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Youth Initiative: Why We Should Support Young Leaders

By Ruth Yohannes (Sahar Intern)

Capacity building and development is a process by which organizations such as Sahar help communities improve their skills and knowledge needed to sustain themselves. In education, this task consists of training teachers, strengthening schools’ management system and beyond.

Created by Ruth Yohannes.

An important aspect of capacity building is to recognize and empower leaders within the community. In fact, relying on leaders creates a ripple effect, and each of Sahar’s initiatives impacts the community in a different ways. For instance, Sahar’s early marriage prevention program encourages students to start conversations with their peers and family on child marriage. Equipped with critical thinking tools, they are able create their own spheres of influence where more and more individuals become aware of the harmful effects of early marriage.

The same lens can be applied to the creation and strengthening of school shuras (managment). While the government might have limited outreach and influence in some regions outside of the cities, community-led management can close the gap. As trusted leaders in their communities, shura members are better placed to convince parents to send their girls to school. Similarly, increasing the number of female teachers has been proven to raise the female student enrolment rates, as they appear as role models to students and parents alike.

Empowering young leaders is one of the pillars of Sahar’s work. In the case of Afghanistan, policy change is already achieved; girls are legally guaranteed the right to education. However, rural regions often lag behind in reforms. This is where capacity development comes in. It ensures that the change the government is igniting eventually becomes a widely accepted norm. With the support of Sahar and their school shuras, young girls have the capacity to change their communities for the better.

 

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Culture of Education in Balkh Province: An Unique Example

By Ruth Yohannes (Sahar Intern)

Our previous blog post featured Balkh province, where Sahar concentrates its efforts. In addition to its unique history, Balkh continues to stand out for its approach to the Afghan school system’s main problem: female student enrollment. In fact, the province has one of highest female enrolment rates in the country, 48% as of 2014.

This success is in large part attributed to the shuras (school councils), that  have played an important role in rallying the community behind their efforts to provide a quality education for students. Shuras are the equivalent of PTAs here in the United States. They are composed of local elders, teachers and parents, who meet regularly to discuss the problems facing the school and potential solutions. In Ommolbilad girls’ High School, in Northern Balkh, parents helped renovated the school by gravelling the yard and planting trees in the compound. “Every month we have council meetings and have solved many problems by sharing them with the community”, said the school headmaster.

In addition, shuras are the ones who apply for development grants on behalf of their communities. They communicate their schools’ needs to the Ministry of Education and NGOs like Sahar, who provide them the resources necessary to strengthen them. Through their efforts, they have been able to raise the enrollment rates throughout the region. “Now, we all go out in the community and to the mosques to tell everybody to bring their boys and girls here. If they don’t, we encourage them until they do,” says Hussein Ali, a member of the local shura in Turabi girls’ High School. Parents may be reluctant to send their girls to school for many reasons, such as prejudice or safety concerns, but shuras facilitate communication with families and work to tackle misconceptions about education.

In the face of long standing obstacles to girls’ education, shuras offer a sustainable and proactive solution to those challenges. By involving the local communities in their children’s education, they set a strong precedent for the future generations of girls to go to school. Balkh province’s model of community engagement proves that school-community cooperation is an important factor for the return of Afghan girls in the education system.

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Building Local Capacity through Educational Opportunity: Seattle Foundation Panel

On Monday, May 22nd, 2017 Sahar Executive Director Ginna Brelsford participated on a panel hosted by the Seattle Foundation titled “Building Local Capacity through Educational Opportunity: Seattle nonprofits promoting educational opportunities abroad.”

Joined by Emer Dooley (Ashesi University, Ghana), Suzanne Sinegal McGill (Rwanda Girls Initiative, Rwanda), and John Brown (Brown Family Foundation & Pangea Giving, Latin America), the panel discussed their work in low-resource countries to provide educational opportunities for underserved communities.

The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ed Taylor, Vice Provost & Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington, with over 40 attendees listening in and asking questions.

Thank you to the co-partners of the event, Seattle International Foundation and Global Washington, as well as all that attended. To stay up to date on all events Sahar, please join our newsletter!

 

 

 

Photo credit: Stephen Robinson

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A Look at Balkh province: Center of Sahar’s Initiatives

By Ruth Yohannes (Sahar Intern)

Sahar’s work is based in the Northern Afghanistan province of Balkh. It is one of the most secure areas in the country, which allows for cooperation between the government and numerous international organizations in large-scale projects such as education and agriculture rehabilitation. As a result, the province has benefited from relatively high development. Balkh province’s capital city, Mazar-i-Sharif, is the nation’s fourth largest city.

Balkh is leading the nation in the reconstruction of the public school system. Since 2001, they have achieved tremendous results in student participation rates, especially for female students. Sahar’s effort to increase education for girls has been positively received in Balkh province. Sahar serves almost 25,000 new female students in 2016 alone.

Compared to the rest of the country, the region has had high educational achievements. In 2016, Balkh province established 49 new primary schools, and restored 52 existing ones. These numbers are more than twice the national average, making Balkh a unique case in Afghanistan. In addition, Balkh province is home to a couple of longstanding higher learning institutions. Balkh university is the second largest university in the country.

Balkh’s distinct position in Afghanistan is in part due to its past as a hub for Persian literature. In fact, its position on the Silk Road—an ancient trade route stretching from Europe to the Far East—has allowed it to participate in large intellectual and spiritual movements such as Buddhism and Persian poetry. The well established presence of education in the region makes it easier to successfully implement progressive programs such as early marriage prevention. Sahar works closely with the local community in order to ensure long-lasting support for girls’ education and empowerment.

 

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Building Local Capacity through Educational Opportunity: Seattle nonprofits promoting educational opportunities abroad

Please join us for good food, genial company
and inspiring conversation on the topic of:

Building Local Capacity through Educational Opportunity:
Seattle nonprofits promoting educational opportunities abroad

Come learn about effective nonprofits based in the greater Seattle area working in low-
resource countries to provide educational opportunities for underserved communities.

The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Ed Taylor,
Vice Provost & Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington.

Panelists include:

Emer Dooley, Ashesi University (Ghana)
Ginna Brelsford, Sahar (Afghanistan)
Suzanne Sinegal McGill, Rwanda Girls Initiative (Rwanda)
John Brown, Brown Family Foundation, Pangea Giving (Latin America)

Monday, May 22, 2017
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

(Program starts at noon. Lunch will be provided)

at Seattle Foundation’s new location:
1601 Fifth Avenue, 19th Floor, Seattle, WA 98101

RSVP to Jesus Carbajal at [email protected] by Friday, May 19

Co-presented by:

Seattle International Foundation
Global Washington

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Spring Campaign Success

Wow! Thank you to the Sahar supporters for believing in the mission of Sahar. Through the Spring Campaign, which included GiveBIG, we have raised over $15,000 towards improving the educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan.

We are excited to share that, through #GiveBIG, we were awarded $2,500 from the Seattle Foundation as a Dollars for Change winner! Thank you to Ken Schumacher, who’s donation triggered this generous award!

Thanks for being on our team!

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