Charmaghz provides marginalized Afghan children with education opportunities through mobile libraries. We operate the largest chain of children's libraries in Afghanistan--including 16 mobile libraries in Kabul--that welcome children into a safe, supportive, creative, and booked-filled environment. In our libraries, trained Librarians support children to build basic reading and math skills, engage in games and art activities, and explore the world of storybooks.
Nearly four million children are out of school in Afghanistan, and only 7% of 10 year olds can read proficiently. Many children do not have access to age-appropriate books at home, and most public schools in Kabul do not have any library infrastructure, leaving children without access to books other than their textbooks. As a result, not only is children's academic progress stunted, but they rarely experience the joys of reading--or being read to--for pleasure.
Charmaghz turns old public buses into child-friendly and book-filled mobile libraries in Kabul, Afghanistan. Our libraries offer children a space to engage in a wide range of activities including reading, games, art, and play. Most importantly, children are exposed to a collection of age-appropriate books in their native languages (Dari and Pashto), and develop basic reading skills. Our mobile libraries are staffed by trained Librarians who support children to explore the world of books.
Charmaghz's mobile libraries support children's academic and socio-emotional growth. Children develop an appreciation for books, and the doors that reading can open. When children start reading on their own, they are exposed to new ideas, and can start to re-imagine their own future. What's more, through our community engagement work, Charmaghz is building a culture of reading in the neighborhoods where we operate, and we encourage parents to send their children, especially girls, to school.
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