by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
According to a report on NPR, public education is among the many casualties of the war in Afghanistan. Almost half of the nation’s children don’t go to school, especially in the Taliban-rife south.
Because of militant attacks, many of the schools have closed. Parents are keeping their girls at home because of the threat of violence. But growing numbers of girls refuse to give up their schooling and it’s estimated that there exist more than 400 classes each with 30 Afghan girls.
Marzia Sadat, 17, conducts a 10 month Dari language course in the courtyard of her parents house where her students range in age from 14-40, all wearing opaque burkas, hiding their identity.
The Canadian International Development Agency and the World Food Program are helping the government keep such efforts alive by offering parents wheat, cooking oil and salt to send their girls to classes.
While their teacher, Sadat, doesn’t get paid, she receives only food staples, understanding that education is one important way to help her country stabilize.
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