Scholarships for At-risk Youth in Afghanistan

Hi Friends & Supporters,

We thank you for your continued support of Bamyan, as it’s helped increase our impact to so many students in need. We’re excited for the New Year and to share with you all the exciting progress that the students have made. We’ve seen stories of students receive financial aid to attend school when otherwise they would have had to drop out, girls exceed all society expectations and reach the top of their class, and students become the first in their families to graduate! Below we share with you the progress on each school as well as some spotlights on specific students.

Marefat:

Overall, our 23 students at Marefat have had exceptional attendance and all of them have passed their Final exams except 2 boys, in grades 8 and 12. All the girls have passed their mid-terms and 4 of them are top position holders in their classes! 3 of the boys are top position holders. Also, 3 of our students have graduated and we wish them all the best!

Student Spotlights:

Mustafa is originally from Bamyan province in the central highlands of the country. Mustafa’s average score in the final exams of 11th grade was 82.31 ranking as the 11th position-holder in the entire class. In the academic year of 2019, Mustafa is a 12th grader and hopes to continue his education as engineer. Mustafa has been a recipient of sponsorship from the school charity box since grade 6.

Rahila, a student of 12th grade, is one of the top10 students among her classmates. Her father is disabled and her entire family is supported by her mother who works as a cook and janitor. Rahila is an intelligent girl with high ambition. Rahila’s average score in grade 11 was 90.31% which is equivalent to B level at Marefat High School.

Zahra, a 12th grade student, is one of the role models at Marefat High School always ranking as the 1st student of her class. Zahra’s father is a street worker who has given her children the greatest possible hope and optimism. Zahra’s average score in the final exams of her 11th grade was 96.12% which is a dreamful achievement at Marefat High School’s senior classes. Zahra is a hardworking and helpful student who is a beloved member of her class.

Hakima, the eldest daughter of a 12-member family, is a 12th grade student. She is one of the most dedicated and resolved students at Marefat High School. She started her schooling with Adult Literacy School at Marefat, but through an accelerated learning program managed all her 11grades in six years. Ms. Hakima is envisioning her future as a physician and wishes to change her family’s mindset who never thought of their female members to be literate and educated. With the encouraging achievements of Hakima, now all her female members of the family, including her younger sister and mother, are studying in the school and have grown their dreams for their independent futures.

Rahnaward:

At Rahnaward, all of our 21 students have had exceptional attendance and all but one of them have passed their Final exams. It demonstrates the hard work of the teachers and staff at Rahnaward and the spirit and thirst of the students for knowledge and learning. Additionally, 3 boys and 1 girl supported by Bamyan are among top position holders in their classes.

Student Spotlights:

Asadullah is in 6th grade and has 4 sisters. Since his mother passed away his older sisters help with the household responsibilities. Asadulla’s father can’t read and write, and he has moved his family to Laal and Sar Jangal, where Rahnaward is located, and does menial labor to support his family. He wants his children to be able to read and write. Asadullah has been a top position holder since grade 4. He is excited to be at Rahnaward with support of Bamyan Foundation.  Asadullah wants to be an engineer and wants to contribute towards rebuilding of his country in the future. Asadullah is excelling in multiple subjects and has exceptional drawing skills.

Hakima is in 3rd grade and lives in a family of 8, including her grandmother. Her father is a taxi driver is doing everything he can to provide education for his 5 children. Hakima has been top position holder since grade 1. During winter holidays, she also takes classes to learn English. She already misses school and can’t wait for the spring when school begins. Hakima helps her mother at home by bringing drinking water from the spring and helps with the dishes. Hakima has performed at the music band at school and she wishes to become a doctor. Both Hakima and her father are grateful to Bamyan Foundation for supporting Hakima’s education.

Baba:

At Baba, all 31 students have passed with exceptional attendance. Three students were no longer attending Baba. A female student in sixth grade, left for Kabul with her family, after passing the midterm exams. Two other male students from seventh grade also moved prior to the midterms and Baba school took the opportunity to replace them with two new students, a female and a male who did exceptionally well taking 3rd and 4th positions in their classes. Eighteen of the students earned the top three positions in their respective classes, among whom 8 are girls.

