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"Through our work we transform people - you change one woman you change a whole family and through that you change a community. Changing communities you change a nation and you will have a nation that lives in peace" Dr. Yacoobi “ Afghanistan, for about 35 years has been at war, and through this war situation, the women have been abused and violated all the time. A major part of the society ignored the important role of the woman... if you ignore 60% of society, you are not getting anywhere.” |
Learning Centers
AIL was the first non-governmental organization (NGO) to start Learning Centers in Afghan refugee camps in 2002. Since then AIL has helped Afghan communities open hundreds of centers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Centers start up by request, usually of women, and are designed to meet multiple needs of women and children. The centers train teachers, provide health education, and offer preschool through university classes. Workshops are offered that train women to be leaders and to advocate for their basic human rights. Women also learn income generating skills like sewing and carpet weaving.
After years of war, the literacy rate of Afghan females is among the lowest in the world, but Afghan women are eager to return to school after years of no opportunities to learn. Widows and poor women wish to become literate, older girls, who were prevented from attending school want to learn on an accelerated basis and study with girls their own age, women who were forced to marry young and stop their schooling want to finish their education. In response to these needs Learning Centers offer women and girls several options. Fast Tracking The Fast Track Continuing Education program offers literacy and enrichment classes in which women and older girls learn to read, write, and do basic arithmetic. The Fast Track Mainstream Program allows older girls to finish grades 1-3 in one year, so that they can then enter regular school in the fourth grade. The Fast Track Certificate Program allows older and married girls or women to continue their studies on an individualized basis with the goal of ultimately earning a 6th, 9th, or 12th grade certificate. Enrichment classes are also taught, including English and Computers. AIL has computer labs in Kabul, Herat, and Peshawar. |
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Health Services at Learning CentersBasic health services are available through the centers, including medical examinations, midwifery and nursing services, vaccinations, and health education about hygiene and the proper use of medicine. AIL has also begun an Expectant Mothers Program Program providing education to help women through pregnancy, birth, and post-natal needs.
When AIL’s first Learning Centers opened in Pakistan and began providing education and health services, word about the opportunities in the programs spread quickly. Soon, AIL was showered with requests from other communities to set up their own centers. Now centers have been opened in Kabul, Herat, Parwan, Balkh, Nooristan, Logar, Wardak and Bamiyan Provinces in Afghanistan, always at the request of these communities. One striking development in AIL’s work with Learning Centers is that this model of providing health and educational services to women has been successfully expanded to hard-to-reach rural areas in provincial Kabul and Herat and more troubled areas such as Logar and Wardak. |
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Successful strategies
AIL is a successful, grassroots organization and has a proven track record of creativity, innovation, and quality services that tackle the desperate statistics on education and health today in Afghanistan. Afghanistan needs more high-quality, local civil society organizations to meet the health and education needs of Afghans now. There is a desperate need to build the capacity of Afghan civil society to ensure that the people will be able to meet their educational and health needs without foreign assistance in the future.
Since AIL began helping them, AIL supported centers have been able to improve their management practices, implement interactive teaching methods, and increase their student enrollment, particularly of female students. Many centers have either become independent or achieved their goals, some have closed. AIL provides needed materials and supplies to the centers for example, before AIL started supporting a center in Parwan province, they had no black board, chalk, chairs, tables, or books.
AIL teacher training staff visit the centers regularly and provide their teachers and managers with needed training. The teachers and managers have improved and work according to their lesson plans. Students and their families have noticed the difference and are very happy with AIL. One success story, illustrating AIL not only trains women to support themselves but also empowers them to be leaders in their communities, comes from one of AIL’s sewing and tailoring training courses in Herat.
Parima was a student in one of AIL’s Learning Centers in Herat Province. After completing the course, she has established her own business sewing garments and is earning a good income. Because Parima’s village didn’t have a center, Parima began training women and girls in tailoring. She is now working in conjunction with AIL and when Parima’s students complete her course they will be allowed to take AIL’s final sewing exam. After successfully completing the exam, the students will be awarded a certificate from AIL.
