Give 300 poor Afghan kids the chance to study!

Hello.

My name is Sharon and I'm fundraising for the TESL School in Bamyan in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan!

I'm an Australian who was working for an NGO in Afghanistan until just before the Taliban takeover in August 2021. I spent a month in Bamyan before I escaped the country, with my Afghan partner, Elias. He helped found the TESL school in 2020, along with three friends: Hussain, Qambar and Jalil. All four grew up in the same orphanage in Bamyan, and their dream was to provide educational opportunities to children from very poor families.. They wanted to give something back to the community that had supported them right through their schooling and university studies. So, a house that Hussain owned was converted and equipped to serve as the school, and now has three classrooms, an office and toilet facilities. I spent time with both Hussain and Jalil whilst in Bamyan. They are both passionate about education and serving their communities.

The TESL school has been giving hope and great educational opportunities to many disadvantaged students since 2020. The school was forced to close for some months after the Taliban takeover, but in February 2022, we found some funding to re-open the school, which has sadly now run out. There are currently over 300 students attending the school, ranging from ages 10 to 19. More than half of the students are girls. Before the Taliban takeover, the school had been self-funding by charging a small amount of fees to families who were able to contribute. Since then, the collapse of the Afghan economy and widespread unemployment has seen this source of support evaporate. The school needs just over Aus$1,000 a month to operate. We are trying to raise the Aus$4,600 needed to keep the school running until the end of this academic year. We would also love to keep the school running next year!

There has been a lot of world attention on the Taliban not allowing girls over 12 years old to attend school, but in fact, many (perhaps even most) Afghan children, both boys AND girls, are not attending school. Many government schools are closed due to lack of funding, and those that are open have few teachers. The Taliban are also making significant changes to the curriculum of both schools and universities, moving them towards being religious educational institutions. Whilst not providing funding to conventional schools, they are pouring funds into creating new "madrassas," the religious training centres that have been the source of their fighters and suicide bombers for many years. For now, privately-operated schools are escaping the worst of the Taliban restrictions, making the TESL school such a precious opportunity for its students.

Hussain manages the school and is one of the English teachers there. The school originally just offered English language classes, but now employs teachers in Maths, Chemistry and Physics, who are helping older students study for their university entrance exams, and two English teachers who teach children from 10 years and up. Three of the teachers are women, and the modest income the teachers receive (9,000Afs/Aus$147 a month) is crucial in supporting their families in Afghanistan’s disastrous economic situation. A guard is also employed at the school for 6,000Afs/Aus$100 a month. A further small amount is needed to equip students with notebooks and pencils, which their families are too poor to provide. All places at the school are free, and priority is given to students from the most disadvantaged families.

Hussain and the staff have been doing an amazingly courageous job of keeping the school going despite being regularly hassled by the Taliban. Each and every dollar goes a long way at the school, with Aus$1,015 a month providing classes to over 300 students... that’s just over Aus$3 a month per student! But that contribution will completely transform the lives of these young people, giving hope, where there is precious little.

All funds raised will be sent directly to Hussain Naveed, the school manager, via money transfer, and will be used solely for paying staff salaries and buying school materials, such as notebooks and pencils. Elias and I provide oversight of the school activities, including receiving regular financial and progress reports, and we are in very regular contact with Hussain.

Thank you so much for your interest in supporting education in rural Afghanistan.

Best wishes to you all!

Sharon