect their progress and keep them actively learning, supported, and connected to school.

Educational progress and achievements: Kabul (3rd Grade): Twenty students attending a private school in Kabul are now in third grade and have made steady academic progress this quarter.  In addition to core subjects, students participated in computer lessons. They were introduced to foundational digital literacy concepts—such as rows, columns, and cells and paint—which will support their education as they move forward. The students are especially excited by these classes because they are so different from anything they had imagined. Students shared their enthusiasm in their own words:

• Aysha: “I want to learn computer so I can teach my other friends.”
• Amron: “I want to learn more about how to do art on a computer.”
• Mosawer: “I feel happy when I go to computer class. I want to learn computer to teach my friends. I like to learn painting because I like drawing and art.”

 Herat (2nd Grade): There are 24 students in a private school in Heart province.  These students were mostly working in dried fruit factories, weaving carpets, and selling small items on the streets before we enrolled them in a private school. This quarter, they further enjoyed the robotics class.  Working with simple materials and basic components, they enjoyed designing and building small robots—early steps that reflect big imagination and ambition. Even at this beginner level, many are already thinking about what they want to create in the future. One student, who dreams of becoming a pilot, designed a project featuring an airplane with a pilot, inspired by his vision of flying one day.

Family Support: Alongside learning activities, we continued to support students’ families with essential assistance when funding allowed. We distributed food packages to families at both schools, including rice, beans, and cooking oil. To help students stay warm and attend classes during the cold season, we also provided winter clothing for every student—boots, jackets, and socks.

We sincerely appreciate your support and standing with these children and their families. Your support makes it possible for students to keep learning, advance grade by grade, and move farther away from street labor and toward a more secure future. Our dream is bigger than what we have achieved so far. In the coming year, we envision expanding From the Streets to Classrooms to serve hundreds more children who are still working on the streets and have never had a real chance at education. If this mission moves you, please consider becoming an advocate—share this project, talk about it, and invite others to join you. Awareness opens doors, and together we can bring many more children into learning, safety, and hope.

For those who ask what it takes: the basic tuition for each student is $50 per month, and the total cost to support one child for a full year is $896, including transportation, books, stationery, uniforms, after-school tutoring, healthy snacks, and monthly food support for the family.

Links:

• AAFE Website
• Students video