Scholarships for At-risk Youth in Afghanistan

Dear Friends,

As you may all know, a lot has happened since our last report in June. Afghanistan is under Taliban control now, and the worst fear and concerns of Hazaras are being materialized unfortunately. Tens of thousands are fleeing their homes and many are becoming refugees in neighboring countries. However, many more do not have the resources to leave, and therefore, while we are working to provide assistance to the internally displaced and refugees, we are still working on avenues to provide assistance to our partner schools and communities in Afghanistan.

This academic year has been a difficult one. The schools were closed for a significant period time due to the pandemic. Within weeks of reopening, the Afghan government collapsed and Taliban took control. The schools closed again due to the upheaval and then reopened for only grades 1-6, followed by expanding it to boys of all ages. The schools are closed for girls above grade 6 at the moment. This is a huge setback for millions of Afghan girls who are being deprived of access to education. 

Many of the prominent personalities in the education sector and students performing in musical bands, robotic teams and athletes have had to flee for their safety. Nonetheless, the schools are still operational and are adapting to function under the new regime. The schools have been instructed to make the following changes, mainly:

• Segregated classes, time frames or separation between boys and girls;
• Male teachers for boys and female teachers for girls; and
• Changes to the curriculum (more hours towards religious studies).

School Updates:

We were in the final stages of providing 115 scholarships (110 girls and 5 boys) for the traumatized Sayed Ul-Shuhada students to enroll at Marefat and Pegah schools but the recent unravelling has put a halt to this effort. This was in addition to our 92 returning students at Marefat from the previous academic year. Prior to the unravelling, we provided scholarships for 104 students (61 girls & 43 boys) in Ghor and 30 students (17 boys and 13 girls) in Bamyan this academic year. 

Marefat High School (Kabul):

The school is currently open to boys of all ages. According to the new administrators at the school, student attendance is gradually improving. By early August, Marefat introduced a plan to enroll 100 traumatized girls from the Sayed Ul-Shuhada school and designed a program that included preparatory classes to get them up to speed with standards at Marefat, thanks to the generosity of a family foundation. However, by mid-August the Afghan government collapsed and the program is on halt as girls cannot attend schools at the moment. Furthermore, the banking system in Afghanistan is on the verge of collapse and it is neither certain nor safe to transfer money at the moment. The funds we have raised for Marefat will stay earmarked, and we will transfer the funds as soon we receive updated information from the school and clarity on safe transfer of funds to Afghanistan.

Rahnaward-e-Noor High School (Ghor):

According to the school administrator, the attendance is improving following the recent school closure. Our students have performed well in the mid-term exam. The school provided the necessary requirements such as student information and grades in a timely manner, and we were fortunate to transfer the funds earlier in the academic year to support 104 students (61 girls & 43 boys). However, Rahnaward’s other partners have stopped their support following the collapse of the Afghan government. The teachers are on reduced salary and voluntary basis, and the school is in a dire financial situation. We are in communication with the school, and with your help, we will remain an avenue of support for the students and teachers of Rahnaward.

Baba High School (Bamyan):

Following the fall of Bamyan in mid-August, the city was looted by Taliban. People, particularly prominent women rights activists, educators and civil society members, fled to remote districts and other provinces. Our partner school, Baba, was looted as well. Prior to the collapse, we provided the funds to support 30 students (17 boys and 13 girls). Our students performed well during their mid-term exam. The school has recently reopened under new leadership. The attendance is improving; however, the recent upheavals have affected the students psychologically. Baba school has found support from the Bamyan university professors to help teach and motivate the students.

