Education

Just two years ago, 10-year-old Nadia’s school in Badghis province, western Afghanistan had no water.  With 1,500 children enrolled at the school, the strain on the limited sanitation facilities, with no water, was enough to keep children away and missing critical learning hours. Nadia and her friends had a difficult time going hours without water…

DAIKUNDI, AFGHANISTAN – “I am happy that I can help my father to read phone numbers.” 9-year-old Khadija lives in Afghanistan’s remote central highlands with her parents and three siblings. Until recently, she was one of millions of children not in school, as around half of children in Afghanistan do not attend primary school.   But Khadija’s…, Havens of learning and safety, Khadija had not been able to attend school for years. Her village lacked schools and classrooms, and Khadija had never been able to read or write even simple text. For many children like her, schools are more than places of learning. They offer safety, a chance to meet and play with other children. They help deter child labour and shelter children…, A friendly and fun new classroom, To Khadija’s delight, UNICEF established a new community-based classroom in her village in Daikundi. UNICEF helped select and train the teacher and continues to pay her salary, and provided materials like textbooks, backpacks, exercise books and pens for the students. In 2023, UNICEF supported over 21,000 community-based education classes across…, Parents supporting education in the community, Community-based classes like this one provide children in rural, hard-to-reach, or economically disadvantaged areas a pathway to quality education – at no cost. And when UNICEF establishes one of these classes, the entire community is mobilized. UNICEF and partners raise awareness about the importance of education, encouraging parents to send…

Sadaf, Sadaf is one of 4,000 girls enrolled in her girls’ school in western Afghanistan. She loves to learn, but struggled to stay in school when her time of the month approached. Her school did not have clean toilets, running water, or even soap where she could wash her hands. “I am 11 years old now. I know there will be many changes in my body as I…, Fariza, Less than half of children under 12 are attending primary school, and 60 per cent of those not in school are girls. But 13-year-old Fariza is not one of them. "I love school. It brightens my future, builds up my education, and I learn about life," says Fariza.  In 2023, UNICEF supported 5.7 million children in public schools – 40 per cent of them…, Rahima, Infrastructure and safe schools are just a piece of the puzzle to build a quality education. In Afghanistan, the quality of learning is among the lowest in the world. Just over 13 per cent of children in Grades 2 and 3 have basic reading skills, and only 18 per cent have basic numeracy skills. But Rahima, a teacher in Afghanistan's central…, Amina, Education offers a ladder out of poverty and a pathway to a better future. But education also takes many forms, and 15-year-old Amina ( name changed ) learns in a classroom of a different kind. For some girls, vocational education offers opportunities towards self-employment and a reliable income. Amina joined a tailoring class in 2023, after she…

At 10 years old, Zainab had never been to school and could not read or write her own name. She watched as girls and boys her age walked past her shoeshine box on their way to and from school. Zainab worked on the streets in Balkh, northern Afghanistan, for two years. She polished shoes near the town mosque from around 9 in the morning to 4 in the…

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - The European Union (EU) is allocating EUR 25 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to improve learning environments for 200,000 girls and boys in primary public schools across Afghanistan. Many schools do not have enough qualified teachers, water and sanitation facilities, teaching and learning materials, or…

"I told my mother: 'Please, do not use this money to buy food for us, just keep the money for our education.' " 15-year-old Nahila is the eldest of six girls. Her mother, Saeed Khanum, was already married by the time she was Nahila’s age, but wants a better life for her daughters than she had for herself. "My husband works a few days a week doing…, One girl in Nuristan and one million others, “I want my daughters to have careers,” says Saeed Khanum wistfully. “Maybe one could be a doctor, and the other an engineer.” But without an education, for 15-year-old Nahila and 1 million other girls in Afghanistan barred from secondary school, there is little hope for this dream to come true. Just 40 per cent of children in Nuristan attend…, Daring to dream, For Sayeed Khanum, who just received her third round of cash assistance, the choice is clear. “I used the previous two rounds of cash assistance to buy books and notebooks for my youngest daughters in primary school, and to enroll my older daughters in private courses.  I will use this cash to continue paying for these private courses.” Saeed…, Communities coming together, Cash assistance is unconditional, meaning families can use the cash in the ways they feel are best. So, why would Saeed Khanum and other parents choose to use this cash for education? UNICEF interviewed 440 parents in Nuristan, plus 84 girls and 300 teachers, to understand how these communities perceive the importance of girls’ education. Focus…, Nothing but education, In their tiny, one-room house, warmed by a wood burning stove in the centre of the room, Nahila and her sisters bend over their schoolbooks. In the dim light, they whisper lines to themselves from their lessons, tracing the text on the page with a finger. The youngest, 5-year-old Fariha, not yet old enough for school, scribbles some doodles in a…

