Advancing EducationalOpportunities in Afghanistan

The Afghan system of higher education, particu-larly Kabul University, had been developed into a relatively strong set of institutions by thelate 1970s, in part through assistance from TheAsia Foundation. Today, the Foundation contin-ues to play an integral role in aiding the highereducation institutions in Afghanistan by provid-ing essential support to universities acrossAfghanistan, other educational institutions, andlocal non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

From 1989 to 1994, The Asia Foundation sup-ported activities in basic literacy, numeracy, andvocational skills training for hundreds of poorAfghan women in refugee camps. Since the re-establishment of The Asia Foundation’s office inKabul, a major emphasis of the Foundation’s re-emerging program in Afghanistan has been work-ing to help women and girls rebuild their lives inthe aftermath of the Taliban era. As part of itscurrent programming, the Foundation has estab-lished strong links with the formal education system of Afghanistan – including the Ministry ofEducation and the Ministry of Education - and isproviding small grants to NGO partners in orderto address strategic and emerging educational

needs throughout the country. By initiating inno-vative and successful pilot projects, and workingclosely with Afghan partners, the Foundation hashad a significant impact and advanced educationin Afghanistan.

SUPPORT FOR THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

OF AFGHANISTAN

With the fall of the Taliban in 2001, higher education became a crucial part of reconstructionefforts in Afghanistan. The American Universityof Afghanistan (AUAf) was created in 2004 toprovide young men and women with American-style higher education while celebrating the cul-tural heritage of Afghanistan.

Between 2005 and 2009, The Asia Foundationassisted the university through organizational andprogrammatic support. The primary objective ofthese efforts was to ensure that AUAf could oper-ate as an independent, transparent, and account-able entity. To achieve this, the Foundationassumed fiduciary responsibilities for AUAf onbehalf of USAID. Through the Foundation’s sup-port, AUAf accomplished several substantialachievements including: the establishment of

The Asia Foundation re-established an office in Kabul in February 2002 to launch new program initiativesin key areas central to the development of post-Taliban Afghanistan. Essential among these initiatives isthe creation of a strong educational system that is vital for long-term reconstruction of the country. TheAsia Foundation addresses strategic educational needs in Afghanistan by supporting initiatives in highereducation as well as increasing educational opportunities for women and girls.

The Asia Foundation’s

Books for Asia program

donates approximately

40,000 new books

annually to Afghanistan.

In partnership with the

Ministry of Education,

The Asia Foundation

implemented a nation-

wide college preparatory

course program to ensure

students are prepared for

their national college

entrance examination.

The Asia Foundation

re-established its Kabul

office in 2002.

AFGHANISTAN

independent financial managementand functional logistical facilities,the commencement of preparatoryschool and graduation classes, thefinalization of a facilities masterplan, and reaching adequate staffinglevels. By March 2008, AUAf suc-cessfully passed a USAID-adminis-tered audit and was then able toapply for and subsequently obtaindirect funding from USAIDthrough assistance from theFoundation. By late 2009, AUAfhad enrolled 259 undergraduatestudents and 129 students in theFoundation Studies program.

NATIONAL COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION

PREPARATORY COURSE

One of the significant barriers facing students inAfghanistan is the lack of adequate and effective prepara-tion for the national college entrance examination. MostAfghan students have little or no access to preparatoryexamination materials and are unfamiliar with registra-tion procedures. This presents an enormous barrier inaccessing higher education.

In an effort to address this issue, The Asia Foundation,in partnership with the Ministry of Education, imple-mented a nationwide college preparatory course programto ensure students are prepared for their national collegeentrance examination. Building on a successful pilot project in one province designed by the Foundation, inthe ensuing two-year period between 2007 and 2009,13,000 teachers were engaged across all 34 provinces ofAfghanistan, who then reached approximately 200,000students who were eligible for the national collegeentrance examination. Additionally, in 2009, 60,000Dari and 40,000 Pashto examination guidebooks weredistributed to students and 6,000 teachers’ guides weredistributed to teachers. As of 2010, this program success-fully and significantly increased the number of students,particularly female students, who sat for and subsequent-ly passed the entrance exam for institutions of higherlearning. In its initial year of 2006, less than 800 stu-dents participated in the preparatory course. By 2008,the number had increased to almost 89,000 studentsacross all provinces. The Ministry of Education has now assumed complete responsibility for the preparatorycourses.

ADDRESSING EMERGING AND STRATEGIC

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The Asia Foundation has established a small grantsmechanism to provide support for NGOs working toprovide or strengthen basic and higher education inAfghanistan. For a variety of legitimate reasons, theseorganizations do not have direct access to funding fromUSAID. In August 2010, a small grant was issued toGeopolicity, Inc., a Dubai-based managementconsultancy group, to conduct an educational sectoranalysis and assessment of the Afghan NationalEducation Strategic Plan for 2010-2014. Findings fromthis assessment will enable the Ministry of Education toapply for financing under the World Bank’s Fast TrackInitiative (FTI) which allocates funds to assist develop-ing nations achieve the Millennium Development Goalof universal primary education by 2015.

This small grants effort builds upon a prior small grantmechanism created by the Foundation in 2006 that sup-ported various education initiatives including establish-ing 280 community libraries, a public campaign to fur-ther girl’s education on three national TV stations, provi-sion of laboratory equipment and training for scienceteachers, and psychosocial training for teachers and girls.

