Fast Track Education for Afghan Women and Girls

Get your Match!

There are still funds available for this project to get matched by the Safer World Fund - 50% for returnee donors, 100% for new donors!!

AIL works to promote literacy by providing classes at its Learning Centers in Herat and Kabul. Some literacy classes are fast track, including the mobile literacy classes. AIL also publishes a magazine and whenever possible books which help teachers and students of the fast track classes. Recently books were published by AIL including:

Mobile Literacy Messages: a book supporting the fast track literacy class that uses texting to teach the alphabet and up to grade 4 literacy in 4 months. Mobile literacy classes take place at Herat centers and are for illiterate women.

Leadership Skills: supporting leadership development at centers, in workshops and the youth 2 year leadership course at the private Yacoobi High School. Students at the centers want to know how to advocate for themselves, speak in public and engage more fully in their communities.

Teacher Training: helping teachers improve their teaching skills at workshops and in staff meetings at centers. Some teachers who study with AIL go on to become teachers at AIL Learning Centers.

Healthcare Messages: for AIL clinics, fast track mobile literacy classes and the ZMQ mobile app pregnancy monitoring program which AIL was a part of.

Peace Education: the most recent book published. Peace education is promoted at centers, preschools and in workshops.

Thank you for your support for our work.

The year end newsletter for CHI is attached.

AIL is working towards: SDG Goal 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• newsletter_2019.final.pdf (PDF)
  

One of our most effective fast track classes is the innovative 4 month long Mobile Literacy Class. These classes were started in 2013 and are complimentary to the regular literacy classes.

The students are given mobile phones and taught how to use them. The teacher sets questions which students answer by text message either individually or by group work. Remarkably most students progress from not knowing the alphabet or at most reading at 1st grade level to reading at 4th grade level by the end of the course!

Texting is used as a means to accelerate literacy acquisition but also to engage women in discourse and create social bonds between classmates and friends reducing isolation. All students love this format and text much more than required by the syllabus.

"I am Satayesh and I am 23 years old. I really am so happy to have this rare opportunity to be part of a class like this. The class is good as it makes us focus more on learning new technology, how better to use a mobile phone, messaging and making emergency calls. Through the class I have made new friends who I share my problems with and we find solutions together. I am motivated to participate in regular school after this class because I found out how important knowledge is.”

There were 10 classes running for 350 women in Herat city area through 31 August. 86% of this women reached Grade 4 literacy and 14% are at Grade 3. A great result!

Thanks for your support.