Student Spotlights:

Arozu is a 3rd grade student. Arozu was born to a poor family as the 7th child. Her mother passed away after giving birth to Arozu and she was adopted by another family with similar economic status. Arozu missed a few early years of schooling until her step-mother approached Baba High School for help. Once at school, Arozu quickly adjusted to the new learning environment and impressed her teachers and classmates by her hard work and talent. She actively engages in all curricular and extra-curricular activities of school. She partakes in two school students’ committees and leads the school ballad group. Arozu is also a confident announcer of the school’s morning programs. Arozu enjoys drawing and sees herself as a kind teacher for girls.

Nazima, is an 11th grade student. Nazima was introduced to Baba School after she won the first position in an academic competition among school students in Bamyan. Nazima has 5 siblings and her father works as a gardener in a government office for an insignificant salary. Nazima is one of the top students at school and actively takes part in volunteer activities in the community. She also likes sport activities and is a member of Baba Ice-skating Team. Nazima is also trying to learn English and secure a scholarship abroad for further education. Nazima aspires to work in the public sector in the future.

Qurban, is a 10th grade student. He is the second position holder in his class. He speaks English very well and never misses an opportunity for learning and growth. He is a regular contributor to the school newspaper, and is usually the first position holder in academic competitions. He is a member of the school drama group. Unlike his academic successes, Qurban Ali’s life has been filled with difficulties and a heavy loss. His father died when he was only 5 years old. He and his three younger siblings were left with his mother. His mother works at a government office in Bamyan as a cleaner for a monthly salary equivalent to $75. Since her income did not suffice for the family’s expenses, Qurban started working in a bakery shop for a monthly salary equivalent to $15 to help his mother and siblings survive. It was there that the principal of Baba School met Qurban and asked him to transfer from the public school he used to go to Baba School. Qurban enjoys sciences and wants to study electrical engineering.  

ROYA:

The 8 former child laborers continue to make progress. All of the students had exceptional attendance records, with the exception of a few sick days.  Hamid, 3rd grade, secured 4th position in his class. Rahmatullah, 5th grade, became a 3rd position holder, while Fatima gained a 2nd position in 5th grade. The other five students all passed with good results. Zainab and Rahmatullah have joined the Royesh Private School for their special winter session and have been accepted to attend the school during the regular school year starting after the new academic year. All the students, except for Ezzatullah, are taking winter session classes at Royesh and will continue there after the new year. This will be a great improvement for Zainab and Rahmatullah that will allow for a closer supervision and a direct line of communication with Royesh administrators. Approximately half of the students at Royesh School come from impoverished families, so ROYA students do not feel like outcastes. Likewise, the school has adopted specific strategies to help those children to be more successful.

Student Spotlights:

In the summer of 2016, Rahmatullah became the first child laborer supported by the ROYA Mentorship Program. Previously, he was a small boy working on the streets of Western Kabul. Rahmat receives a stipend from Akademos Society in Australia so that he no longer needs to work. The Bamyan Foundation began supporting the costs for Rahmat to attend private school in December 2016.

Rahmat just finished 5th grade and earned the 3rd position in his class at Royesh Private School. He has had only one absence all school year. He attends school twelve months a year and recently started a special English class at the school. He has participated in ROYA's movie and book clubs, attended a performance and workshop with the Afghan Mobile Mini Children's Circus (AMMCC), and visited the Children's Museum for Science & Technology – Kabul. He also enjoy learning computers skills at school. Rahmat was recently featured in a short video news report done by VOA Dari.

As you can see, many of the students supported by Bamyan have suffered financially, emotionally, and sometimes even physically in the form of child labor. We hope that their stories have inspired you as much as they have inspired us. We thank you for your continued support and we kindly ask you to share these stories with others in your networks. The more support we receive, the more students we can help pull our of child labor or other dire circumstances.