WHAT WORKS
IN GIRLS ’ EDUCATION
BY GREG MORTENSON CAI CO-FOUNDER
The teacher at a CAI-supported literacy class in Kabul , Afghanistan , leads her female students of all ages in a reading lesson . Classes take place in the teacher ’ s home .
The year 2014 was one of triumph and tragedy for girls ’ education .
One night this past April , 276 high school girls in Chibook , Nigeria , were kidnapped by the terrorist Boko Haram and are still missing . On May 6 , Baba Ghulam Faroq , headmaster at CAI Saw village school , in Naray district , Kunar province , Afghanistan , and a strong advocate for girls ’ education was blown up by a remotely detonated mine as he walked to school . He was murdered by Pakistan Taliban ( TTP ), who did not want girls in school . However , his death did not stop the Saw girls from going to school , and the community is more resolved than ever to support girls ’ education . On Oct . 1 , a dedicated “ lady ” teacher , nicknamed “ Madam Honey ,” was killed when militants lobbed a grenade into her classroom in Pakistan ’ s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ( KP ) Province . The militants staged the attack to punish her for allowing third- and fourth-grade schoolgirls to attend classes without wearing a dupatta ( headscarf ).
These are only the tip of the iceberg with regard to all the tragedies and terror inflicted on girls who seek to improve their life through education .
The tragedies are many , and the heartache of losing these girls and dedicated educators will never go away . But the year 2014 also brought an incredible triumph for girls education : Malala Yousafzai , a 17-year-old girl from Swat Valley , Pakistan , who was nearly killed by the Taliban at point-blank range in October 2012 , received the Nobel Peace Prize . All of us at CAI and all those we serve are excited and happy that Malala has received the Nobel Peace Prize . Congratulations Malala , you rock ! And we are grateful that the global community has finally acknowledged you as an enduring symbol that girls ’ education should be our top global priority , and the way to lasting peace and prosperity .
This year , I begin the third decade of dedicating my life to promote literacy and girls ’ education in rural communities of Pakistan , Afghanistan and Tajikistan . After spending
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