Nai Qala Association’s 11th school will improve learning conditions for 300 children.
On November 23rd, 2019 the keys of the school of Anda were officially handed over to the school principal. The objective of Nai Qala’s project has been fully achieved namely, to hand over to the community a new and properly equipped school that promotes access to quality education and improves learning opportunities for over 300 school-age girls and boys.
The new school in the village of Anda will provide teachers and students with adequate facilities and equipment that create a working and recreational environment conducive to study and personal development of each child.
A direct impact on the curriculum
In the mountainous regions of central Afghanistan, open-air schools are obliged to close early and for long periods due to heavy snow or rainfall, thus compromising the completion of the annual school program. In Afghanistan, school usually starts in April and ends in November but for many schools that do not have proper buildings the program can only starts in May or sometimes even in June. The same happens at the end of the year, if winter comes earlier than usual, these schools may shut as early as October, making it very hard for teachers and students to complete the yearly curriculum. The new school in Anda is ready to be used by children who have been studying in the rain, snow, hot sun or in the wind, sitting on often damp ground. The new Anda building, with its 6 classrooms, will ensure that the annual education plan can be respected regardless of the weather.
A new pole of attraction
A school building represents a gateway to new opportunities for the community in Anda. With a proper construction, the community can more confidently ask the government and NGOs for educational support. A building acts as proof that material can be carefully kept and maintained. NGOs and the government are thus encouraged to bring more books, stationery, science materials or equipment. Our experience from other schools has also taught us that a new school is not only motivating for the children but also for the teachers, who in the absence of a proper school have high absenteeism and a tendency to leave their jobs. A well-established school is thus a motivation for governmental and non-governmental organizations to include it in their development programs and ensure teacher training and support.
Unexpected side effects of the construction
The school in Anda brought together a very traditional and divided community that has never been able to benefit from a concrete development project. For a year, Nai Qala actively engaged with them, empowered and encouraged them. For the first time, the community of Anda worked together on a common goal where everyone could benefit before, during and after the construction work. At the time of the inauguration, the keys of the building were handed over to the school principal in the presence of the community who created a steering committee for the protection and maintenance of the building.
The sustainability of the school depends on the involvement of all the stakeholders, the regional authorities, the community, parents, teachers and students. Anda school is now an integral part of the national education plan and will benefit, in the future, from management within the framework of the standards defined by the Ministry of Education.