Empower Afghan girls with computer skills

The teenaged girls lined up in orderly fashion, patiently waiting to receive their much-needed school kits.  Many of them came from families too poor to afford even the most basic school supplies and they were grateful as they opened their bags to find notebooks, pens, pencils and tablets.  Many of the girls were grateful to even being able to attend school, since it was not unusual for girls past puberty to remain at home, helping with household chores and waiting for a marriage proposal.

But what these and other girls in nearby schools really wanted was to be in a computer class.  They knew that if given the chance, learning computer skills would change their lives forever.  Upon their graduation, they could seek the computer related jobs that were beginning to appear in their district; jobs that were being filled by young men.  Or, they could find work in Kabul where there were even more opportunities.  Without any marketable skills they would not have much of a life.  These girls wanted to be productive and be able to help their families. Computer skills would give them that and something else; dignity.

Paghman is a district known for its beautiful setting at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountain range, its fruit trees and famous gardens.  It is also an underserved region of the country with few schools and insufficient resources to support a growing population of school-aged children.  Sadly, girls' schools tend to be less supported than schools for boys.

Two years ago, the girls politely asked their teacher if a computer class might be coming to their school in the future. Their teacher did not want to dash their hopes, but she didn't want to raise their expectations either.  She was aware that HTAC had been working hard to bring the first computer education program to several schools in the area, including theirs. "One day" she told them. "People are raising money to bring this program to our school." This past year they asked again.  She knew we were closer in securing funds for a computer class, but she was cautious in her response to her students. 

This spring, HTAC gave this teacher and her students a huge surprise.  When we brought in and began assembling the computer equipment at the school, the village buzzed with excitement. Even many parents who had been reluctant to send their daughters back to school expressed gratitude for they realized the skills their girls would learn could help their families economically.   A generator with sufficient fuel had to be brought in to power the equipment (there is no electricity in these schools), and a search for a qualified female instructor took some time. Finally, everything was ready and HTAC's education team proudly announced the very first computer education for this Paghman school was open for enrollment.  To see the looks on the faces of these deserving girls made all our work worthwhile.