UNICEF programmes in Afghanistan, On 23rd October 2022, nurse Nasiba listens to the heart of 6 month old Zabiullah, who weighs just 4kg, in the malnutrition ward at the UNICEF-supported provincial hospital in Nili, Daikundi Province, central Afghanistan. On 2 February 2022 in Afghanistan, a girl learns to read in front of a blackboard at a community-based education (CBE) center in…, UNICEF launches 2024 humanitarian appeal, UNICEF in Afghanistan aims to meet the humanitarian and basic needs of 19.4 million people in Afghanistan. READ MORE

Dari version:  Japan Press Release_Dari Here Pashto version:  Japan Press Release_Pashto Here KABUL, 5 September 2023 – The Government of Japan has partnered with UNICEF to construct and rehabilitate 165 primary schools across Afghanistan providing an estimated 33,000 children with a safe space to learn. The US$ 25 million project will include…

Highlights The number of people in need increased from 28.3. million in January to 29.2 million people in May, mainly due to an increase in the number of people requiring specialized protection services. During the first half of the year, UNICEF reached over 20 million people (50%) children, with essential health and nutrition services. From…

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, 7 July 2023 – The Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has provided US$ 10 million to support continuity of children’s learning amidst a learning crisis in Afghanistan. With this contribution, 71,500 children are expected to continue their education. 60 per cent of girls and 46 per…

PAKTIKA & KHOST PROVINCES – You might remember Naghma , Gulaba and Kefayat . They are just three faces of hundreds who lost family members, homes, and possessions in Afghanistan’s devastating earthquake last year. But a lot can change in a year. Hours spent fetching water gave way to time with family. Feelings of isolation were abandoned for…, Naghma, With a bright smile and even brighter blue eyes, surrounded by toys and friends, Naghma radiates with delight. The room around her is alive with giggles and games. Seven-year-old Naghma lost her father in the earthquake last year. Since then, she has found comfort in this child-friendly space, one of 24 which UNICEF established in Paktika and…, Gulaba, “Before this classroom was here, I knew nothing.” Last year, Gulaba and her family lost everything: their home, their livestock, and even Gulaba’s 10-year-old sister, Mah Gul. Gulaba was despondent, with nothing to occupy her mind as she grieved. But this year, Gulaba stands resolute at the front of her new classroom. In Gayan and four other…, Kefayat, 9-year-old Kefayat used to spend his days in the mountains, sometimes wandering aimlessly, sometimes herding goats and picking up sticks for firewood. Nestled between hills, hours away from paved roads, Mir Sapar village is one of the most remote in Khost Province. Last year, after the earthquake shook those hills, UNICEF established new community…

"I began to feel a deep voice in my heart. It wants to scream out – so loud – and I feel like something inside of me needs to escape." Children around Afghanistan grabbed their backpacks, uniforms and pencils, rejoicing as schools reopened in March after the long winter break. But for 1 million girls, the year only promises crushed hopes and…, Arezo, "It has been more than 540 days since I have been in a classroom. I’ve been counting. If schools do not open, I will have to keep counting and this depression will keep going." Arezo would have been in grade 11 this year - her penultimate year of secondary school. But now her heart is heavy with the rubble of her crushed dreams. She wanted to…, Mursal, "After the schools closed, I continued learning at home. I started learning guitar by watching videos online." "The initial weeks were gruesome and very tiresome. I did not have any hope at first. But then I told myself, 'Mursal, you cannot just stay still.' So I started studying from some of the books I have at home. I wanted to keep myself busy…, Rabia, "For every year of my studies, I have been first in my class."  At 16, Rabia should be attending high school and looking towards university. She would be in grade 11 this year, but her opportunities are now murky as the classroom remains off limits for her. But Rabia is determined to keep learning, in any way can. "I have been trying to study on…