HERAT (SW): The relative peace in the past decade-and-half created several opportunities for promotion of education, yet residents of faraway remote areas remain deprived of many such openings.
22-year-old Baseera resides in Herat province’s remote Kashk Rubat Sangi district. She informed Salam Watandar there is a dearth of opportunities for students where she lives. Baseera said economic constrains coupled with long distance to the facilities of higher education result in most of the students dropping out after 12th grade.
Luckily for Baseera, the Organization of Afghanistan’s Civil Societies (OACS) has established a center for preparations for the university entrance test [Kankoor] in her district, and it is here where she studies. Baseera not only takes care of her own studies, but also teaches to her neighbors in the district.
She is not alone in this endeavor to promote literacy in this faraway restive part of the country.
More than 100 boys and girls in Kashk Rubat Sangi district are preparing for the ‘Kankoor’, and also voluntarily teaching others.
Anisa Gul Noori, another participant of the same learning center established by the OACS, has managed to learn Pashto and English languages, besides preparing for the university entrance exam. This young girl is practically serving as teacher’s assistant in the learning center, and as a mentor for her neighbors interested in education.
A fresh high-school graduate, Mohammad Kazim, is particulary interested in subjects of science. He also helps his neighbors in their studies.
Administration of the OACS-run center for preparations for the university entrance test, are confident the boys and girls here have keen interest and knowledge of science and computer. Engineer Feroz and Ghulam Jailani, two faculty members of this facility, hailed the students’ high morale and cooperative spirit towards spreading the light of literacy in the whole district.
Member of the OACS, Hameed Reza Zaher, highlighted the financial constraints forcing many young aspiring boys and girls to quit studies in such remote areas. He stressed such centers for preparations for the university entrance test have proved successful in providing opportunities for students to continue with their studies.
Jawad Ameed, head of the OACS, said plans have been sought to spread the network of such center for preparations for the university entrance test to other remote and restive parts of the province.
END
