Rebuilding hope in Afghanistan

They had dreams of a better life for their children. More than two decades of war had ravaged their families and communities and left their educational system in ruins. Two generations of opportunity lost. Yet the people of Afghanistan never lost hope. Their own dreams thwarted, they never stopped believing that their children’s would one day be ignited.

Today, education is emerging in Afghanistan as a powerful tool for rebuilding the country. Since the end of 2001, the Afghan government has been working with local communities, non-governmental organizations and the international community. Together, they have repaired hundreds of school buildings, provided safe water and sanitation facilities to more than 1,000 others, supplied more than 8,500 tents to house temporary classrooms and airlifted thousands of tons of school supplies into the country. They have developed curricula and helped ensure that girls have access to education.

In March 2002, schools opened their doors for the first time in years. Three million children – one third of them girls – flooded the classrooms. With international support, the Ministry of Education is now focusing its efforts on improving the school environment so that even more girls will come to school.