Pegah High School (Kabul) and special focus on girl education:

Pegah has enrolled 15 students (10 girls and 5 boys) from Sayed Ul-Shuhada following the attack on the school in May. Pegah is providing preparatory classes to get the students up to speed with Pegah’s standards. Similar to the other schools, Pegah is open to boys of all grades and girls up to grade 6. The educators in Afghanistan seem hopeless about the current rulers’ intention about girls education. The school is introducing a remote/virtual learning program for girls based on their experiences in virtual teaching during the pandemic in spring and summer 2020 and spring 2021. Here is what we have received from Pegah:

“The process of virtual learning in Pegah High School is as following:

• A special timetable (daily, monthly, whole semester) is prepared for each class.
• Teachers deliver their lessons in a video clip (every clip is between 15 to 20 minutes long) and a PDF description.
• Videos are shared through a Telegram group with the students of every class. Normally every year we have a Telegram group for each class. The student who don’t have access to internet, they can receive clips by a memory card.
• Students watch video clips and read the description as well as their books. If they didn’t understand some parts of the lesson, they can ask their question through their Telegram group or come to school and ask directly from their teacher.
• After watching video clips and reading the book and description, the student do their homework and send it for teachers. Sometimes teachers give practical activities for students too. The student take a video from the process of making or doing that activity and send it to her teacher; or show her work directly to the teacher.
• After receiving homework or activity report, the teacher give a feedback to the student and record her progress.
• Sometimes, if needed, the teacher asks the students in smaller groups to come to school. The teacher then reviews the lessons with them and solve the problems that are unsolved yet.”

Please note that virtual learning is costly for the school, teachers, parents and students. Every student must have a computer, tablet, or at least a smartphone; besides, they have to have access to internet, otherwise they need to come to school and receive the materials in person. The school is in a difficult financial siutation due to reduced tuition fee, lower student turnouts following the collapse and the the families not being able to cover tuition.

The Foundation is committed to support Pegah High School in this endeavor. Some of our girl students are above grade 6 and they will be covered via the virtual program. We are committed to support girls access to education, and we believe Pegah’s approach provides an avenue to support girls education in Kabul. With your support, we hope to increase our scholarships contributing to this program and cover more students during the next academic year.

Despite the recent setbacks and Afghanistan’s descent into chaos, our Hazara communities across Afghanistan has shown incredible resilience during turbulent moments in Afghan history. Surviving the genocide of 1890s and mass displacements, enslavement and continuous state-supported discrimination to modern times. We believe that our local communities in Afghanistan will find the most optimal solutions to their need and with your help, we are here to support.

We thank you for your continuous support in these difficult times.

Timor Karimy + Bamyan Foundation Team

Dear Friends,

If you have been following the news in Afghanistan, the situation is deteriorating for all Afghans, particularly for the long discriminated Hazara community, as they are systematically targeted by Taliban and other terrorist groups. On May 8, 2021, nearly 100 schoolchildren, mostly girls ages 11-15 years old, lost their lives in a devastating terrorist attack in front of Sayed Ul-Shuhada Girls School in Kabul with 240 injured, according to Hashte Sobh. Since then, multiple isolated attacks have targeted passenger vehicles that have killed scores of Hazara civilians. The attacks have been on the rise in recent years and targeted schools, sports centers, places of worship and other civilian facilities in Dashte Barchi, an overpopulated Hazara slum in western part of Kabul. The systematic attacks on the Hazaras on the basis of ethnicity and religion underscores a genocidal intent by the perpetrators.

Our partner schools operate in such a dangerous environment. The teachers and administrators have an immense passion for education. With the schools under attack, they take on incredible risks to educate the young minds. The attack on Sayed Ul-Shuhada occurred not too far from Marefat High School. To mitigate some of the pain and grief, Marefat has reached out to Sayed Ul-Shuhada and has offered enrollment to some of the traumatized students (girls). Bamyan Foundation fully supports Marefat’s approach. With your help, we will provide scholarships to students from Sayed Ul-Shuhada to receive quality education at Marefat.

We are also in the process of adding another reputable institution, Pegah High School, in Kabul to our scholarship program. Pegah has also reached out to Sayed Ul-Shuhada, and the Foundation is committed to provide scholarships to girl students from Sayed Ul-Shuhada at Pegah.

