Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has inaugurated the delivery of educational aid to schools in Ghor Province, Afghanistan, as part of phase 3 of the project to support education in remote areas of Afghanistan, at a total cost of $343,521.
The project involved providing 480 double seats and desks, 49 classroom tents, 955 school bags with stationery, and 520 kits of teaching aids for five schools. Also, a teacher training centre was constructed and furnished in Firuzkoh, the capital of Ghor.
Moreover, a teacher training team of six trainers was created, and 110 teachers in Ghor and Kapisa Provinces received capacity-building training to improve their teaching performance and enhance the quality of education.
This phase is estimated to benefit 955 students and 116 teachers in Firuzkoh. It was executed in partnership with the Afghan Welfare Society, the Ministry of Education’s offices in Ghor and Kapisa, the provincial governments, and local community leaders.
A public ceremony was held to launch the educational aid distributions and lay the foundation stone of the teacher training centre.
Earlier, all logistics were arranged to transport the materials from Kabul, the country’s capital, to the capital of Ghor, in coordination with the competent provincial authorities.
In Afghanistan, the education system suffers poor infrastructure and lack of basic educational resources. Despite the significant progress made in the last few years, it remains one of the world’s weakest education systems.
Many challenges are yet to be resolve. Only 50% of school-age children attend schools, an around three million have no access to education, mostly in remote, mountainous, insecure, or unstable areas. Hundreds of schools are either destroyed or closed.
There are insufficient numbers of schools, teachers, and textbooks.
Most schools work for multiple shifts, and teacher qualification is of low standard.
Therefore, the project is an essential support to the government efforts to meet the educational needs and create a stimulating schooling environment, particularly in the remote and underdeveloped areas of the country. Generally, education is key to development and stability.
Abdul Zahir Faidzadah, Governor of Ghor, especially thanked Qatar, QRCS, and the Afghan Welfare Society.
He said QRCS was one of the most active international humanitarian providers in Ghor. He commended the project’s mechanism of delivery of aid to the eligible beneficiaries in person, even though the schools were remote and inaccessible.