Train 60 girls in computer coding in Afghanistan

For the last decade, Womanity has worked to build the capacity of teachers in Afghanistan. Many of them require additional support but there the culture of continuous teacher learning is not deeply embedded in Afghan schools. Usually when a teacher is appointed they do not receive any extra support enabling them to teach better and understanding of new teaching practice is limited in most cases to what can be self-taught.  

Therefore, every year Womanity conducted a needs assessment in each of its impact schools. This aims to understand their real capacity building need and accordingly we then run a series of trainings. In 2017 the greatest demand was for science subject training. This is potentially because the science curriculum has been revised by the Ministry of Education three times in the last 10 years and subsequently teachers themselves do not always have the expected levels of knowledge for every part of the curriculum.  

Womanity also provides support for extracurricular topics, for example CRC (child right convention) which ensures teachers know thoroughly the rights of children in their care and helps to avoid some undesirable behaviours and practices including punishment of children. Other trainings in this category include first aid training, disaster risk reduction and hygiene training. 

2017 was the final year of some activities as our approach moves from general capacity building of schools to specific vocational training for Afghan girls. Below is a summary of teacher training activity across 2017, which Globalgiving campaign supporters have been instrumental in enabling. 

Womanity organised two science training courses for school teachers in two locations: the central science department of the Ministry of Education in Kabul and Gholam Haidar School in Punjshir Province. A total of 169 science teachers attended the different modules of the training. Each training module was divided into five subjects (chemistry, physics, maths, biology and environmental science). Each subject was addressed for three hours a day over twelve days, resulting in a total of 360 hours teacher training.  

The science training modules were assessed by pre and post tests and the final average score obtained by trainees was 70%. This constitutes more than 100% improvement in results when compared with the average trainee pre-test score of 34/100.  

Overall, ten schools were impacted by this program: Al-Fatah, Naswan Wahdat, Spin Kalai, Sardar Daud Khan, Khoja Lakan, Naswan Paghman, Abdulah Ben Omar, Malalai Shahid, Gholam Haidar khan, Mir Bacha kot. 

Womanity in partnership with AFRANE, also organized a training in Pashto teaching methodology for teachers in grades 4– 6. The training was attended by 24 teachers of five schools and lasted ten full days. The objective was to provide teachers, who might not be native Pashto speakers, with practical advice on how to teach the language to students of younger grades.  

Pre and post tests showed an average improvement of teachers’ knowledge from an initial average score of 21% to a final 65%. That’s a 210% improvement! Two further methodology trainings in Dari and Pashto for were organised for teachers following this course. Although they were not graded, they supported a further 44 teachers to grow their knowledge and teaching tools. 

Additionally, Womanity organized: 

- two workshops in CRC (Child Right Convention) and teaching methodologies supporting 46 teachers. 

- two DDR (Disaster Risk Reduction) workshops for a total of 47 teachers. 

- a workshop in First Aid intervention in Spin Kalai School for 20 teachers.

The knowledge conveyed during these workshops is quite innovative as often it is the first time that teachers are exposed to subjects like children’s rights, how to evacuate a school or how to behave in case of a natural or man-made disaster as well as how best to respond immediately to a person/student feeling unwell.

As our focus shifts to vocational STEM training for female students at our impact schools, we are starting to wind down these activities. We will soon be closing this campaign to replace it with pages for new areas of our work empowering women in emerging markets which urgently need support.

In recent months Womanity has successfully trained 32 teachers as part of our Girls Can Code programme in Afghanistan. The programme focuses on vocational training opportunities which enhance leadership, professional and academic careers of female students in grades 10 to 12. Girls Can Code provides girls with the knowledge they need to pursue their chosen professional and academic paths and encourages them to pursue career in STEM related fields. 

In order to achieve this kind of life-changing training at scale, Womanity builds the capacity and skills of local teachers. In addition to core subject training, we run sessions on Disaster Risk Reduction and Children’s rights. Afghanistan is a difficult environment in which to live and operate, as such, additional trainings like these give teachers access to information unavailable elsewhere. They help the teachers to understand pupils’ rights better and to prevent, as much as possible, harm and damage to their students should any disasters or dangerous incidents occur during their classes. Sadly this is a necessity in today’s Afghanistan. The 32 women teachers trained in these topics at Malalai Shahid girls high school are now implementing the lessons they learnt and are better equipped to both teach Girls Can Code and protect their students from the volatile environment.