In the mid-1990s, the school system in many parts of Afghanistan collapsed. Teachers were no longer paid salaries, school buildings were distroyed by war, and there was a serious lack of teachers, since many of them had fled the country. Further, girls’ schools had been closed due to the ban of the radical Islamist Taliban regime on girls’ education. In this situation, the Mediothek made school projects for boys and girls one of its priorities. In order to ensure local ownership, the organization chose those kinds of partner schools, in which teachers, parents or students had already taken the first steps towards rehabilitation. Mediothek’s school projects followed a franchise system, whereby other organizations provided the funds for the school building, whereas Mediothek coordinated the construction process as well as the process of community mobilization. Four school projects in the provinces Wardak, Paktia, Baghlan and Kabul have been successfully completed in this way. Mediothek did not start any new projects after 2005, because in the meantime school construction has become a priority of many other international organizations. Instead, the Mediothek has shifted its focus to civic education – an important task that gets much less attention from the international community.
Qala-e Murad Bek School in kabul Province
The school in Qala-i Murad Bek (Kabul province) was opened in spring 2005. 750 boys and girls are taught separately in two shifts. This kind of shift system is common in Afghanistan, since there are not enough schools to accommodate all the students.
The construction of the school was financed by the Independent Afghan Women Association e.V. The process was coordinated by the Mediothek.
The Malalai girl’s school in Wardak
The Malalai School in the province of Wardak is the only girls’ school of the region. Until its opening in March 2004, parents had to send their girls to relatives in Kabul, 80 kilometers away – provided they wanted their daughters to go to school, which was exceptional. The new school had a positive influence on the public opinion in Wardak: In 2003, the school project in planning faced a lot of criticism in the region, as many residents rejected the idea of female education. In the meantime, more and more parents are eager to get a place for their daughters at the school. More than 500 girls are registered at the Malalai school, which is close to the village Laram in the district of Sayed Abad.
The school has been financed by the “Verein Bildung für Afghanistan” (Education for Afghanistan) http://www.bildung-fuer-afghanistan.de/index.html
The Mediothek Afghanistan coordinated this project.
The Jaji Schools in Paktia
Since 1996 has the Mediothek Afghanistan been supporting a boys’ and a girls’ school in the province of Paktia in the district of Jaji close to the border to Pakistan.
The boys’ school Qala-ye Sharif had been destroyed in the mid-1980s during the war against the invader Soviet Union. The school was rebuilt by the local population with the support of the Mediothek, which provided building materials. Ever since, the Mediothek Afghanistan has supported the operation of the school with the help of donors. About 400 boys are being taught here.
The girls’ school in Jaji consists of seven little houses which are spread all over the district. The advantage of the decentralized structure is that the girls have the shortest way possible to school. There is also a historical reason for this: The school was established during Taliban rule. Therefore, the lessons had to take place secretly in privately rented rooms.
Awesta School in Khinjan (Baghlan)
The Awesta-school was established in Khinjand in the province of Baghlan by a local initiative of teachers. They were financially assisted by the “Firdausi” association (named after a famous Sufi-mystic), an organization founded by Afghan exiles in the German city of Karlsruhe. The chairman of the organization originates from Khinjand; he took charge of parts of the building costs. Further costs were financed by donations to Mediothek. Khinjand lies at the foot of the huge Hindukush mountains, directly at the Salang Pass, which connects North and South Afghanistan.
