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The parents come to me and say these children are the future of this village . ”
“ I think for these older girls , accelerated learning is best , where in one year they can learn two grades ,” said Kamel Farhat , deputy director of Shining Star . In 2022 , CAI supported accelerated learning centers in which more than 1,200 older girls were enrolled .
Ultimately , the hope is that the Taliban will reverse the ban on girls ’ secondary education . In the meantime , CAI is supporting additional programs to ensure these girls don ’ t fall behind in their studies , including at-home learning programs for high school girls and training courses for older female high school students who want to become teachers .
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS WHEN CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL
One key aspect of the communitybased school model is that the entire community is involved in the creation and management of the schools . First , the school must get the approval of the village elders or mullahs — the religious leaders of the community . They also decide where the school will be located , such as in a home or a mosque . Teachers are recruited from among the local populace based on their qualifications and are provided with training . Parents serve as volunteers .
Ibrahim , who is Jaweriya ’ s and Hamidullah ’ s teacher at the school in Spenkai village , has seen how the positive effects of the school ripple throughout the community . “ The parents come to me and say these children are the future of this village ,” he said . “ Older children from the village ask me if I can provide classes for them , and sometimes old men from the village come and sit in the back of the class with notebooks because they want to learn . They are eager because in the past there were no options for them to learn .”
Ibrahim ’ s students must deal with many challenges . They ’ re often sleepy during class because they have to get up so early to walk to school . Some are hungry and unable to focus because their parents are too poor to provide them with a nutritious breakfast . Some struggle with homework because their parents and older siblings don ’ t have an education and can ’ t help them . But despite all this , his students and their families are grateful for their community schools .
“ In many ways , my students are teachers at home to their families ,” said Ibrahim . “ Before , when the people of this village would travel to the city or district center , they were not able to read and understand the signs for the clinic . Now they can because their children have taught them .”
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