Bushra* (9) lives in a remote village with her four siblings and mother in northern Afghanistan. She lost her father two and a half years ago due to COVID-19. Her grandfather provides them with basic living expenses support, which is insufficient. Her mother, Zahra* (26), sometimes earns 100-150 AFN by doing laundry and cleaning for other people in the community to help make ends meet for her children.

Bushra* couldn’t attend school until the age of seven because of the long distance from her village. When her mother came to know about the Community-Based Education (CBE) classes established by Save the Children in her village, she registered her daughters for the class. Bushra* learned to read, write, and draw by attending CBE classes. She likes to draw best and wants to be a designer in the future.

Bushra* (9) says, “I am nine years old. I live with my mom, two brothers, and two sisters. I am the eldest child of the family. Every day, I come to the class with my sister, Omida (7)*. We play different games after class and during the weekend.” 

“I am in grade one in this class, and my favourite subject is drawing and storytelling. I like to draw my favourite objects, such as nice clothes, bags, school, flowers, and nature. I like to design clothes as well. I want to be a designer. I support my teacher in designing this class by colouring the numbers and flowers and sticking the different shapes with glue”.

“I love to attend class with my friends. I like to recite poems, play, and do group work in class. When I am at home, I do my homework and support my mother with washing dishes and cooking food. In my free time, I like to talk to my friends.”

“I thank the donor for establishing this class where my friends and I come to learn and play.”

Zahra* (26) – Bushra’s* mom says, “I have two daughters and two sons. Bushra* is my eldest child. We lost her father due to COVID-19 two and half years ago, and since then, I am the head of the family. My father-in-law supports us with living expenses.” 

“Our village doesn’t have a school for the girls. The nearest school is about an hour away from here, and the path to that school isn’t safe for children, especially in winter and rainy sessions. There is a possibility of flood during the monsoon. Bushra* used to cross by the school without getting an opportunity to attend it, but when I heard about the Community-Based Education Class in our village, I brought her here and registered for the class”.

“She loves to attend classes. She would rather miss her breakfast than be late to class. She has made friends here and do homework together.”

“We have financial problems. We don’t have sufficient food to feed my children. After losing my husband, I have been diagnosed with depression. I do laundry and cleaning for others to earn some money and provide my children with better meals.”

“I am glad and impressed by the learning progress of my daughter in this class. She shares her lessons with me and sometimes reads me a story from her books. She has learned to read and write within a very short period.”

“I thank you for supporting the children of our village by establishing this class. I hope these classes are established all over the country so that all children should get the opportunity to learn.”

Bibi Hawa* (20) – Bushra’s* class teacher says, “After completing high school, I attended the Teacher Training Centre for higher education, but due to the ban on higher education for women, I couldn’t continue.”

“I have been teaching this class for the last 10 months. After being hired as a teacher of t his class, I received training on Child Safeguarding, Child Protection, and Safe teaching methodologies by Save the Children, which helped me to be a better teacher.”

“I am very happy to get the opportunity to teach and support children with literacy and numeracy.

 I meet the parents of the children and share our thoughts about the class. Most of them come with an appreciation for what we are doing for their children.”

“Bushra* is one of 45 girls in my classes who couldn’t read or write, but in a very short

 period of time, they have learned to read and write. Bushra* is very smart and active in class. Her drawing skills are excellent, and she supports me with coloring the drawing books and designing the class.”

“The progress of my students in literacy and numeracy is impressive. All of them love to attend the class, and the girls are present 15 minutes before the class starts.”

“I would like to thank Save the Children for providing the children an opportunity to learn and develop in a safe and supportive environment. I also want to thank the donors for supporting the children in Afghanistan with education.”