Education

UNICEF provides primary school education for 18,000 children in Nimroz

By Omar

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has established some 500 classes in underserved and remote villages and districts of Nimroz province to offer children the chance to learn. The classes, offered for grades 1-6, started on September 1 for as many as 18,000 boys and girls, according to Mohammad Humayon, a UNICEF official for Nimroz province. [Courtesy of Abdullah Azizi]

NIMROZ -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has established some 500 classes in underserved and remote villages and districts of Nimroz province to offer children the chance to learn.

Under the programme, UNICEF is sending teachers to villages and renting local homes to be used as classrooms.

The classes, offered for grades 1 to 6, started on September 1 for as many as 18,000 boys and girls, according to Mohammad Humayon, a UNICEF official for Nimroz province.

"These children were deprived of education by a lack of schools. Building schools was impacted by insecurity and conflict in the past," he said.

First-grade students are seen in a class September 1 in Chakhansur district, Nimroz province. [Courtesy of Abdullah Azizi]

First-grade students are seen in a class September 1 in Chakhansur district, Nimroz province. [Courtesy of Abdullah Azizi]

"Conflict and the tendency to oppose the construction of schools are two reasons why many young people have remained uneducated in Nimroz," Humayon said.

UNICEF has hired 500 female teachers to teach children in Nimroz’s various villages, he said.

The programme is set to run for about eight years, and is likely to be extended, he added.

UNICEF's classes are offering thousands of children educational opportunities they would not have received otherwise, according to Yar Mohammad Haqyar, the provincial director of education.

"The government does not have any resources to construct school buildings in the villages. The classes established by UNICEF have enabled local children in Nimroz's far remote areas not to be deprived of education," he said.

"Over the past several years, schools have not been built in villages and remote areas because of security challenges."

"The young generation has become uneducated from this problem. In Nimroz's many districts, schools were open only in the district centres," he added.

The international community's support and implementation by UNICEF have made it possible for Afghanistan's new generation to study and build their country, he noted.

Fulfilling children's aspirations

Many of the children, some of whom are as old as 15, are attending school for the first time.

Safora, 11, a resident of Chakhansur district, is one of them.

She started her first day in school by learning the Dari alphabet, but she envisions bigger ambitions, including becoming a doctor.

"We waited for schools to open in our village so that we could be educated. Now that the school has opened, I would like to join my friends and attend our classes to seek education," she said.

"My parents, sisters, and brothers are all uneducated. They are grownups and cannot go to school anymore. However, I can study, and when I become a doctor, I will help them," said Safora.

Thirteen-year-old Ahmad Bilal, another resident of Chakhansur district, said that while he wanted to go to school in previous years, he was unable to because of the conflict and the distance between his home and the school.

"My dreams have come to pass after such a long wait. I want to go to university when I finish school and become an engineer," he said.

"We waited for a school to open in our village so that we become educated and serve our country," he added.

Children who had no hope of becoming educated now have access to education in Nimroz's villages, said Mariam Achakzai, 23, a teacher hired by UNICEF.

"Schools were operating only in the centres of Nimroz districts, and children from remote villages could not pursue their dreams of studying because of the long distances."

"Unfortunately, many children, especially young girls, were prevented from going to school in the past," she added.

Providing education to thousands of girls and boys means building a bright future for Afghanistan, she said.

A brighter future

Residents of Nimroz province have welcomed the schools with open arms.

Amanullah, 70, a resident of Chakhansur district, said he was pleased that his four grandchildren are now able to go to school.

"Our children could not go to school because of the long distances. Now that a school has opened in our village, we are very grateful," he said.

"When there was no school in our village, the future of our children was dark, but now our children have the opportunity to become educated," he added.

Amanullah called on the international community to consider supporting literacy programmes for the elderly and adults in the villages.

Khodadat, another Chakhansur district resident who goes by one name, said his two sons and daughter are happy having been enrolled in school.

"When I first heard that a school would open in our village, I could not sleep at night because of my happiness. I am very hopeful that my children will get the opportunity to study, and I see a bright future for them," he said.

"We live in a remote village, which is far from the district centre. If UNICEF had not opened a school in our village, our children never would have been able to study," he added.

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Children of the village should study in order to have a bright future. Whether children live in the village or in the city, they have the right to study because every child has the right to getting education and has the right to having a good future. Fortunately, UNICEF has provided elementary school lessons for 18,000 children in Nimroz province. This way the hopes of 18,000 boys and girls are met.

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Recently, the minister of education for the Taliban government has stated that Afghans do not want to send their children to schools in the current situation. In contrast, such reports are a tight slap on the face of wild Taliban and enemies of education. This report once again indicates how much Afghans are interested in getting education and want their children to go to school to serve their country and people in the future. The Taliban are trying to turn the issue of banning schools for people (girls) into a cultural and religious issue; however, it is not true. Education is not prohibited in Islam, and Afghans also want to send their daughters to school. Before the occupation of Afghanistan by the ignorant Taliban, millions of girls were going to school by their wish, and no one had forced them to go to school. This proves that the people and Afghan society are not against girls' education, but the Taliban want to keep the people in the darkness and ignorance.

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Thanks to UNICEF for this initiative. On the contrary, the ignorant government of the Taliban demonstrates its enmity toward knowledge and education by passing each day. It has been said that the Taliban closed the gates of the girls' schools in Gardiz, the capital of Paktia province in southern Afghanistan, soon after the girls' schools were opened for a few days under the pressure of local people and community leaders. A delegation of Taliban mullahs who had closed the gates of girls' schools as per the directives of Pakistan went to Gardiz and closed the gates of these schools. The international community should put more pressure on this hellish group and support Afghan girls. By closing girls' schools, Pakistan wants to weaken the Taliban's relations with the world and prevent Afghan generations from getting education. The international community should put more pressure on Pakistan than the Taliban because the Taliban are only mercenaries and slaves of Pakistan and are following their orders. Curse on Pakistan

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