Education Innovation
AIL is known for its innovative programming. It was the first organization to start Learning Centers for Women in Afghan refugee camps and then in the Afghan homeland. Now it has another original concept in operation, Women's Networking Places, which again is highly popular. Its Preschool Program was unique when it started and is the model preschool program in the country.
See our Cultural Revival and Preschool Education pages.
See our Cultural Revival and Preschool Education pages.
Learning Centers
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Learning Centers
AIL was the first non-governmental organization (NGO) to start Learning Centers in Afghan refugee camps. Since that time, AIL has helped Afghan communities open hundreds of centers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Centers start up by request only, and are designed for that community to meet its specific needs. The centers train local teachers, provides health education in all the classes, and offers preschool through secondary classes and income generating skills classes, such as sewing, computing and English, as required. If requested, in depth workshops are offered that train women to be leaders and to advocate for their human rights and on topics such as peace, democracy and elections. AIL has a Learning Center for the disabled and has one at an orphanage and a street children facility. The Problem After years of strife and war, the literacy rate of Afghan females is among the lowest in the world at 17% and males 45%.. Generations have missed out on learning but Afghan women are eager to return to school. Widows and poor women wish to become literate and numerate. Older girls who were prevented from attending school want to learn at an accelerated rate to catch up with their peers. Women who were forced to marry young and stop their schooling want to finish their education so they can contribute to the family. Boys need help to catch up to peer groups in school or to acquire computing skills, 30% of students are male. |
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The Solution
Learning Centers, tailored to an individual community, provide a safe place for women to study, as well as a gathering space for these people to exchange ideas and form friendships.The community provides something towards the center such as a building, supplies, volunteer work or teachers. This ensures community investment in the project. All teachers are trained in modern methods encouraging critical thinking, questioning and interactive participation. The teachers are patient and caring, understanding that for many this is the first time they have had formal education and they lack confidence. All students at centers receive lessons in basic accounting, business management, health, human rights, democracy, leadership, and core values such as respect, responsibility, trust and peace. From a young age children are taught about core values such as peace and respect. Whenever possible messages on health, self-care, nutrition and reproductive health are provided so girls grow up knowing how to stay healthy. Education is the key to reducing both early marriage, damaging early pregnancy and maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan. Fast Track Fast Track Classes are available for those suited to this approach. Fast Track offers literacy, maths and other classes at a faster pace so that, for example older girls can finish grades 1-3 in one year and then go on to enter regular school in the 4th 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 and 12th grade certification. AIL expands its offerings when it can and has added classes such as English, Computing and Mobile Literacy. Mobile Literacy This class teaches literacy by use of a mobile phone and texting. This approach has been both very popular and highly effective with students gaining literacy skills in much less time that through traditional classes. The course takes 4 months. The students are provided with phones and learn how to use them. Then they start texting answers to questions posed by the teacher and within small groups. Everyone enjoys using the texting feature. Students text about many things such as democracy, health, human rights, trust, respect and society core values as well as the every day things of life. There is a literacy learning and a life skills learning component to the curriculum. The mobile phone has the added bonus of being a means to social interaction between people whether family, friends or class mates helping to reduce isolation. |
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Results have been excellent with students progressing from, no knowledge of alphabet or reading a little, to 3rd and 4th grade level of literacy in the 4 months of the course. This is much faster than using traditional literacy learning alone.
"My name is Najeela and we have a poor economic situation. I was not interested in education because I thought I am too old now and I thought that it is impossible to start studying at this age. But after joining Mobile Literacy Class I understood that I was wrong and we can start studying in any age. In these two months I can now write sentences and also send them through texting. Now I want to start school after completing this course and I thank AIL for this opportunity."
Libraries
Access to literary material is limited in many poor communities in Afghanistan. AIL publishes a magazine twice a year which is widely distributed. AIL also supports a library at the Citadel complex in Herat and has its own substantial libraries in the two offices in Herat and Kabul. The Kabul office has 3,000 books and Herat has 2,500. In addition, most Learning Centers maintain their own libraries. The largest of these has 2,000 books and the smallest 200. The Yacoobi private schools also have libraries. Students and staff benefit from having access to varied reading matter and the libraries are also quiet places for study.
