Sheila Rabani (right), 29 year old Program Director, Peshawar, Pakistan "As Afghan women we cannot show fear. We have to have high morale otherwise they have captured our spirit."

In 1989 in Peshawar, Pakistan, Jamila Akbarzai founded AWWD to "deal with the great women-related emergency needs which existed in providing services to Afghan refugee women in the North West Frontier Province." In 2002 they opened an office in Kabul and they continue to work in Pakistan, where nearly 1 million Afghan refugees still reside.

In Kabul AWWD's two main activities are computer and English classes. Many literate women young and old, are widows or the primary supporters of their families (parents and siblings), and they are actively seeking employment in offices in Kabul. The majority of work opportunities with INGOs, foreign companies, or government ministries all require basic computer and English language skills.

AWWD offers three levels of English instruction in two morning and two afternoon sessions, with each session lasting 90 minutes. In theory, class size for English instruction is limited to 22 students, but because of the very high demand, the average class size is significantly higher. Computer classes are also offered four times daily. A six-month course includes instruction in Windows, MS Word, Excel, Internet and Powerpoint. Funding from the German Technical and Development Agency (GTZ) allows AWWD to offer these classes free of charge. There are currently 422 students learning English and 80 learning computers (two students share one computer and there are 20 students/session).

The teachers are all men and the students all women. Humaira Popal, the assistant director, told us that it is very difficult to find qualified teachers. "Many more men applied for the position because they had opportunities in Pakistan and elsewhere to do this type of skill building that was not easily available to refugee women in Pakistan."

In Pakistan, where AWWD will continue to operate until the end of 2003, in addition to serving literate women through computers and English language instruction, they offer extensive literacy and vocational training to illiterate women.

Working with more than 7000 women, primarily in refugee camps, they offer literacy training to a 3rd grade level to women ages 12 and older. Vocational training is provided in sewing (tailoring), embroidery, other handicrafts, candle making and poultry raising. Another important component of AWWD's work is raising awareness about women's human rights, especially within the framework of Islam.

Literacy class in refugee camp in Peshawar

Computer students in Kabul. Woman on left is a microbiologist who graduated from Kabul University in the 1980s. She has five children and has never left Kabul. She stopped working in early 1990s due to the Mujahadin and Taliban. Now she doing research and needs to use the computer and internet for work. The young woman on the right is in her early 20s and she wants to work "for foreigners."

The are many more qualified male than female teachers for English and computer classes because for the past 10 years men had more opportunities for advanced education than women.

NAWA was founding in Kabul in 1999 by Shafiqa Habib,i a renowned Afghan woman journalist and television news commentator during the 1980s (the "Connie Chung of Afghanistan"). Originally called Afghan Feminine Association, since the fall of the Taliban they have removed the "feminine" to avoid unnecessary scrutiny from the ever-present "Taliban" mentality that persists in Afghanistan. Instead they choose to be identified by the acronym "NAWA" which mean voice in Dari. Shafiqa believes "that the voices of empowered women can and must be heard and acknowledged in a new Islamic Afghan nation."

"NAWA aims to promote democracy, human rights and the participation of women in the reconstruction of a new Afghanistan." Their work focuses on the education and literacy of young girls and women.

NAWA currently operates ten home literacy schools for women ages 12 and older. Operating throughout the Taliban era, these schools officially provided embroidery and sewing skills, but paper patterns and sewing machines were a cover for the real lessons of letters, words, numbers and women's rights. Each school occupies one room in the teacher's own apartment. A carpeted floor, pillows around the room and a chalk board constitute the equipment. Since approximately six months ago, NAWA has used a literacy work book created by UNICEF (and offered free of charge).

A 12-month program of morning or afternoon 2 1/2 hour classes is intended to take the student to a 3rd-grade level of literacy. The teachers receive a $30 monthly salary, plus some support for the rent of a room in their apartments. NAWA's work is supported by the Global Fund for Women, the Share Institute and other private donors.

According to Shafiqa and the teachers, since the fall of the Taliban, more and more women are anxious to leave their homes and increase their knowledge. Husbands and fathers who only a year ago would not allow their wives and daughters to attend these home schools are coming to thank the teachers for helping their women learn to read, write and count.

The girl on the right is 16 years old and has six sisters and three brothers. Her two older sisters are both married. She always wanted to go to school, but under the Taliban she couldn't. She began classes in May and is happy that she can attend this school every day. Her younger siblings all attend school, but she's too embarrassed to attend regular school because she can't read and therefore would be so much older than the other children. If she didn't go to this school she would be obliged to stay in the house most of the day. Her father is a shopkeeper and both he and her mother are illiterate. Her father is happy and says that it is good that she is learning to read.

