Build a Classroom in Afghanistan

Hi everyone,

Thanks for clicking on this page. My name is Tawab and I am an Afghan Canadian. As many of you know, I visit Afghanistan frequently, sometimes to visit family and other times to support and contribute to some sort of development work.  As you know, Afghanistan has been plagued by decades of violence and instability, one of the consequences being extreme poverty and low literacy rate. In fact, Afghanistan has one of the highest poverty rates and lowest literacy rates in the world, with an estimated at 36% of the population living below the poverty line and literacy rate of only 31% of the adult population.  Factors including security problems, lack of schools in remote areas, long walking distance to schools, and low demand for literacy, further increase the literacy disparity between urban and rural areas.



We all know the potential benefits an education can provide, particularly for a young generation exposed to constant reminders of war and chaos.  Study after study has shown that the way out of poverty and toward social stability is through education.

The hopelessness of the situation hit me during my last visit to the district where I was raised, Rodat District. I spent some time talking with children who are the same age as my own. I was shocked and dismayed to find that rather than be in school learning, the kids were just “hanging around.”


I thought about my 10-year old daughter, Zala, who loves everything about school, and my 8-year old Zoya, who eagerly goes to bed every night so she can be well rested for class. I became intensely aware of how privileged my children are to receive an education in a safe environment. However the same cannot be said for the children I became so attached to in the villages of Rodat District.

In talking to some of the parents, I soon realized that the problem is not that the children aren’t interested in going to school or that the parents don’t want to send them; it is much simpler – the community does not have the financial resources to put their kids in a classroom, and they are unable to get financial support from the government or aid organizations.  Like you, I thought the government and international aid organizations were making good progress in making basic education available to Afghan children.  In some parts of Afghanistan they are, but for many rural regions, like Rodat District, this isn’t the case.  Security concerns, political divisions and corruption mean that some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities have seen none of the benefits of the billions of dollars in aid flowing into Afghanistan.

I spoke with community leaders and together we discussed potential solutions to help these children into the classroom. I spoke to people who had been involved in setting up classrooms in other similar villages where boys and girls are now attending school and learning.  The problem seems overwhelming but the best way to make a difference is one village at a time.

The first step is to set up a village classroom with a teacher.   Local leaders are providing space to put the classroom.

To set up a classroom for 80 girls and boys from ages 6 to 17 we require:

·         80 chairs @ $20 = 1,600
·         10 tables @ $90 = 900
·         5 freestanding partitions @ 100 = $500
·         8 computers @ $400 = 2,400
·         Cellular router $500
·         1 printer @ $150 = 150
·         Solar panel batteries 2 @ 600 = $1,200
·         Teachers’ Salaries for one year @ $8,000
·         Writing supplies, paper, note pads, toner $1,000

Total: $16,250

That's just $200 per child!

Once we have the supplies, filling in the classroom will not be a problem.  Here is an example of a similar classroom that was established in a neighbouring village.


I am asking my friends, colleagues and family members to donate what you can toward this goal. I plan on visiting Afghanistan in a few months to set everything up. I will provide pictures, videos and receipts for everything.

For a donation of $200 you can sponsor a child and I will send you photo and profile and updates on the academic progress of the child you have sponsored. 

Once the classroom is set up, I have plans to develop a scholarship and tutoring program to help youth prepare to write the University exam and open a community library, but one step at a time. Our first priority is to get the classroom up and running.

If you have any question about this initiative or if you have any ideas or suggestions, please contact me directly as I’m eager to listen.

Thanks again for lending your support to increasing literacy rates and giving a chance for a better future to the children of Afghanistan!