Learning Centers for Rural Afghan Women

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So far in 2018 AIL has run 7 Mobile Literacy Classes for 245 women. These classes are popular with rural women who have limited time to devote to education and often have travel issues affecting their ability to get to a center. The  4 month long courses finished at the end of July.  The students remain enthusiastic about learning and are able to use their new found literacy skills in daily life. At the end of the courses, 229 students ended up reading at 4^th grade level and 16 at 3^rd grade. The percentage of students reaching 4^th grade has gone up to 93%, a remarkable result!

Here is one student’s story from month 3 of the course: "I am learning reading and writing in the Mobile Literacy Class. Before coming to this class, I could not read or write. I have 2 children and they are both in school. When they had problems with their homework they would come to me for help but I could not help them and this was painful for me. This prompted me to join the Mobile Literacy Class. After 3 months I was able to help my children as I could read and write. Our teacher taught us how to use a mobile phone and how to write messages, how to send a message to another individual and other aspects of the mobile phone. I would love to participate in other AIL courses and classes moreover, I would like to participate in school.” 

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AIL’s Learning Centers (LCs) give refugee and Internally Displaced Persons the opportunity to learn many subjects. They often start out with tailoring/sewing and Fast Track Literacy classes, then as their confidence grows they take on new challenges. One of the most popular classes offered is tailoring because these refugee women need to earn money.  So far in 2018, 1,054 females (491 adolescents) are studying tailoring in 31 Herat LCs.

AIL tailoring students are grateful to be able to learn a useful skill which they will use to make clothing for their families, saving money and to earn money as a small business.  Some students are able to fast track through tailoring class and become excellent tailors very quickly. They gain a skill but also a sense of accomplishment in completing the course and now being able to contribute to the economic situation of the family by starting a small home business. 

Amena comes from a very poor refugee family she has this to say, “I have lived in a very hard situation my whole my life. My father is the only one who earns money for our family and only enough for food. I have no older brother to help my father and I have four sisters. I felt hopeless before joining the free tailoring class at the AIL center. After only a few classes I learned lots of tailoring skills and started to sew clothes for my sisters. Now I am able to sew every type of clothing. I have my own tailoring business and earn money. I am very happy about it and that I can help my father with the expenses of our daily life. I proved that there isn't any difference between boys and girls if the way is paved for them to improve themselves. Thanks to AIL who changed my dark life and the lives of thousands of people like me." 

Learning an income generating skill helps with family finances but also raises women’s self- esteem and their standing within the family. Husbands appreciate their wives ability to learn new skills even at an older age and are now seen as able to help with the family economics. 

Thank you for your interest in Afghan women and the challenges they face.