Learning Centers for Rural Afghan Women

Lack of childcare is often an obstacle to women being able to access education. To help with this issue some of AIL’s Learning Centers have preschools. The preschools allow mothers  to attend classes while their children are taken care of. In May, there were 101 children in preschool classes at AIL centers.

AIL also runs a kindergarten in Kabul and in the month of May there were 179 pupils, 79 female.  There was a graduation ceremony for 25 of the children and one of them had this to say:

“I am Saba and I liked kindergarten, my teacher has done a lot  for me. When my mother enrolled me to this kindergarten, I was crying because I did not want to come to the kindergarten, I thought that it might be a place that beat the children. My mother said that the kindergarten is a nice place where children can play games and learn knowledge. It took several weeks for me to stop crying.

Everyday my teacher said positive things about kindergarten but I could not accept it. But after two months my opinion changed. I used to kindergarten and liked it, I loved my teacher and my kind and nice classmates. I learned so many things such as some Arabic, Alphabets, Poems and so many other things and it was fun.”

So far this year, 8,248 people attended AIL Learning Centers, 5,379 of them female. There are 21 centers across 11 provinces, including one kindergarten. These centers provide life changing education in subjects such as literacy, sewing, math, computing and English and many more topics.

Thank you for your interest in AIL’s work in Afghanistan.

DONATE between April 3-7 Little by Little campaign – Eligible donations up to $50 will be matched at 50% per unique donor per organization. You can donate to CHI and AIL and get match and donate more than $50 but over $50 will not be matched.

Centers put on different classes and trainings as circumstances allow and need arises. Here are a few of the new activities available at some centers from the month of January: first aid class, empowered women training, hairdressing class, seminars on time management, new advanced English classes started, women’s self-sufficiency class, encouraging students to learn more about sciences, classes on drug education, infectious diseases and hygiene and cleaning. In addition, some centers held health evaluations for students, teacher training, culture programs which included hymns, poetry, essay writing and speech presentations.

A few highlights from AIL:

AIL’s free law clinic helped ten clients and the lawyers were involved in the Women’s Empowerment Group meetings, spoke on Radio Meraj and gave  a mini workshop on responsibility, life skills and manners. They also joined a teacher training workshop for 73 women. AIL’s Research Center is working on its latest project about drug addiction and its effects on families and society.  In February, the 23rd issue of AIL’s Voice of Education magazine was published. This contains articles on science, culture, literature, health, core values, media and the arts. The 3^rd Youth Club was launched in February for young people 19-25 years old. It is a one year program covering topics such as leadership, social entrepreneurship, technology, conflict resolution and life skills.  AIL provided food aid and blankets and clothing to hundreds of needy people.

Thank you for your interest in AIL’s work in Afghanistan.