Logar youth paves way for free education of 800 children

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): A young man has opened an education center and has enrolled about 800 orphaned and poor children to get free education in Pul-i-Alam city, the capital of central Logar province, an official said on Sunday.

Logar Education Department spokesman Shahpur Arab told Pajhwok Afghan News that Mohammad Akbar Atal, a young man, had established an educational center one and a half acres of land on his own expenses in Gheratabad area of Pul-i-Alam.

He said Atal spent two and a half million afghanis on the center’s construction. The center has an office, an equipped computer lab, six classrooms and other necessary facilities.

He added Muhammad Akbar Atal has been working to educate girls and boys in coordination with the Department of Education in the provincial capital and a number of districts since last few years.

About 800 poor and orphaned students are imparted free religious and modern education at the educational center, Arab said.

He said these students were given textbooks, educational items and winter clothes.

Mahammad Akbar Atal told Pajhwok he along with his like-minded friends had started efforts to provide free education to children in impoverished and backward areas and enable them to read and write.

He said the idea was based on a feeling that only education could salvage the people and the country from misfortunes and bring about positive change.

He added: “Recently, I have built an educational center named after Haji Mangal Ahmadzai in Gheratabad area and now 800 poor and orphaned children are studying there.”

These children are provided free religious and modern education, Atal explained.

Considering the center not enough, the young man plans to start similar activities in others districts of the province as well.

Abdullah, 12, a student at the center, told Pajhwok he was happy for being taught free of cost at the center in their village.

He added hundreds of poor and out of school children were engaged in reading and writing in different classes at the center.

There are 275 schools in Pul-i-Alam and districts, where 100,000 boys and 50,000 girls are being taught by 4390 teachers including 520 female teachers.

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