Disability Rights Afghanistan Project #16303

Education for Children with Disabilities in Kabul

by Action for Development (AfD)

Project Report | Nov 7, 2018
Making education a priority for all

By Stephanie Schrempft | Public Health Specialist

Education is a constitutional right in Afghanistan. But more than 40% of children (3.7 million) do not go to school; 60% of whom are girls. The security situation is dire, poverty is extreme, and discrimination is deeply entrenched. All these factors make it incredibly difficult for children to receive the education they deserve. When children do not attend school, they are at increased risk of being abused, exploited, and recruited into militant groups.

For children living with disabilities, receiving an education is almost unheard of. Services to support disabled people in Afghanistan are extremely limited, and the social stigma of having a disability is severe. If Afghanistan is to progress, in terms of economy and society, education needs to be accessible to all. Our Rahyab School for Disabled Children hopes to make a difference by providing a safe space where children with disabilities can learn, and eventually reach their potential.

The school was established in 2003 by Parween Azimi, who also founded the Afghan National Association of the Deaf to fight for the rights of deaf people. Today, there are almost 600 disabled students receiving an education at the school. The children are taught sign language, and they engage in various activities to encourage their development, including drama and crafts. They also receive a daily meal. There are 60 staff, some of whom were previously educated at the same school.

Referring to how the children feel about attending the school, Parween says ‘they are so happy because there are other children, all of them they know sign language. At home and in the community, people around them they don’t know their language.’

After graduating last year, some students went on to university, some got a job inside the school, and others started work for their family’s business. However, the current situation in Afghanistan makes it very difficult for people with disabilities to find work, and sadly most students who have graduated do not get a job, despite their capabilities. To address this, we plan to provide our students with some vocational training following graduation, such as carpentry and mechanics, so that they can support themselves in the future.

Please continue to help us in our mission to provide an education for all. Your donations will enable these children to live the fulfilling life that they deserve to live. No child deserves to live a life where they are stigmatised and isolated from others.

Warm wishes,

The team at AfD

Links:

http://www.actfordev.org/rahyab-school-for-disabled-children/

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Aug 9, 2018
Providing a safe space for disabled Afghan youth

By Stephanie Schrempft | Public Health Specialist

Mohammed and Sabera, two of our 10^th grade students who were born deaf, highlight some of the difficulties facing disabled youth in Afghanistan, and how being a part of our school has given them hope for the future:

‘It is very complicated to be deaf and not be able to communicate even with my sisters and brothers. They were enjoying normal school whereas I was not able to attend it since I could not hear what the teacher was saying. About 5 years ago our neighbor told my father that there is a school for people like me, so he enrolled me into this school. I am very happy because I feel empowered and enabled to communicate. I read and write now. I like math and even help my little sister and brother at times with their homework. I wish I could become a teacher and help kids learn and overcome illiteracy.’ (Mohammed, 16 years)

‘On the streets of the city it is very difficult to communicate with people – they do not understand if I ask them something. But – thanks to this school – I am capable of reading journals, newsletters, magazines, and historical books. I wish I could continue my studies after finishing school, however, in Kabul it is very difficult since there is no possibility for deaf people to enroll in normal classes.’ (Sabera, 16 years)

This week, until Sunday 12^th August, our Rahyab School project is participating in the Youth Week Campaign on Global Giving. The aim of the campaign is to grow support for projects that provide safe spaces for youth. Our school is a safe space for youth with disabilities, enabling them to come together, engage in activities adapted to their diverse needs and interests, and express themselves freely. At the end of the campaign, the top 5 projects with the most funds raised and most unique donors will get up to $5,000 in bonus prizes. Additionally, there will be a 100% match for all new recurring donations started during the campaign.

Please help us to continue providing a safe space for disabled children in Afghanistan, either by donating directly, or sharing our work with your family members and friends.

We greatly appreciate your support.

Warm wishes,

The team at AfD

Links:

http://www.action-for-development.org/rahyab-school-for-disabled-children/

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May 10, 2018
Mother's Day: an opportunity to support our school

By Stephanie Schrempft | Public Health Specialist

In Afghanistan, services to support people living with disabilities remain extremely limited. Just 26 percent of children with disabilities were found to have access to primary school in Afghanistan’s National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. Girls with disabilities are often double disadvantaged and even more vulnerable to exclusion and marginalisation.

Providing an education for children with disabilities has numerous benefits. Children can receive basic education skills – such as literacy and numeracy, but also crucial life-saving protection measures via health education, feeding programmes, and psychosocial support. Education offers a space for social interaction and learning as well as a means of protection from abuse such as forced recruitment and exploitation. The long-term effects of educating children from conflict areas include economic growth, better health, lower mortality rates, and peace and security.

Since 2004, our Rahyab School for Disabled Children has been providing basic education, including braille and sign language, as well as food and transportation for boys and girls with various types of disabilities from very poor families in Kabul. The school’s objective is to develop the children’s academic and employment potential, in addition to providing nutritional support.

A notable achievement of our school in 2017 was the introduction of a special class for children suffering from intellectual disabilities. The class comprises 24 students, all of whom have some form of intellectual disability. Bringing them together in one class ensures that the curriculum and teaching method are adapted to the children’s special needs.

At the end of last month, we held an exhibition in Geneva for members of the public, which presented a series of photographs by the Afghan photographer Rada Akbar, and was kindly sponsored by the GloriaMundi Foundation. We have included some of Rada’s photographs of the Rahyab School in this report; the rest can be found on the GlobalGiving project page.

The Mother’s Day Campaign is currently running on GlobalGiving until 13^th May. At the end of the campaign, the top 5 projects with the most funds raised and most unique donors will get a bonus prize of $1,000, $800, $400, $200, $100, respectively. Additionally, there will be a 100% match for all new monthly donations started during the campaign up to $200.

Please help us to continue supporting disabled children in Afghanistan, either by donating directly, or sharing our work with family members and friends. We greatly appreciate your support.

Warm wishes,

The team at AfD

Links:

http://www.action-for-development.org/index.php/en/school-for-children-with-disabilities/

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