Khost youth imparts education to dozens of poor children

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Dozens of children, including girls, from destitute families and orphans have been provided education opportunity by a volunteer in southeastern Khost province.

The less fortunate and orphaned children belong to internally displaced people (IDPs) from different areas of the province in Farar area of the provincial capital, Khost City.

The volunteer youth Abdul Malik Jawhar told Pajwhok Afghan News that he has been teaching these children in morning and afternoon shifts in his house since last two months.

Jawhar said: “These children work labourer during day time and their number exceeds 50, half of them are girls and we teach them some basics of education such as alphabets, Islamic studies and some other subjects to know their rights and the God almighty.”

“As a youth, I consider it my responsibility to convey my education to the next generation,” he said. He called on governmental and non-governmental institutions to help him in his mission.

Jawhar added: “Right now the process of children’s education runs on our own support and with some assistance of other individuals, we buy stationery and books, the children are in dire economic situation, they cannot support themselves and we even do their hair cut.”

The children expressed their pleasure for being taught and one of them Ehsan, 9, told Pajhwok: “I have been studying here since past two months, I am happy and I can write mine and my father’s names in both Pashto and English.”

Khkula, an 8 years old girl, said she wanted to become a doctress in the future.

She said: “I study here and I want to be a doctress in the future and learn ethics too.”

However, local residents say such attempts by the youth do not go in vain, but children of hundreds of families are deprived of education facilities.

A local individual Mohammad Shareef said: “No doubt, these children will learn something and it will leave a positive impact on their  future. We hope that the government or other humanitarian organizations will build a school for these boys and girls.”

Local education department officials admit there are 452 local literacy classes in the provincial capital and its districts and nearly 7,000 students are studying in these local classes.

The officials add they plan to set up more community-based classes in areas deprived from such facilities.

Spokesman for Khost education department Qasim Jan Qasimi told Pajhwok: “The education department targeted some deprived areas in a survey, we hope such areas will be included in the framework of the Education Ministry.”

Sunday, September 8, marked global literacy day.

aw/ma