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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Resources > Global Issues > Afghanistan's... > Educating Afghani... > The Omid Schools > Trial and Error

Trial and Error

SPRING 2004

Godah School, Wardak province (student population: 102)

Communitiy Relations 

Sadiqa Basiri has always known that if her education project is to make an impact, it will have to be larger than one school. As a result, she has spent a considerable amount of time responding to inquiries from communities.

On the advice of the Afghan Women’s Network, Ms. Basiri visited the village of Kama near Jalalabad (Nangrahar province) in February, only to learn that a local Afghan NGO had already opened a school. The local chiefs proposed a location some 20 kilometers away, which could serve five villages (Shahda, Choona Gach, Ghazi Sakhi, and Now Abad). Ms. Basiri identified two teachers and a principal, and found a place where tents could be pitched. At this stage, classes were being held wherever there was room and space. 

By spring 2004, 40 girls were able to read and write full sentences. 

Ms. Basiri also visited Paghman district in Kabul province. Here she found herself caught in a feud between two neighboring villages, Gil Sorkh and Badal, which both wanted schools. It would have made sense to put up one school to serve both villages, but the families from Badal were unwilling to send their sons and daughters to Gil Sorkh, and the Gil Sorkh families would not hear of their children going to school in Badal. Both argued for their own schools, but that would have meant building a school for less than 50 students in one village, which would have been impossible to justify. Ms. Basiri faced a dilemma. 

Relations with the government
All of these plans have been discussed with the local government. Far too often, nongovernmental organizations start new initiatives on their own, without working with the local government. This creates resentment and inconsistencies in standards and curricula. Ms. Basiri is determined not to let this happen. She contacted the Department of Education in Jalalabad, which told her that she would be welcome to open the Jalalabad school in September 2004, when the next academic year begins. The school year begins late in provinces like Nagrahar, to avoid the summer heat.

It would have made sense to put up one school to serve both villages, but the families from Badal were unwilling to send their sons and daughters to Gil Sorkh, and the Gil Sorkh families would not hear of their children going to school in Badal

Godah – Buildings
Classes began in Godah in April and will run through to December. Here the academic calendar is built around the fierce winter. Students take a winter break between December and March. They then go to school for six days a week, with the occasional holiday. The school day starts at eight in the morning and ends at midday.

Initially, the classes in Godah took place in a small mosque. As the numbers increased, the community decided to open up another mosque on the other side of the village. Ms. Basiri’s father suggested erecting tents, but at first parents did not feel safe sending their daughters to tents. As the mosques filled up to capacity, they agreed to put up tents.


The lack of adequate school facilities means that some classes must be held in tents. 

Networking and partnerships

Ms. Basiri has been able to draw on the friendships she made during her visit to the United States last year. Her host family in the United States raised $7,000 at a private event on her behalf. It is agreed that this will go to cover the cost of developing her organization, Omid, while The Advocacy Project will cover the costs of her educational program. Much of the material is coming from the US-Afghan Reconstruction Council (US-ARC), an NGO that works in Afghanistan and has become excited in the Omid program. US-ARC has donated 100 chairs, 4 tents and 100 school bags. It has even offered to put up a school building in Wardak, with money it has been promised by the Japanese government.

Ms. Basiri has also received a grant of 650 school uniforms from a personal friend, who works with the NGO Vital Voices in the United States. The girls at Godah were excited by the uniforms. When they were found to be lacking white scarves, US-ARC found an extra $500 for scarves. Ms. Basiri has also contacted Girls Learn International, a US-based organization, and arranged for the girls of Godah to write letters to pen pals outside Afghanistan.

Accessibility

One of the goals of the program is to provide education to children from all social classes and background, as well as children from other villages, if possible. Afghan villages, like all societies, have their pecking order of rich and poor. During 2003, there was only room for 40 girls in the Godah classes. When registration was opened in January 2004, over 100 girls applied. Most of them were born at home, instead of a hospital, which means that their parents do not have a birth certificate. Indeed, many of those applying for school were so small that they appeared to be under the age of 5. Ms. Basiri and her father had no way of knowing whether they were indeed this young, or malnourished. After talking to the families, they decided to register 62 girls.

Teachers

The original plan was to pay two teachers at $35 a month, and this was built into the proposal. But the government salary is $40, and it was important for Omid to be consistent - so the salaries have been increased. Ms. Basiri is concerned that this will alter the budget, and she has asked if AP could raise funds for two more teachers in 2005 to accommodate the additional students.

The Godah classes have now been underway for several months and the results are beginning to show. Last year, not one student was able to read or write. According to Ms. Basiri’s report to The Advocacy Project, 40 girls have moved up to the second grade and are writing full sentences. A total of 102 girls are being taught in four classes. 


Upholding tradition: Even young girls are required to wear the burkha in public. 

At this stage, the entire project is largely dependent on the drive and energy of Ms. Basiri and her father. Since she left AWN, Ms. Basiri has been working out of a small office in one of the AWN member organizations. She has experienced loneliness and uncertainty. But there are many opportunities opening in Afghanistan for people like her, with vision and energy.

Omid

Parallel to establishing her work in schools, Ms. Basiri has been trying to get her organization recognized and registered with the government. Initially it was called the Human Relief Foundation, but as Ms. Basiri began to move in the circles of development assistance and government, she realized that she needs a name which more accurately described the work. She decided on Omid (“hope”). Building Omid will not be easy. The first challenge is to secure legal status as a nongovernmental organization (NGO). Omid will then have to elect a board of directors. Rent will have to be found and paid. Accounts will have to be filed. Receipts will have to kept. Donors will have to be kept informed.

The Advocacy Project

AP’s goal in taking on this project is to help Ms. Basiri develop her model of education and then promote it as widely as possible. AP had no wish to impose restrictions on her, but at the same time she has undertaken to produce regular reports for her donor. She sees this as another opportunity to learn. She realizes that it will require a methodology and has sought advice from AP’s team in Washington.

• The US-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council (US-ARC) is a coalition of American and Afghan professionals committed to rebuilding Afghanistan by empowering its people to rebuild one community at a time.

• Girls Learn International (GLI) is a nonprofit learning initiative involving American girls in the international effort for global girls' education.

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