IMPROVING GIRLS’ SCHOOLS

The Asia Foundation has helped to renovate two impor-tant girls’ schools in Kabul, the historic and prestigiousRabia-e-Balkhi Girls’ School and the Lama-e-ShaheedGirls’ School. Serving nearly 3,000 girls in grades K-12,the Rabia-e-Balkhi Girls’ School was almost destroyedduring the years of conflict. From 2003, when theFoundation began its work with Rabia-e-Balkhi, classes

were being held in tents on rubble strewn grounds withno electricity, sanitation, or water supply, no desks orchairs, and almost no teaching materials. In partnershipwith the National Geographic Society Afghan Girls’Fund and other private donors, the Foundation helpedrebuild 14 classrooms, establish five science labs, provideclassroom furnishings and educational materials, andcreate a new resource center with a library, multi-pur-pose conference and training hall, and computer-train-ing lab. The Lama-e-Shaheed Girls’ School, supportedwith a grant from the Ketcham Family Foundation andother private donors, now has refurbished classrooms, arepaired roof and sanitation system, and more teachingmaterials and school supplies for the 4,500 female stu-dents and 155 teachers at the school.

REMEDIAL AND ACCELERATED EDUCATION FOR

WOMEN AND GIRLS

Afghanistan’s educational system was devastated duringthe decades of war, and between the five years of Talibanrule, from 1996-2001, girls were forbidden to attendschool. Today, women and girls are eager to resume theireducation. Since 2007, The Asia Foundation has part-nered with Aid Afghanistan for Education (AAE) toprovide remedial and accelerated education programs toat least 3,100 female students each year in eightprovinces across the country. Students move up onegrade level every eight months in order to completetheir education. After completing the program, somestudents integrate into the regular school system whileothers continue their education with AAE. Overall, thisprogram provides fundamental educational buildingblocks to help build a pool of educated girls and womenand increase their opportunities to access to higher edu-cation, secure jobs, and promote gender equality.

KABUL UNIVERSITY’S WOMEN’S DORMITORY

In April 2010, in partnership with theMinistry of Higher Education, The AsiaFoundation completed development ofthe environmentally friendly NationalWomen’s Dormitory at Kabul University.Kabul University plays a particularlyimportant role in providing technicaleducation and training needed forAfghan reconstruction. Beginning in2004, the university inaugurated a mod-ern dormitory that now houses over1,100 female students from 28 provincesoutside of Kabul. Since 2008, with sup-port from USAID, the Foundation has

provided vital upgrades to the dormitory and worked toimprove its operations and management while alsoexpanding the scope of services made available to itsfemale students. The Foundation has also provided sup-port for the development of enrichment programs whichaim to increase the quality of life for students living inthe dormitory while also building their civic values andleadership skills. Through this support, the dormitory isbecoming a place where both female students and staffcan build a healthy, caring community and is fosteringan academically supportive environment where youngwomen can reach their full potential to be well-educatedcitizens and future leaders.

THE AFGHANISTAN CENTER AT KABUL UNIVERSITY

The AfghanistanCenter at KabulUniversity(ACKU) is theonly depositoryproviding a com-prehensive collec-tion of researchmaterials in thecountry. ACKU’sgoal is to sharethis unique andimportant nation-al resource withstudents and theacademic commu-nity for the bene-fit of the peopleof Afghanistan. The Asia Foundation provides fiduciaryoversight to ACKU as well as technical and on-the-jobmentoring in order to enable ACKU to absorb andmanage its substantial growth and also provide educa-tional materials to disadvantaged and remote communi-

ties throughoutthe countrythrough its boxlibrary extensionprogram (ABLE).This will ulti-mately result in adynamic researchand informationinstitution able tomanage andadvance researchon Afghanistan.

BOOKS FOR ASIA

The Asia Foundationestablished its officein Afghanistan in1954 and supportededucational institu-tions with donationsof English books andeducational materialsuntil the late 1970s.In 2002, theFoundation re-openedits office and re-estab-lished its Books forAsia program. The Foundation was one of thefirst organizations to help re-establish libraries byproviding English-language materials to manyinstitutions in Afghanistan after the expulsion ofthe Taliban.

Books for Asiadonates approxi-mately 40,000new books andother educationalmaterials annual-ly to approxi-mately 280 insti-tutions acrossAfghanistan,including schools,public libraries,universities, andteacher training

centers in support of youth and adult literacy;and nongovernmental organizations and govern-ment ministries. Donated by prominent publish-ers, these books are highly valued by Afghaninstitutions.

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@asiafound-dc.org

AFGHANISTANHouses # 48 & 50Street No. 1, Hajji Yaquob SquareShahr-e-NawKabul – AfghanistanTel: +93 (0) 75 202 3558Email: tafag@asiafound.org

www.asiafoundation.org

10/2010

The Asia Foundation is

a private, non-profit,

non-governmental

organization. Through

its programs, the

Foundation builds

leadership, improves

policies, and strengthens

institutions to foster

greater openness and

shared prosperity in the

Asia-Pacific region. It is

funded by contributions

from corporations,

foundations, individuals,

and governmental

organizations in the

U.S., Europe, Canada,

Australia, and Asia, and

an annual appropriation

from the U.S. Congress.

In Afghanistan, The Asia Foundation’s programs receive funding from the Australian Agency for International Development, U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Embassy - Afghanistan, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, and UK Embassy,Canadian CIDA, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Belgian Government, the European Union, the National Geographic Society, the United Nations DevelopmentProgram, International Trade and Labour Program - Canada, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, private donors, and the U.S. Congress.