Access to education for children in conflict zones

Dear Donor,

2023 is just around the corner. On this occasion, we would like to look back with you at what we have achieved together over the last 12 months.

AFGHANISTAN

After the Taliban took power last year, education funding in Afghanistan was and still is unclear. At the beginning of the year, planned projects were frozen, new funding was not approved and girls continued to be denied their right to education. Although female students were to be allowed to return to secondary school starting in March, they were and continue to be turned away at the school gates in many provinces.   

The collapse of the economy, the collapse of the financial and health systems, years of extreme drought, and the Taliban's seizure of power with its accompanying sanctions led to a humanitarian crisis that continues today. More than half of the population, some 23 million people, can no longer feed themselves on their own. 9 million are experiencing acute hunger. Children in particular are suffering: The UN estimates that more than 50% of those under 5 will be malnourished by the end of the year.  

On the occasion of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, an emergency humanitarian aid for families in Afghanistan started again in April. Thanks to so many great supporters, we were even able to exceed the donation goal of 35,745€ and not only distribute food packages to 300 families in need, but also support educational projects where funds had been missing for months.  
 
After a long time of struggling and hoping, the BMZ finally approved 2 applications in August for the projects that were frozen in 2021. This was followed in September by the approval of the education project at Block Haye Hawayee Middle School and the training project to become a jewelry smith, which creates professional prospects for women in Afghanistan. Another success was the completion of the Mohammad Parsa Primary School building in October: around 600 students can now finally learn in a safe environment! Their old school was in such a desolate condition that the children had to be evacuated to a neighboring school due to the danger of collapse.  

Winter Emergency Aid 2022

Now the cold season is approaching. In Afghanistan, winters are a time when large parts of the population have to fight for survival: Temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees meet people whose only shelters are tents or makeshift huts without heating facilities. Every year, Afghan winters already result in deaths from frostbite and starvation. In the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, the population is particularly vulnerable to this this year - and the first snow is already falling. With our Winter Emergency Aid 2022, we can now work together to help 277 internally displaced families get safely through the cold season.

UGANDA

Due to the Corona pandemic, schools in Uganda remained closed for longer than in any other country in the world - for almost two years, students did not experience a regular school day. In January, the schools finally reopened. The pilot project at Barmwony Primary School was successfully completed the following month. 1,235 children can finally attend classes in a suitable learning atmosphere.  

In May, we went on a project trip: For two weeks, part of the Visions team traveled from Kampala to Lira in the north of the country. From there, we visited a total of ten schools in the Otuke and Oyam districts together with the local partner organization LTP (Link to Progress). The project trips serve an even closer exchange with the local partner organizations and meetings with potential new partners. In direct discussions with students, teachers and parents, we gain important insights into the challenges and wishes on the ground.

The first BMZ-funded project then started in August: At 7 project schools there is no electricity and only partial access to water, there is a lack of sanitary facilities and the existing ones are in desolate condition. The WASH program creates improved hygienic standards for the approximately 6,000 students by building sanitary facilities and establishing a supply of water and promotes sustainable school structures.

The importance of measures in the area of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is demonstrated by the renewed outbreak of the Ebola virus in September. So far, the situation at the seven project schools has been calm and school operations remain intact. In other parts of the country, where there is a higher number of cases of the extremely deadly virus, schools have already had to be closed.

GERMANY

We also made a big difference in Germany this year. Hila was able to bring our vision to millions of people in numerous venues, in speeches and talks, in podcasts and on television. In January, Hila spoke in Vogue about our work in Afghanistan and our understanding of sustainable cooperation, and in March she appealed to the German government's responsibility for the current situation in Afghanistan at Sound of Peace in front of the Brandenburg Gate. At the Coldplay concerts in July, we were able to inspire over 200,000 fans for our educational work with Global Citizen.

A particular success was our campaign and cooperations on the one-year takeover by the Taliban. Under the slogan #DontForgetAfghanistan, we demonstrated on the streets of Berlin and Hamburg with over a thousand participants and mobilized over 60,000 supporters for a petition with the goal of taking responsibility for the people in Afghanistan and not looking the other way.

And last but not least: THANK YOU for your interest in our work and your support! Without you donors, all the successes this year would not have been possible at all.

Happy new year and take care,

Celine

Links:

• Wash program Uganda
• Middle School Block Haye Hawayee
• Training program for women in Afghanistan