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Orange County, CA—Afghanistan is a country located in South-Central Asia – part of the Middle East. Afghanistan lies along historically significant trade routes between Asia and Europe and is known globally for its rich history and desert landscape. Now, early childhood education in Afghanistan faces the lasting effects of decades of foreign military action.
Background
Afghanistan has faced sustained armed conflict since the 1970s. In their profile on Afghanistan, Encyclopædia Britannica explains how this Middle Eastern country “became a pawn” in political conflicts and disagreements over market domination. What began with Soviet occupation 40 years ago resulted in warfare, the rise of multiple warlords, and various changes in the regime.
Britannica explains that one notable group that rose to power was the Taliban, which fell in 2001 “in the wake of a sustained U.S.-dominated military campaign.” What followed was “a period of transitional leadership” and further uncertain times. These decades of conflict between opposing powers, changes in regime and general civil unrest have left Afghanistan’s public services with a lack of stability.
UNICEF says the likelihood of receiving an education in Afghanistan is a “distant dream.”
In their profile on the Middle Eastern country, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported that Afghanistan’s school system “has been devastated” by this prolonged armed conflict. The “socio-political and humanitarian” struggles that plague Afghanistan have strained its infrastructure. As a result, these issues have severely impacted the quality of early education in Afghanistan.
UNICEF says these issues impact school enrollment rates from all angles. Not only does ceaseless unrest in the country “critically affect” its unstable school system, but safety factors associated with the conflict “raise parental concerns,” and ultimately compel parents not to send their children to school. Now, UNICEF estimates that around 3.7 million school-age children are not receiving an education.
The Afghan Literacy Foundation
The Afghan Literacy Foundation is working to bolster early childhood development in Afghanistan. According to its website, Adita Arya founded The Afghan Literacy Foundation (AFL) in 2009 with a partner. Arya says she was born in Afghanistan and remembers seeing just how much her classmates went without in her early education. She says she founded the AFL with “the idea of wanting to give back” and feels like she owes it to those who did not have the same opportunities. Arya wants Afghanistan to “rebuild from within” and believes providing the country with “the tools to be able to do that through literacy” is essential.
Now, The AFL’s chief purpose is encouraging children to remain in school. It accomplishes this mission by working to end child labor. The foundation provides much-needed donations to students’ families to reduce children’s need to work instead of school.
The foundation is now achieving its goals in real-time. The AFL’s website also details its use of sponsor donations for education resource campaigns in Afghanistan. With these, The AFL purchases supplies for students, builds classrooms and upgrades schools’ technology. The AFL announced that in 2022, $111,000 in relief funds were dispersed, and 10,000 families in Afghanistan received aid through its efforts.
Additionally, the foundation’s mission statement says that providing an education to a child “not only brightens their own future, but it also serves as a beacon of hope and support for their families and communities.” This philosophy rings true as a testimonial on their website from ALF-sponsored student Suhelia Mohammad Noor explains what getting her education has meant for her. Noor says she is “grateful” for the opportunity the AFL’s support has given her to become a nurse. She ends her testimonial with three powerful words: “I am helping.”
Final Thoughts on Early Childhood Development in Afghanistan
Despite the challenges faced, such as limited resources and cultural barriers, initiatives like The Afghan Literacy Foundation are making significant strides in expanding access to quality early education for Afghan children. Through their dedicated efforts, including establishing schools, training teachers and providing educational resources, The Afghan Literacy Foundation is helping to break the cycle of illiteracy and empower the youngest generation with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.
—Rosemary Wright