A library user had this to say, "My name is Zabihullah. I am studying Computer Science at Ghalib University and I am an employee of AIL. During the first two weeks of my first semester the teacher assigned me a project. I searched the internet but did not find enough information so I was concerned. One of my colleagues suggested AIL’s library. I went to the library and searched for books related to my project. There were many books related to every field of education. I invited my classmates and we were able to prepare our projects. AIL has a good library where it is easier to focus on my studies. In my free time, I go to the library and study, not only books about my field but other subjects too. I want I become a successful IT manager and I think I will achieve that.”
Access to literary material is limited in many poor communities in Afghanistan. AIL publishes a magazine twice a year which is widely distributed. AIL also supports a library at the Citadel complex in Herat and has its own substantial libraries in the two offices in Herat and Kabul. The Kabul office has 3,000 books and Herat has 2,500. In addition, most Learning Centers maintain their own libraries. The largest of these has 2,000 books and the smallest 200. The Yacoobi private schools also have libraries. Students and staff benefit from having access to varied reading matter and the libraries are also quiet places for study.
A library user had this to say, "My name is Zabihullah. I am studying Computer Science at Ghalib University and I am an employee of AIL. During the first two weeks of my first semester the teacher assigned me a project. I searched the internet but did not find enough information so I was concerned. One of my colleagues suggested AIL’s library. I went to the library and searched for books related to my project. There were many books related to every field of education. I invited my classmates and we were able to prepare our projects. AIL has a good library where it is easier to focus on my studies. In my free time, I go to the library and study, not only books about my field but other subjects too. I want I become a successful IT manager and I think I will achieve that.”
Tailoring is a popular class at centers that offer this course. It is often the first class women take. It is a gateway class, as once they complete it, women feel empowered, realize their capacity to learn and seek to take literacy or other subjects. Women want to learn how to make clothes for their families but they also want business, communication and accounting skills so they can become small business entrepreneurs.
Roqia, a graduate student of the tailoring class at Jabraeel Learning Center has this to say, “When I started the class I did not know anything about sewing and could hardly make dresses. I had financial problems, too. I was wondering what I could do to solve my problems. A friend suggested taking a sewing class at the AIL center. I have learned how to sew clothes professionally. At first, I wasn’t good at sewing, but gradually I built up my confidence and skill.
After I graduated, I decided to open my own tailoring business. A friend of mine helps me run the store. I had few customers at the beginning but people liked my dresses and that’s how I attracted more and more customers. Then I was able to work for 12 hours every day! I am fortunate because now my financial situation is good. I make around 15,000 to 30,000 Afghanis a month. I decided I could help other women and teach them what I learned through my business. So now I teach sewing at a couple of local centers here in Jabraeel. I help other women by teaching dressmaking skills and I earn a salary from teaching. I have more than 30 students in each class. A great number of my students are successful with more than 30 of them starting their own businesses! That makes me happy!”
Roqia, a graduate student of the tailoring class at Jabraeel Learning Center has this to say, “When I started the class I did not know anything about sewing and could hardly make dresses. I had financial problems, too. I was wondering what I could do to solve my problems. A friend suggested taking a sewing class at the AIL center. I have learned how to sew clothes professionally. At first, I wasn’t good at sewing, but gradually I built up my confidence and skill.
After I graduated, I decided to open my own tailoring business. A friend of mine helps me run the store. I had few customers at the beginning but people liked my dresses and that’s how I attracted more and more customers. Then I was able to work for 12 hours every day! I am fortunate because now my financial situation is good. I make around 15,000 to 30,000 Afghanis a month. I decided I could help other women and teach them what I learned through my business. So now I teach sewing at a couple of local centers here in Jabraeel. I help other women by teaching dressmaking skills and I earn a salary from teaching. I have more than 30 students in each class. A great number of my students are successful with more than 30 of them starting their own businesses! That makes me happy!”
Follow Up Support
With AIL's help 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 and have closed. AIL teacher training staff visit the centers regularly and provide their teachers and managers with training. One success story, illustrates how 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 at an AIL Learning Center. After completing the course, she 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."
