Send 1,700 Children to Elementary School

Good news! After months of uncertainty it appears that Besh Kapa will be allowed to reopen when school resumes later this week! The Taliban appears to be releasing their control of the area enough that they are no longer preventing students from going to school.

That being said it is likely we will see a greater number of boys returning to school than girls since it is still not fully safe for girls to make the walk to school but we are hopeful as time goes on more parents will let their girls go back to class. As we've learned, while more fathers are willing to let their daughters gain an education as soon as it seems unsafe for students to get to and from school girls are prevented from going to school much sooner than boys are.

It is still to be determined if the Taliban will keep their word but at least we have hope that when students return from their extended winter break classes will be able to resume as usual. We still have a long road ahead of us before the lives of our students in the area around Besh Kappa go back to normal. It is entirely likely and possible that the uncertainty that our students have been living in will continue and become the new normal. At this point where things will go from here is just speculation and we won't really have a good idea of how badly the area has been affected by the Taliban till months or even years from now. 

Now, more than ever it is important that when our students return to school that we show them that we still believe in them and that even though their lives outside of school are tumultuos we will continue to do everything in our power to help them gain an education. With your help we can ensure that any damage the school buildings or furniture may have gained while temporarily abandoned is repaired, classrooms are cleaned and ready to recieve students, teachers and administrators are resupplied with necessary supplies, the school nurse and doctor have access to the medical supplies they need, and we are able to buy the stationary supplies the students need to be able to complete their studies. Together we can bring hope back to an area so badly affected by fighting.