Support Education for Marginalized Kabul Children

Dear Friends and Supporters,

There are believed to be at least 70,000 street children in Kabul (Aschiana). Working on the streets all day long, these children are exposed to harsh conditions, without any safety measures or protection from abuse. The short- and long-term consequences of street work include injury/death caused by traffic accidents; verbal, physical and sexual abuse; drug addiction; and coercion into criminal activity. Without an education, these children are unable to break the cycle of poverty. Their future is bleak. These are the main reasons why our organization, Action for Development (AfD), remains committed to ensuring that the street children of Kabul have access to education.

Thanks to the generous donations received through the Global Giving platform, we managed to establish our school for street children in December 2016. Since our last report, we have enrolled an additional 25 children into the school, giving a total of 35 students. We hope that with further support, we will be able to enroll up to 400 children, and make a difference to many more lives.

The 35 street children have already benefited from the school in a number of ways. The first quarterly assessment of the children’s learning found that almost all children had improved literacy and numeracy skills. Some children had difficulty learning and we plan to provide the additional support needed. The students have been provided with meals since their enrollment, and the first nutritional assessment took place in August 2017. One child attending the school was injured while working on the street, and AfD provided access to the necessary healthcare.

There were two Eid festivals during the last quarter. With funds from private donations, the children and their families were able to enjoy this important celebration. We provided the families with items of food, new clothes, and special sweets.

With future funding, we will be able to provide further training and support for the staff at the street children school, social work visits to children’s homes, and a mentoring scheme for the children. We also hope to incorporate sporting activities into the program. Such activities are essential to the children’s health and well-being, and will help the children to learn.

AfD remains committed to ensuring that the street children irrespective of their gender will have access to education. We understand that education is the only way to bring sustainable peace to families and the country.

We would like to thank you again for your support of Kabul’s street children. You are an important part of their lives.

Best regards,

The team at AfD

Links:

• http://www.action-for-development.org/index.php/en/street-children-back-to-school/