My Dream for Education Turns into Reality: Nasiba's Inspiring Journey

In 2019, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) initiated the Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) in Afghanistan, benefiting 130,000 children and adolescents in the country's most underserved regions. The MYRP focuses on extending community-based education (CBE) and ensuring diverse learning pathways for vulnerable children. A new consortium including Save the Children International (SCI), the Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been identified to implement the Afghanistan Multi-Year Resilience Programme, funded by ECW from the beginning of 2023 until the end of 2024. Nasiba’s story is a testament to the impact of this initiative. “I am Nasiba, an 8-year-old from the beautiful village of Mohammad Amin Khail in Sayed Karam district of Paktia province. I am a student in a CBE class established and supported by the Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC). My life has been full of struggles and hardship, being an orphan with no adult male guardian in our family. I always had a strong desire to go to school and hoped to become a doctor in the future, but unfortunately, there was no school in our village. The only school in our area was six kilometers away from our home, and without a male guardian, it was impossible to attend school every day. This deprivation made my life difficult and filled with sorrow. However, my life changed when AWEC came to our village and convinced the community elders to establish a CBE class for us. A very talented female teacher, who is also a resident of our village, was hired to run our class. The day I was enrolled in the CBE class and received a student kit (books, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.) for the first time was truly one of the happiest days of my entire life. The excitement was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even sleep without my school bag by my side. I am extremely grateful to my teacher and the AWEC organization for providing me and other underprivileged children in our village with a quality education. I am determined not to let this opportunity go in vain and hope for continued support and cooperation in the future.” Nasiba's story highlights the transformative power of education and the critical role that community-based initiatives play in reaching the most vulnerable children in remote areas. The MYRP, through the dedicated efforts of organizations like AWEC, SCI, and NRC, is making a significant difference in the lives of children like Nasiba, offering them hope and a pathway to a brighter future.
08-26-2024