Barakat in Afghanistan

Barakat Afghanistan

was registered as an NGO in Afghanistan on 16th March 2003. At the time, it was registered as No. 249 at the Ministry of Planning and was preceded by 248 other NGOs which had been registered prior to Barakat Afghanistan. According to the law, NGOs in Afghanistan have to re-register after 2 years in order to maintain their legal status. The Ministry of Economics (re-named from the original Ministry of Planning) re-registered Barakat No. 52 on the list in 2005. The 197 NGOs that had preceded Barakat in the list simply did not qualify for re-registration, either because they had ceased to exist or because they had failed to submit regular reports to the Ministry.

  • In September 2003 Barakat started seven lower-level Literacy Courses (Sowat Amausi) in three districts of Faryab province in Northern Afghanistan for women and girls only. The word 'sowat' literally means 'someone who is literate, who can read and write' while 'amausi' comes from the verb 'to teach.' In other words Sowat Amausi means 'to teach one to become literate.'

  • In December 2004 Barakat Afghanistan started construction on a school building in Andkhoy, Faryab. The school which was named Mullah Kareem Nazar School was inaugurated in March 2005.

  • Soon after, in April 2006, Barakat started construction on the second school building in Aqcha, Jowzjan province, adjoining Faryab Province in the north.

  • In May 2006 the Aqcha school named Besh Kapa Surkh School was opened in the newly constructed school building.

  • In June 2007 Barakat started three higher-level Vital Literacy Courses (Sowat Hayati) in three villages of Andkhoy district, Faryab Province. The word 'hayat' means 'life' and 'sowat' means 'to be literate.' So, 'Sowat Hayati' means 'literate for life.'

  • In 2008 Barakat started the Scholarship Program for Girls and Young Women called Takhaza-e-Dokhtaran (Request of the Girls) which allowed them to continue their education at the High School and University level.

 

MULLAH KAREEM NAZAR SCHOOL, ANDKHOY DISTRICT, FARYAB PROVINCE

In 2004 Barakat Afghanistan submitted an application with the Ministry of Education in order to get the Ministry’s permission for starting a new school in Andkhoy District, Faryab Province. The Ministry gave its permission, 5 jerib (2.5 acres) and 17 biswa (.41 acres) of land, equivalent to almost 3 acres was donated by Habibullah Karimi’s family, and construction was started.

While the construction on the building was still underway, the school was opened in Habibullah Karimi’s house in Andkhoy with 86 students, of which 50 were boys, and 36 girls. Two teachers, Mohammed Ayoob, the man who went on to become the school’s principal and Shogofa, a lady teacher, were taken on along with one staff person for cleaning and security.

  • December 1st 2004 – Construction started

  • March 21st 2005 – Inauguration of school in Habibullah Karimi’s house in Andkhoy

  • October 31st 2005 – Construction ended

  • USD 830,593.00 – Construction costs

Letters from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Economics gave official government recognition to the school. It should be noted that both Barakat Schools are officially designated government schools. The government monitored the schools, and partnered with Barakat in hiring of teachers, while Barakat was in charge of the funding and overall management of the schools. This course of action was necessary in order to ensure that the students who graduated from our schools were eligible for admission to other government schools as well as for government jobs. Prior to the Taliban’s takeover, this was only possible if they graduated from a government school in Afghanistan.

BESH KAPA SURKH SCHOOL, AQCHA DISTRICT, JOWZJAN PROVINCE

The school is named after two adjoining villages: Besh Kapa Village and Surkh Village. Even before construction for the school could begin, the residents of these villages requested that the school be started in a mosque in Surkh village. The mosque was a closed structure with no windows, but still the students and their teachers persisted. Meanwhile a resident of Surkh village donated approximately one acre of land for the school. The land had earlier housed a small, run down all-boys school, which was on the verge of collapsing. The new Besh Kapa Surkh School was erected in its place. Immediately after the land had been donated a planning meeting was held, and in a year and one month the school building was ready for habitation.

  • 23rd April 2004 – School started functioning in a mosque in Surkh village

  • 4th April 2006 – Planning meeting for establishment of school

  • 21st May 2007 – School completion date

  • 11th June 2007 – Necessary furniture and other equipment is provided

  • 13th June 2007 – Classes start in new school

  • USD 92,500.00 – Construction costs

Orders from the Ministry of Education recognizing that Besh Kapa Surkh School would also be recognized as a government school were received well before construction for the school began, while it was still being conducted in the mosque. The Ministry also offered to pay teacher salaries, which were augmented by bonuses given by Barakat during Id and Nowruz. Funding for all other school needs, including upkeep of the building and premises, was provided by Barakat. Once again, as with Mullah Kareem Nazar School, Barakat was taking care of the day-to-day management of the school as well as defining its long-term vision.