Workers renovated the dormitory and replaced windows
3 January 2012 | Farah, Afghanistan
Farah City schools were in deplorable condition. Classrooms literally were falling apart from years of neglect.
Girls from the Orphans’ School and Dormitory in the city of Farah attend a lesson in their newly renovated classroom.
Electrical systems had ceased to work, and the windows were broken. The local government had little money to dedicate to education, channeling the limited funds into more pressing basic infrastructure issues
Working with the local government, USAID, and its implementing partner, Central Asia Development Group, undertook the renovation of specific schools across the city. The project had two goals: bringing the schools back to life and hiring female workers to perform the repairs to provide them with vital vocational training and income. The female workforce of 605 laborers restored five educational facilities in the city and acquired plastering and painting skills in the process. One of the women who found a job on the project was Samira, a widow with five children. She was hired as a painter on the project after three days of training. Samira is very grateful for the opportunity to work “Now I know how to paint buildings. I can work and earn income for my family."
This USAID project was also part of a continuing effort to rehabilitate schools across the country. The five buildings identified for renovation will increase school capacity by 4,800 students, providing more education opportunities to both boys and girls. The Orphans’ School and Dormitory was of special interest to the city government. It is home to approximately 200 boys and girls who come from homes with no or single parents, or households with little financial ability to care for their kids. The project renovated the dormitory, making it cleaner and brighter, and also replaced windows and added screens to protect the kids from disease-carrying mosquitoes.
“I was happy to paint the schools because one day, I hope to send my children there to learn,” said Samira proudly.