With AIL's help 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 and have closed. AIL teacher training staff visit the centers regularly and provide their teachers and managers with training. One success story, illustrates how 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 at an AIL Learning Center. After completing the course, she 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 has a Learning Center in an orphanage which provides education for girls and boys, some of whom are disabled.
AIL also had a Learning Center specifically for the disabled in Herat.
Women's Networking Places
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi comments:
AIL was the first to open Learning Centers for women and girls that offer education and skills training. These women come to the centers to learn, but while they are there they talk, exchange ideas, form friendships and supportive networks of connection. In some areas of Afghanistan, women are rarely allowed to leave their homes and only socialize with women they are related to. But now in our Learning Centers I see the beginning of a web of Women's Networking Places, based in the community and supported by it.
In some countries, this would not be worth noting, but for Afghanistan, this is a big social shift. Some believe that the way for women's lives to improve in Afghanistan is through marches and protests in the streets. I respectfully disagree. While marches and protests will draw attention to the issue, they do not make life better for Afghan women. By giving women a safe space to gather, learn, problem solve and network we have prompted change. Women are taking classes, learning to read, earning an income and taking part in society. The women share ideas and gain confidence and their ideas are taking shape and solving problems. I recently heard this story from a woman who attended a leadership workshop in one of our Learning Centers.
AIL was the first to open Learning Centers for women and girls that offer education and skills training. These women come to the centers to learn, but while they are there they talk, exchange ideas, form friendships and supportive networks of connection. In some areas of Afghanistan, women are rarely allowed to leave their homes and only socialize with women they are related to. But now in our Learning Centers I see the beginning of a web of Women's Networking Places, based in the community and supported by it.
In some countries, this would not be worth noting, but for Afghanistan, this is a big social shift. Some believe that the way for women's lives to improve in Afghanistan is through marches and protests in the streets. I respectfully disagree. While marches and protests will draw attention to the issue, they do not make life better for Afghan women. By giving women a safe space to gather, learn, problem solve and network we have prompted change. Women are taking classes, learning to read, earning an income and taking part in society. The women share ideas and gain confidence and their ideas are taking shape and solving problems. I recently heard this story from a woman who attended a leadership workshop in one of our Learning Centers.
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"Before I took this workshop, I didn't feel like I was doing the best I could. I didn't know how to provide services to my community in a way that would give a positive result. The leadership workshop taught me to be a leader. As I go to work, I always see a number of women begging in the street. This made me very sad; my country wasn't always this way, but years of fighting and war have caused problems like this. After the workshop, I decided I could take action. I spoke with an office that was helping with projects, and I proposed paying these women to clean the Women's Garden; this was project that the community wanted. My proposal was accepted, so I gathered the women and took them to the garden. Many of the women said they were begging because their husbands had drug problems, or were unable to work. I told them my plan, and many agreed to work in the garden. For one year, these women came and cared for the garden. They came to realize that they didn't need to beg, and that they were able to earn a living through work."
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A quiet revolution is taking place in Afghanistan at places like Learning Centers, change is happening. When the community sees Afghan women come up with plans such as, helping others by hiring them to clean a garden, they begin to see women as leaders. They come to understand that there are safe ways for women to take part in society and that women can be leaders like men. It is through these small actions, taken by women, that Afghanistan will again become the peaceful country that it once was. It is through supporting community-based Learning Centers, safe places for women to study, meet and talk, that women will come to see themselves as leaders capable of changing a nation.
Access to the Internet
In 2010, AIL joined with two other organizations to provide safe discussion forums with women and students from around the world. The rural women at centers and urban AIL staff are able to talk with other women from around the world, who are living very different lives than their own. Through contact with the world outside of Afghanistan, these literate women and youth are able to make friends and find support through sharing experience in discussions. World pulse is a communication project between the women of Afghanistan and the world.
Preschool Education Program
Another of AIL's innovations in education is its Preschool program. The importance of preschool education is well documented. Children need this early education intervention to help them develop and be ready to start school. AIL’s preschool program (PEP) provides hundreds of children with foundation education, as well as learning about health, social interaction and core values. The interactive, student-centered teaching in the PEP serves as a model of quality early childhood education in Afghanistan.
LEARN MORE go to our Preschool page
LEARN MORE go to our Preschool page
