The Asia Foundation

San Francisco and Kabul

Today, The Asia Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the Sheridan-Urbanski Family announced a new fundraising effort that will support critical improvements in girls’ schools in Afghanistan. During Afghanistan’s years of armed conflict and rule under the Taliban regime, many schools were damaged or destroyed and remain in serious disrepair. As a result, girls are attending schools that are in very poor condition, and many schools are unable to enroll all of the students who want to attend.

Over the past eight years, great strides have been made in rebuilding Afghanistan’s education infrastructure but more needs to be done. According to a nationwide opinion poll conducted by The Asia Foundation last year, 45 percent of Afghans cited lack of education and illiteracy as the biggest problems facing women. Many government-run schools lack basic resources to meet current classroom needs, and are unable to expand enrollment to meet the demand. Some schools have resorted to using shipping containers and tents for classroom space; however, many families are uncomfortable sending their daughters to dilapidated or overcrowded schools and question the safety of these facilities.

To meet this joint matching grant, The Asia Foundation seeks to raise $80,000 that will be matched one-to-one by generous donations from the National Geographic Society and the Sheridan-Urbanski Family to reach a goal of $160,000 by Dec. 15, 2009. These funds will pay for much-needed reconstruction and repairs at girls’ schools, both to meet the needs of current students and to prepare for classroom expansion that will enable more girls to enroll. Plans for repair include improving basic infrastructure such as plumbing and toilet fixtures, as well as increasing the number of desks and chairs. The project will also include shipments of English-language books and other educational materials from The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program to stock school library shelves. The books provided will cover subjects ranging from computer science and math to communications and political science, as well as children’s literacy materials.

Schools like Amir Shir Ali Khan School, which currently has only five toilets and one hand-operated water pump to accommodate over 2,000 students and faculty, will benefit from such planned improvements with upgraded doors and blast-proof windows to secure against ongoing bombings, and new tables, chairs, upgraded bathroom facilities, and brand new textbooks.

First supported by the National Geographic Society’s Afghan Girls Fund in 2002, The Asia Foundation continues to be a leader in improving girls’ education and expanding opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan. Past support from the National Geographic Society has enabled The Asia Foundation to foster healthy learning environments such as rebuilding the Rabia-e Balkhi Girls High School in Kabul, which included increased donations of books and educational materials for its library and providing computers and a projector for its computer center. In 2008, the National Geographic Society expanded its funding scope, recasting its initiative as the Afghan Children’s Fund, committed to improving education opportunities for all children in Afghanistan as well as Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. The Asia Foundation is pleased to have the Sheridan-Urbanski Family as a new partner in our ongoing efforts to improve girls’ education in Afghanistan.

Learn more about the Afghanistan Matching Grant.

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