 Mother and daugther stand together as co-teachers.The mother
teaches the higher level Literacy Course 'Sowat Hayati',
while the daugther teaches the lower level 'Sowat Amausi'. Barakat Afghanistan schools and Literacy Centers are based in the two Northern provinces of Faryab and Jowzjan which are home to Turkmen and Uzbek ethnic groups. Many of our students and their families are resettling in their homeland after many years of having been refugees. The desire for education is very much a reality in the region, but again female education is a major challenge that requires creative strategies and constant motivational input from Barakat staff. -
At least ninety percent of the students come from families where women’s education is given a low priority. The traditional joint family system in which more than one generation live under the same roof, with the eldest male member of the family as the head of the household is a flourishing institution in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the oldest members of the family are usually the least inclined to welcome or promote social change, especially with regard to women's rights. Consequently, education for women and girls is given a low priority. Unlike Bhadohi, India, educated women in Afghanistan become less, not more, marriageable. Together these factors create an atmosphere in which women's education is discouraged and their freedom of movement as well as expression is curtailed. Barakat teachers and staff serve as very good role-models for the students and their families. They lead by example as well as by talking to parents one-on-one in order to encourage them to send their girls to school. There is little social incentive for girls to attend school. Even those who send their daughters to school want to pull them out of school once they reach puberty, and marry them in their mid-teens. Their marriage is expected to be fruitful and the girls are encouraged to begin a large family as soon as possible. In the midst of all these social expectations and pressures, education gets side-tracked. Indeed, the education of women in Afghanistan is closely linked to the amount of freedom of movement and expression they have. There is a cyclical relationship between the two - parents will not allow their girls to attend school because their movement outside the house must be curtailed; consequently, keeping them uneducated. These uneducated girls in turn become mothers and continue to force this practice upon their daughters. The only way of breaking this cycle is by the introduction of education for girls so that the girls themselves are better able to think, voice and act upon their own ideas of right and wrong. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the parents are often also acting out of fear of societal pressure and want above all, to see their daughters well-married into a good family. In order to do so they confirm to social norms, reluctant to be agents of change. This is also where Barakat staff and school personnel endeavor to intervene by promoting alternate social norms which include education for girls while trying to maintain a badge of respectability. At least thirty percent of the students are returning refugees. Barakat educational programs started in Afghanistan in 2003, and we have been receiving returning refugees since then - from Pakistan and Iran. What this means is that the students come from families which have been, more often than not, living under inhospitable circumstances in foreign countries without access to education for children. In Pakistan, Barakat schools do exist to serve the refugee populations; however, these can accommodate only a small number of the many hundreds of thousands of refugees. Consequently, some of our students are over age, but this does not stop their eagerness to learn. Also, a return to their homeland does not mean an end to their struggles. Families have to re-establish themselves financially and reclaim their house and occupation, which requires many years of work. This brings us to the next major characteristic of the Barakat student population in Afghanistan. -
At least eighty percent of students come from poor families. Returning refugees and long-term inhabitants of Faryab and Jowzjan alike come under this category. Both Faryab and Jowzjan are arid desert areas with a real scarcity of water, fertile land and a strong economy. The carpet industry, other local handicrafts like embroidery, small shops and trades, and animal husbandry make up the local economic system. Seasonal fruits like melon do flourish but again, this does not provide income or employment for the entire year. What this means is that the families have to struggle to provide children with basic nutritional inputs, proper clothing for hot and cold weather and adequate, sanitary living space. As part of a family unit, a child receives both the love and care that comes from being a valued part of the family, as well as sharing the hardships that the entire family has to face together. Since Barakat students come from poor families they often lack the essentials of good food, shelter, clothing, health care and sanitation which the well-off take for granted. This in turn detracts from the children’s best contributions in school. More often than not, children’s families do their very best to send them to school well-fed and in properly washed and pressed uniforms. Yet, there are children who do not have this level of care at home, and it shows in their appearance. -
At least eighty percent of students come from families of first generation learners. Another factor to be taken under consideration in families which have at least one literate parent is that parent is normally the father, indicating a real lack of role-models for education for girls. This means that the children come from families which do not have a long-held tradition of education. In real terms this translates into families where parental at-home guidance is absent/minimal for the school-going children. Also, parents may or may not be aware of the necessity of ensuring that children need a certain amount of time daily to study at home, as well as a quiet space conducive to study. These are important educational inputs that most teachers rely on parents for and they make a real difference to the quality of the learning process. As with adults in their workspace, children too need supportive learning environments at school and at home – the latter is a missing quantity that deflects time, structure and emphasis from learning. Furthermore, these children cannot turn to their parents for guidance with respect to their school work. -
At least ninety percent come from large families with four or more siblings. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the tradition of extended families increases the size of the household three to four times the size of the child’s own nuclear family. A larger household does not automatically imply greater living space; on the contrary the poor are often bound not just by family ties, but also by economic necessity. What this means is limited space and time for a child to study at home. Being surrounded by cousins and friends of the same age-group coupled with small, crowded, ill-lit spaces to study does not make for a conducive learning environment at home. This is a challenge that can be overcome with extra classes after-school and during the summer months, and indeed remains an educational facility that Barakat will strive to offer to its students in the future.
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