This 20-year-old mother's two children -- a two-year-old and a baby, still breastfed -- join her in class each day. She proudly demonstrates her ability to read. Her husband finished the 10th class and works as a taxi driver. He is so happy that his wife can read that he came by the school to congratulate the teacher on the excellent work that she has done with his wife.

Macroyaran NAWA School - students learning to read to the 3rd grade level

ECW was founded in 1997 by Maleka Qanih and Roshan Seran. During the Taliban era they operated clandestinely in private homes offering teaching sewing and embroidery skills to girls and poor women. At one point the Ministry of Vice shut down their center and brave members of the community threatened to revolt if they didn't allow ECW to operate.

The mission of ECW is to "contribute to raising Afghan women's social and economic status and to develop Afghan women's handicrafts." ECW aims to serve Afghan women widows and orphans who are in need of support.

Since the Taliban is gone a large outdoor sign now lets the world know about ECW

Now they proudly have a large sign announcing the presence of their center and they have more than 300 students per day taking vocational and literacy classes, learning English, or beautician skills. No longer operating out of a private home, they rent for $100 per month a six room building with an inner courtyard and large surrounding walls.

Offering morning and afternoon classes, students all sit on the floor and the sewing machines (even for complex machine embroidery work) are operated by hand. In lieu of black boards, the back of a door is used for writing purposes and because materials are so expensive, small swatches are used by the students to create sewing and embroidery stitching samples. Young children often accompany their mothers to the center and further add to the already crowded space.

A human powered sewing machine is necessary for elaborate machine embroidery work

ECW has operated, since their founding, with voluntary support from the community and by selling clothing items that their students and graduates produce. All the teachers are volunteers and generate their own minimum incomes by selling clothes they produce through ECW's male market vendor. Some items of furniture, e.g. two tables, a few chairs and one desk, have all been donated by members of the community.

After participating in the RefWID training (see below) Maleka, Roshan and Arezo (Maleka's daughter who speaks fluent English) plan to write a proposal for outside funding. With this funding they hope to expand their training to additional centers in Kabul and in the provinces. They also want to offer day care services for their students and to expand their English classes.

Beauty parlor skills being demonstrated by the teacher. The woman getting her hair done will be married tomorrow.

When supplies and money are limited the back of a door is used for a blackboard

Crowded space and limited supplies of material and thread mean that each student learns their skills on small swatches of fabric which are then put together in a "sample book."

Arezo Qanih, daughter of the founder of ECW, was 12 years old and in the 7th grade when the Taliban came. Unable to attend school her mother insisted that she learn English, so each day a local woman came and taught Arezo English, without paper or pencils - no evidence of learning in case the Taliban should come. Today Arezo is back in school, having passed exams to qualify for the 11th grade and she dreams of becoming a doctor

AIL was started in 1995 in Peshawar, Pakistan by Professor Sakeena Yacoobi to assist Afghan women and children. "AIL works to empower Afghans who are needy and oppressed by expanding their educational and health opportunities and by fostering self-reliance and community participation." They began their operations in Kabul in 2001 and focus on providing quality education and health care services to women and children.

One of AIL's primary activities in Kabul is a high quality preschool. The diverse ethnic mix of Afghanistan is clearly reflected in the faces of these bright and curious children. Serving both boys and girls, ages 0-6, the children receive for a sliding scale fee of $1-2/month, instruction in Dari, art, sports, English and basic hygiene. They are also feed two meals and for an additional fee, transportation is available.

AIL also has a six-month literacy program offering three levels and types of certification 1) adult literacy 2) fast-track mainstream serving 15-16 year olds who are behind and 3) fast-track certification for women 21 and older who were forced into marriage or missed years of schooling during the Taliban and now want a high school certificate so they can get jobs. Many of these students put their children in AIL's day care facility.

AIL also continues to have an extensive operation in Pakistan serving hundreds of women in the refugee camps. They provide basic health care services and health education to women in the camps and through a small neighborhood clinic. In Kabul they also plan to expand their primary health care delivery services as well as to train community health educators.

In an Afghan refugee camp two AIL doctors (center of the picture) diagnose and treat female patients based on symptoms and a very limited physical examination

Sakeena Yacoobi and Sima Wali. "3 million Afghan children need to go to school. 1.5 million have entered and 800,000 are without books. Also the teachers lack proper training. Education must be a priority but the system has to be set up properly. If it's cold and there is no water, or electricity the foreigners run away. Afghans must take care of the situation."

Ethnic diversity is beautifully reflected in the faces of these pre-school children

Learning the Koran is an important part of education in Afghanistan