Three decades of war have taken their toll on the Afghan province of Bamyan. The world watched aghast in 2001 as Bamiyan’s two great standing Buddha statues were destroyed by the Taliban, but this was only the last in a long series of injustices and deprivations for the inhabitants of Bamyan province. Thirty years of weakened government, civil war, and geographic isolation have not only denied Bamyan progress, but in many cases have caused a collapse of the quiet and prosperous village life that had once passed so peacefully beneath the countenances of the great Buddhas. Today, the people of Bamiyan live without access to education, healthcare or even clean drinking water. Some are homeless and must seek shelter in caves to survive.

In response to their needs, the Ayenda foundation has decided to construct a learning center to provide for the educational requirements of Bamyan. Unlike humanitarian aid, which has only a temporary impact, education initiatives like the Ayenda Children Learning Center provide sustainable development with a permanent improvement in quality of life. The value of education in Afghanistan cannot be overestimated. As President Hamid Karzai said recently, “Even if we could find only a penny, we should spend it for education of our sons and daughters. We will then have a better future.” The Ayenda Foundation is determined to make sure that the people of one of Afghanistan’s most beautiful provincial towns are on the way to just such a future.     

Project Specifications:
The education center will be two stories tall and cover a footprint of 780 square meters. The first floor will have a kitchen, dining room, library, administrative office, modern baths, conference hall and six classrooms. The second floor will have accommodations for boys and girls in the form of four bedrooms, baths and showers, and a shared communal space. In total there will be 24 rooms (12 on each floor). The school will have classroom space for 210 students and will be able to house 128 students. For security, the center will be protected by an exterior wall with four gates. With utilities, and fully furnished, the structure will cost 250,000 USD. To put the price in perspective, when spread over one year, the cost for the completed center will be only 3.30 USD a week per student.

Ground Breaking Ceremony: The ground breaking of the Ayenda Children Learning Center took place on April 20, 2008 by the Governor of the Bamiyan province, Governor Sarabi, and the Founder of the Bayat Foundation, Mr. Ehsan Bayat. The Bayat Foundation is overseeing and managing the construction of the new Learning Center.