“ There has been continuous fighting for months ,” in Badakhshan , Bruce Pannier reported for Radio Free Europe in September . “ Warduj district has changed hands several times and at the start of September the Afghan government launched another operation to drive the Taliban from the area .”
Those with a bird ’ s-eye view of the fighting here believe the insurgents — some local , but most foreign who enter the country via the Pakistan border in Nuristan and Kunar provinces — are trying to secure a smuggling route to the Afghanistan-Tajik border . For the fighters attacking Afghan security forces in Warduj , considered the most insecure area in the province , another motivation is thought to be political appointments in the province , particularly to security posts .
Whatever the motivation , the fighting is fierce . Jaheed reported a string of events in 2014 affecting CAI-supported schools :
� In January , there was “ hard fighting in Jurm ” district , home to Kharundab and Nawi Jurm schools . The 1,500 girls attending these two schools were on winter vacation . But the fighting did significant damage to Kharundab school . “ The gate is destroyed completely , all the glasses are broken , the walls are also shot by different weapons , an one rocket has been shot to a classroom which has made a hole ,” Jaheed reported . “ The roof is leak by bullets in some places .” He repaired before the new school year started in May .
� In April , Taliban kidnapped a young boy , a student at a CAI-supported school whose father worked for government security , and took him into the mountains .
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Windows shattered and cement crumbled at CAI-sponsored Kharundab Girls ’ High School as Taliban and Afghan National Army forces battled for control of a remote mountain region of Badakhshan province in early 2014in early 2014 . The battle erupted during the annual winter break and no students or teachers were injured .
� Throughout the spring , floods and landslides killed dozens of people in central Badakhshan and left thousands “ displaced , just bare , with nothing to eat , wear , or stay in ,” Jaheed said .
� In May , Yamgan district fell to the Taliban for a short time .
� Also in May , on the day of the national presidential runoff election , “ Taliban tried much to stop people from going to voting sites by firing with different weapons from the mountains and their stations ,” Jaheed said . “ In Jurm district they shot different sites before noon , which caused to stop the people and cancel voting . Among these sites was Kharundab Girls ’ High School , where a policeman who was at the outside corner of the school was killed before noon . The same shootings happened in Nawi Jurm school site . No one was killed , but voting was cancelled .”
At one point , a clearly frustrated Jaheed apologized for the string of distressing reports . “ I am sorry for giving you such sad news recently , but this is the situation of Afghanistan currently . We all pray and hope the fighting will stop .”
And yet , CAI schools continued to function . “ One of CAI ’ s great attributes is that we have worked years and years to forge vital local relationships ,” Mortenson said . “ In fact , the only reason we can continue to even operate in regions like this is due to the trust of local people .”
Some of those relationships were put to the test this year . Locals reported that Taliban killed Ghulam Faruq , headmaster of CAI ’ s Saw Girls ’ Middle School in Kunar province in May ; Ghulam Nabi , and Ghulam Nabi , the chokidar ( guard ) at Genno School in Deh Rawood , Urozgan , September ; and Abdul Basi , the grandson of an Urozgan community leader and education champion in January . [ see sidebar page 9 ]
“ The situation gets worse day to day all over the country ,” Karimi said this fall .
GIRLS ’ EDUCATION MATTERS One bright spot in Badakhshan was the Ishkashim Girls ’ Higher Secondary School , located in a town on the Tajikistan border . The number of students has increased since the school opened in 2009 , “ mostly because of security reasons ,” Headmaster Atak Baik said , and now boasts 1,005 students , 25 classrooms , and 39 teachers , all women .
“ Fifteen years ago nobody wanted to let their girls go to school ,” Baik said in June . “ When I first came to this school 15 years ago there were only four girls in class 10 . There were no good teachers , no equipment , no chalk or supplies . Also , they were scared to let them come . And poverty : they weren ’ t able to buy clothes or supplies for their children .
“ Then after the Bonn Conference [ in 2001 ], the security came to Afghanistan and people were not so scared to let their kids go
FA L L 2 0 1 4 Journey of Hope | 25