The private schools (e.g. Marefat and Pegah) are better equipped than the overpopulated public schools (e.g. Sayed Ul-Shuhada) and the students have much higher chances of receiving quality education.

Your support is crucial at this important juncture and will go a long way towards educating the traumatized youth. You can play a crucial role in not allowing these bright sparks of Afghanistan's future progress being extinguished one by one.  

The schools in Kabul and some of the provinces are currently closed due to a new wave of COVID-19 surge, and we will update you on the total number of scholarships at Marefat and Pegah this academic year in the next quarterly update.

Marefat High School (Kabul):

Most of our 92 students from the 2020 have returned this academic year. We are pleased to inform you that six girls and two boys graduated with distinguishing results after taking their final exams in March 2021. Thanks to your generosity, we have increased the number of scholarships to include new students, and will cover some of the Sayed Ul-Shuhada students at Marefat. We have also provided scholarships to students who have lost a parent(s) via our Ali Rising Afghanistan Youth Scholarships (ARAYS) at Marefat. As mentioned above, the schools are currently closed in Kabul and we will update you on the final number of students at Marefat in the next report.

Rahnaward High School (Ghor):

This academic year, we have increased our scholarships to 104 students (61 girls and 43 boys) at Rahnaward, thanks to your generous support. 16 of the students are covered via our ARYAS program. The students are in good attendance since the school reopening in March 2021. We supported 88 students at Rahnaward in 2020. We are pleased to share with you that five girls and one boy graduated after taking their final exam in March. We only had 3 dropouts. 

Baba High School (Bamyan):

We are supporting 30 students (17 boys and 13 girls) at Baba school in 2021 academic year. Seven students are covered via our ARYAS scholarships that are specifically for students who have lost a parent(s). We supported 28 students at Baba in 2020. One boy and one girl graduated and we had seven dropouts. The students are in good attendance so far. Those students who have dropped out/relocated are replaced by new students.

Please know that people move around and relocate frequently in Afghanistan due to insecurity, high unemployment and other factors. 

ROYA (Resources of Young Afghans):

We supported nine former child laborers from 2017 through 2020 academic years via our partnership with ROYA and played an important role in their academic and personal growth. We were informed by ROYA earlier this year that they have found other sponsors. Our best wishes to the resilient children and the ROYA team with their good work. 

Some of our students, particularly those who graduated, sent us heartfelt biographies recounting their experiences and accomplishments at their schools over the years and their hopes and dreams after high school; however, due to safety and deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan, we will not publish them at this time.

Please know that our scholarship program covers a small percentage of students in our partner schools. The number of scholarships are directly related to the amount of funds we raise. We appreciate if you spread the word and shared our program with your networks. The scholarship fund not only help the students get quality education but the funds are in turn used towards teacher salaries and operational costs of the schools. Therefore, you donation plays a crucial role towards strengthening of grassroots educational institutions. 

Matching Campaign:

We would like to share a generous 15 hour matching campaign, July Bonus Day, on July 14, 2021 (9:00 AM EDT to 11:59PM EDT). $400,000 USD in matching funds will be available, while funds remain, the following matching structure will apply: 

• Donations of $100 - $499 USD will be matched at 15%
• Donations of $500 - $749 USD will be matched at 30%
• Donations of $750 - $1000 USD will be matched at 50%
• Matching cap of $3000 USD per organization
• All of our three projects are eligible to participate in this campaign

It is our sincere hope that the situation improves in Afghanistan, the lockdown and vaccines slow down the spread of COVID-19, and we hope and pray for peace and stability in Afghanistan. We thank you for your ongoing support of our work. Our collective efforts undoubtedly help with making a lasting impact towards educating the at-risk Hazara youth, particularly girls, and the survival and longevity of our grassroots partner schools.

The Bamyan Foundation Team

Links:

• Bamyan Foundation Scholarship Program