Scholarships for At-risk Youth in Afghanistan

Thank you for your generous donations to Scholarships for At-risk Youth in Afghanistan.

We are pleased to inform you that we are continuing our scholarship program this year. We supported 188 students (147 girls and 41 boys) in the previous academic year and 180 of them successfully passed their final exams. At the beginning of each academic year, due the unpredictable and volatile situation, we consult with our educators/school principals on the ground to develop a strategy on the way forward for the upcoming year. 

Similar to the previous year, and through this project, Scholarships for At-risk Youth, the Foundation supports both boys and girls in our partner schools in Afghanistan. Our schools are located in the marginalized and heavily discriminated Hazara areas of Afghanistan. Hazaras are one of the major racial/ethnic groups, who have borne the brunt of racism and religious discrimination since the inception of the state of Afghanistan. In recent decades, extremist groups like the Taliban and ISIS have systematically targeted Hazaras not only due to the aforementioned factors but also due to the community’s support for education, moderate norms and peaceful values during the US intervention in Afghanistan. Hazara women are in higher risks due to the intersectional factors of gender, race and religion. As such, in these difficult times and with Taliban’s return to power, it is of utmost importance to continue supporting this resilient community that faces incredible hardships in Afghanistan.

While boys are allowed to go to schools; however, girls and women remain banned from education. Our program focuses on elementary to high school level education. In some of our schools, the girls continue their education via a combination of segregated classes (separate form boys and with female teachers only) and remote classes while in other schools, the girls continue their studies in underground classes. Due to safety and security of our schools and educators, we do not disclose their names. While we supported 188 students last year, we will provide an update on the final number of students we are supporting this year in our next report. 

In recent months, there is a growing concern about Taliban’s strategy of gradually transforming regular schools into Madrassas and allowing girls to have access to such institutions. The strategy is for two major reasons: 1). to tell the world that they are lifting the ban; and 2). gain recognition of their government. According to the Afghan news outlet, Hashtesobh, the Taliban government has reached undisclosed agreement with the international community on said strategy. Though this may benefit the stakeholders of such institutions in the short term, however, Afghan experts warn about the grave dangers of radicalization in the long term. To learn more on this crucial issue, please read the Hashtesobh article provided via the first link below. 

Despite the enormous challenges, our team is in contact with grassroot leaders and educators across the Hazara areas of Afghanistan. Due to the difficult journey of Hazaras, there is an incredible level of emphasis on modern education. Our community leaders and educators in Afghanistan and in the diaspora think outside the box to continue providing access and discreetly support education initiatives, particularly girls’ education, in this challenging time. We are immensely grateful for your continuous support that has allowed us to continue this very important work.   

Thank you,

Timor + The Bamyan Foundation Team

Links:

• Transforming Schools to Madrassas
• Taliban Strengthens Religious Schools