Photo : Lynzy Billing one girl , one boy at a time .”
THEN AND NOW : 20 YEARS OF PROGRESS AT RISK OF UNRAVELING
Afghanistan has made huge strides in educating its youth over the last 20 years . Back in 2001 , when the Taliban ’ s last rule ended , virtually no girls were enrolled in school . In August 2021 , when the Taliban took back control and the United States withdrew from the country , 3.5 million girls were enrolled in school . During that 20-year span , literacy rates among girls doubled from 20 % to 40 %.
Without the international community ’ s continued support for education , these hard-fought gains could be lost , and the next generation of Afghans , especially women , could lose out on education altogether .
“ Education is hugely important to the future of Afghanistan ,” said Alice Thomas , executive director of the Central Asia Institute . “ With 63 % of the population under 25 years of age and 46 % under age 15 , education has the potential to one day save the country from endless cycles of conflict and repression .”
CAI ’ S COMMUNITY-BASED SCHOOLS KEEP EDUCATION ALIVE
Over the past two decades , CAI has worked to make education possible , especially for girls living in impoverished , rural areas where more than half of girls were out of school even before the Taliban regained control . Our focus is on those remote communities with the largest number of out-ofschool children .
Because there is often no government-run school in these areas , CAI ’ s approach is to bring education directly into the heart of these communities by establishing community-based schools . The community-based model means classes are held in the home of a village elder , in a mosque , or in a similarly safe space in the village . Involving the community is imperative . A council comprised of members who are elected by the people of the village recommends teacher candidates and monitors the school . Because the council has agency over how the school is run , the members take ownership in making the program a success . If problems arise with the Taliban , the council does the negotiating .
“ In many ways , CAI ’ s approach of working through local partners and engaging the local community to ensure buy-in has helped us adapt to the new challenges ,” Thomas explained . “ The communities themselves drive the demand for education , and when obstacles arise with the Taliban , they are willing to go to bat for their children .” It takes tremendous courage to stand up to the Taliban , yet ordinary
Afghans are fighting back , demanding education for their children , including their daughters .
Even though some council members may not be able to read and write , they recognize education as their children ’ s only hope of one day moving on from a life of hardship and struggle . They ’ re passionate about defending the program that is educating their children .
This past year , CAI employed the community-based school model to provide education for approximately 5,700 children , primarily girls , in grades one through three in nearly 200 rural communities across five provinces . Next year , CAI hopes to increase that to 250 community schools that will serve approximately 7,500 children , primarily girls .
CAI is also piloting projects to reach adolescent girls whose schools the Taliban has refused to reopen . Again , the approach is to work closely with the community to recruit teachers and find a place to hold private lessons for the girls . Another project involves recruiting older high school girls to become teachers for the younger classes . The programs are in high demand among parents ,
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