AIL is a successful, grassroots organization and has a proven track record of creativity, innovation, and quality services that tackle the desperate statistics on education and health today in Afghanistan. Afghanistan needs more high-quality, local civil society organizations to meet the health and education needs of Afghans now. There is a desperate need to build the capacity of Afghan civil society to ensure that the people will be able to meet their educational and health needs without foreign assistance in the future.
Since AIL began helping them, AIL supported centers have been able to improve their management practices, implement interactive teaching methods, and increase their student enrollment, particularly of female students. Many centers have either become independent or achieved their goals, some have closed. AIL provides needed materials and supplies to the centers for example, before AIL started supporting a center in Parwan province, they had no black board, chalk, chairs, tables, or books.
AIL teacher training staff visit the centers regularly and provide their teachers and managers with needed training. The teachers and managers have improved and work according to their lesson plans. Students and their families have noticed the difference and are very happy with AIL. One success story, illustrating AIL not only trains women to support themselves but also empowers them to be leaders in their communities, comes from one of AIL’s sewing and tailoring training courses in Herat.
Parima was a student in one of AIL’s Learning Centers in Herat Province. After completing the course, she has established her own business sewing garments and is earning a good income. Because Parima’s village didn’t have a center, Parima began training women and girls in tailoring. She is now working in conjunction with AIL and when Parima’s students complete her course they will be allowed to take AIL’s final sewing exam. After successfully completing the exam, the students will be awarded a certificate from AIL.
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School Support
Through its innovative teacher training and school support program, AIL provides assistance and an administrative structure to schools and schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.Today, AIL supports
• Community schools for Afghan refugee students in Pakistan,
• Community based schools for students in Herat,
• Pre-school programs,
• Advanced classes for boys in Mir Bacha Kot,
• Scholarships for students in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This has been invaluable to tens of thousands of Afghan children whose education was interrupted by the war and civil strife in Afghanistan. School support includes teacher training, on site monitoring and supervision of teachers, teachers’ salaries, administrative support, curriculum development, and provision of school materials and supplies. AIL-supported schools use interactive, student-centered teaching methods.
One AIL student named Urza said,
“I am from Wardak Province, Afghanistan. I studied until class four but then the Taliban regime came and I sat at home. After the Taliban when I went to school, my class fellows were younger than me. I left school and learned two classes in one year at AIL. Now I am in class seven and I have decided to join school next year. I am so thankful to AIL.”
Examples of AIL carpet weaving
This is one of the highly skilled income generating classes, taught at some Learning Centers, that women can attend and leave with renewed self confidence and a marketable skill. This is also keeping alive a culturally significant craft as Afghans have been known for centuries for their skill with carpet making.
• Community schools for Afghan refugee students in Pakistan,
• Community based schools for students in Herat,
• Pre-school programs,
• Advanced classes for boys in Mir Bacha Kot,
• Scholarships for students in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This has been invaluable to tens of thousands of Afghan children whose education was interrupted by the war and civil strife in Afghanistan. School support includes teacher training, on site monitoring and supervision of teachers, teachers’ salaries, administrative support, curriculum development, and provision of school materials and supplies. AIL-supported schools use interactive, student-centered teaching methods.
One AIL student named Urza said,
“I am from Wardak Province, Afghanistan. I studied until class four but then the Taliban regime came and I sat at home. After the Taliban when I went to school, my class fellows were younger than me. I left school and learned two classes in one year at AIL. Now I am in class seven and I have decided to join school next year. I am so thankful to AIL.”
Examples of AIL carpet weaving
This is one of the highly skilled income generating classes, taught at some Learning Centers, that women can attend and leave with renewed self confidence and a marketable skill. This is also keeping alive a culturally significant craft as Afghans have been known for centuries for their skill with carpet making.
 Detail of weaving |
 A recently completed carpet |
 Centerpiece -
A carpet takes many months of dedicated work all by hand. |
