Bamiyan is one of Afghanistan’s most beautiful provinces, filled with pristine lakes and geological wonders. Unfortunately, it is also one of Afghanistan’s least developed provinces. The people of Bamiyan are in need of basic education, which they have been deprived of for over three decades. It is a province where the sight of extreme poverty is routine; many families live in caves and lack access to safe drinking water. Once home to the world famous Giant Buddha statues, the ruins of these icons of human endeavor are a testament to the legacy of abandonment, isolation and suffering in Bamiyan.

Until the Government of Afghanistan develops the capacity to deliver educational services to all its people, humanitarian organizations and non-profit organizations like the Ayenda Foundation can help fill the vacuum.  In Bamiyan Province, preliminary work has begun for a learning center for young orphans. The Ayenda Children’s Learning Center will be a safe and nurturing place for Afghanistan’s orphans, providing room and board, hot meals, and a school. The school will follow the standardized curriculum in educating its students. It is expected to serve students from the ages of 5 to 16.

The Ayenda Children Learning Center will be a two-story building 780 square meters in size. Each floor will be comprised of 12 rooms. The first floor will contain 6 classrooms, a kitchen, dinning room, library, administrative office, modern baths and a conference hall. The 6 rooms specified as classrooms have a total capacity of 210 students. The second floor is divided into two sections: male and female. In each section there are four bedrooms with capacity for 16 students for a total of 128 for both sections. The second floor will also have one TV room, modern baths and shower. The Learning Center will be available to children other than these students, so that others in the community may use these classrooms.

The government of Afghanistan views education as key to long-term success of the state-building process. Improving Afghanistan’s education capacity will advance women’s rights, inform Afghans of their basic rights, help to fight extremism, and advance coexistence. The international community supports education in Afghanistan in a number of ways, and projects initiated by USAID, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank have helped nearly 6 million Afghan students return to school. Children are now expected to start school at age 7 and attend 6 years at the primary level, 3 years of middle school and 3 years of secondary school.

However, there is much more to be done. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent periods of civil war and Taliban control, most trained teachers and qualified instructors fled the country. Literacy rates plummeted. 80% of the school structures were damaged or destroyed. Today, resources are limited and the schools are still at significant risk.  Approximately 60% of schools lack permanent structures; many classes are held in tents or under trees, without books or other school supplies, and even these schools are at risk.  In the last year, terrorists have burned almost 200 schools, and over 100 students and teachers have been killed. The Ayenda Children’s Learning Center hopes to give hope and opportunity to a group of deserving children in Bamiyan. It is a small step, but in Afghanistan, every step toward peace and prosperity is a significant step. With further support and funding, Ayenda will actualize the project in the near future.