Supporting Girls' Education in Afghanistan

The Foundation provides 110 scholarships for girls in the marginalized Hazara communities in Afghanistan in the academic year 2022. Following the final exams, we received updates that 108 of them passed their final exams. Two girls will have a chance to retake their exam.

这是耶鲁大学管理学院e of student stories that we have received. For safety reasons, we have changed their names.

Mina:

米娜是7年级。她的父亲,谁没有chance to go to school, works as a driver. His main priority is his two daughters Mina and her sister’s education. Mina’s brothers go to public school as her father can’t afford to send them to a private school. Mina passed grade 7 and did very well in the final exam. Her favorite subject is math and biology. She wants to become a doctor. During the winter school holidays, she is taking classes to improve her English. She is grateful to Bamyan Foundation for supporting her education.

Sana:

Sana was in grade 6 in the academic year 2022. She did well in the final exam, but she wants to become the first position holder in her class next year. Her dream is to become a doctor to help people, particularly the poor, given her families’ history of pain and loss… She is also focused on learning English. Sana lives with her patents, two brothers and three sisters. Her father is a day laborer and her family is going through a difficult time. She is grateful to Bamyan Foundation for supporting her and her friends’ education at her school.

Girls education remain uncertain in Afghanistan as the academic year is set to begin in late March or early April this year. According to some Afghan observers, it appears that there is major rift between two major factions of Taliban – one faction supports reopening of schools for girls, perhaps with changed curriculum while the other faction is in favor of school closure for girls. It remains to be seen which faction prevails.

We hope that schools for girls reopen in April; however, if they remain closed then we are planning to continue supporting our students in the same manner as in the academic year 2022. Our schools have designed programs in accordance with the rules set by Afghanistan current rulers so that they continue their education.

Please know that we rely on your support to continue this community-led education program. With your support, we will continue to provide scholarships for girls in the underserved Hazara communities in Afghanistan in the academic year 2023.

With gratitude,

Timor + the Bamyan Foundation Team

Links:

• Bamyan Foundation's Girls Scholarship Program
• Taliban's ban on women's education risks a lost generation

This academic year, we initially intended to provide 310 scholarships for girls; however, due to the volatile situation, direct threats and safety of students and teachers, we had to suspend one of the programs with a partner school that included scholarships for 200 girls. Our fear and concerns were materialized by the devastating attack on Kaaj Education Center on September 30^ththat killed 57, mostly girls, and injured 115. The rest of the program continues with our other partner schools. The updated number of scholarships in the 2022 academic year is 110 scholarships for girls.

Our partner schools have designed special programs for girls grades 6-12, with the approval of Afghanistan’s current rulers, to allow them to continue their education. The programs in different schools includes segregated classrooms and female teachers for girls. The programs further incorporate online classes and provide course content via flash drives and telegram channels. The girl students resume their education informally but they will take the mid-term and final exams. The schools will keep track of their progress and will place them in proper grades based on their performance in the exams.

In relevant update, the Afghan News outlet Hashtesobh reported in October that seven Hazara women were expelled from Kabul University. Our team reached out to our community in Kabul and we found out that about 100 Hazara women were short-listed for expulsion from Kabul University by the Taliban. We have connected with 52 of them, and the remaining 48 have returned to their home provinces from Kabul following removal from the university. These Hazara students were planning to participate in a protest to show solidarity with victims of the attack on Kaaj Education Center, and that had infuriated the university leadership and the Taliban.

These are difficult times for Hazaras in Taliban-controlled Afghaistan. Your support provides a lifeline for community-led responses, which allows our team to get the critical resources to help our schools, at-risk women and vulnerable families in the marginalized and persecuted Hazara communities in Afghanistan. Thank you for your generosity.

With Grattitude,

Timor Karimy + The Bamyan Foundation Team

Links:

• Attack on Kaaj Education Center
• Hazara women expelled from Kabul University

Dear Friends,

Between 2016 and 2021 academic years, the Foundation provided 675 scholarships to at-risk Hazara youths in the underserved Hazara communities in Afghanistan. 356 of the scholarships were awarded for girls at our partner schools.

Schools remain closed for girls above grade 6 despite the pressure by Afghan people and the international community. Afghanistan's current rulers have vowed to introduce new measures based on Sharia prior to opening of schools for girls.

Girls' education is an important aspect of the Foundation’s education initiative. We are in the process of providing approximately314 scholarships for girlsfor the academic years 2022-2023 to ensure that they have access to education. Our partner schools have designed special programs for girls grades 7-12 in compliance with the current rules, where they informally continue their education. The programs vary in each school and comprise a combination of segregated classrooms, different shifts from boys, and incorporating a combination of remote learning and course content and lectures via USB and online sessions. Fortunately, our schools have the resources to assign female teachers for girl students. Our teachers and educators are relying on their experience during Taliban’s previous rule to educate girls informally via special programs in accordance with the new guidelines. The girls would take the final exam at the end of the academic year to pass to successive grades on pass/fail basis. The schools will accept the girls exam credentials and assign them to proper grades once girls' schools reopen.

Most Hazara community leaders are aware of the value of girls' education. Literacy rates were staggeringly low among Hazaras in 2001; however, due to tireless efforts by community leaders at the grassroots level, tens of thousands of girls were educated that resulted to a major transformation in society within a generation between 2002-2021. As a result, on average, there is higher literacy rate, support for women rights and moderate norms among Hazaras in Afghanistan. These hard-earned gains are in serious risk if the world turns a blind eye to the plight of people of Afghanistan, paricularly during these difficult times. As such, it is important to continue supporting educational efforts at the grassroots level.

Despite the immense challenges ahead, we are thankful for your support in helping us provide these life-changing scholarships for girls in the most underserved communities in Afghanistan. The scholarships not only ensures that girls have access to quality education but also supports the schools to stay operational.

With gratitude,

Timor + Bamyan Foundation Team