The Afghan Institute of Learning

Founded by women, managed by women, empowering women

Annual Report 2005

Table of Contents ______

Executive Summary ...... 1

Mission and Vision of AIL...... 2

Financial Overview ...... 2

AIL Timeline ...... 3

The Year in Review

Community Based Organizations ...... 4

Education ...... 5

Educational Learning Centers ...... 5

Schools...... 6

Pre-Schools ...... 6

Training...... 8

Teacher Training...... 8

Reproductive Health Training...... 9

Leadership, Management & Human Rights...... 10

Health Program ...... 11

Gawhar Shad University...... 12

How You Can Help...... 13

Grantors, Partners, Supporters...... 13

Executive Summary ______

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As an Afghan women-led non-governmental organization (NGO) internationally recognized for excellence, the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) has much to celebrate as we review all that we accomplished in 2005. For example, we: • Opened nine new Educational Learning Centers, including ones in Peshawar, Pakistan, to help earthquake victims, and in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. • Expanded the Shakardara Learning Center and gave 31 girls their first opportunity to learn computer skills. • Educated 15,452 students through our support of schools and Educational Learning Centers in Pakistan and in the Kabul, Herat, Parwan, Bamiyan and Jalalabad provinces of Afghanistan. • Instructed 244 preschool students in our early childhood education programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan and graduated 34 students in Kabul to primary school. • Provided 14 training workshops to our preschool staff. • Offered 11 human rights, leadership and management workshops to 285 participants. • Offered an International Leadership Training Conference to 23 Ministry of Women’s Affairs staff from Kabul and Herat. • Trained 1,206 teachers through pedagogy, logic and literacy seminars and workshops on administration, teaching methods and life skills lessons. • Offered 14 reproductive health workshops in which 487 women and five men from Afghanistan participated. • Provided counseling services to 31,583 women and children. • Provided health services and education to more than 174,800 patients and reproductive health care to 14,900 women through our four health clinics, serving an average of 14,500 people each month. • Graduated the first 15 students from the College of Math and Computer Science and eight women from AIL’s post-secondary Nurse/Health Educator program at Gawhar Shad University. In July 2005, we were honored with the 2005 Democracy Award of the National Endowment for Democracy at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award recognized my efforts and AIL’s efforts to educate average citizens and local leaders about the basic values and principles of democracy, the rights of women and ethnic minorities, strategies for peace-building and conflict resolution and the importance of broad political participation. Despite all our efforts and successes, there is still much to be accomplished if we are to realize our vision of a peaceful and prosperous future for Afghanistan. AIL is committed to supporting the Afghan people as they strive to rebuild their lives and their country. We will continue to build on our reputation for creativity, innovation, responsiveness, and dedication to meeting the health and education needs of Afghan women, children and communities. We thank our partners, donors, and supporters for sharing our vision and making it possible for us to see the tremendous changes that we are making in the lives of others every day.

Professor Sakena Yacoobi Executive Director

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Mission and Vision of the Afghan Institute of Learning ______

he Afghan Institute of Learning was founded in 1995 in Pakistan by Professor Sakena Yacoobi to help address the problem of poor access for women and girls to education and T health services, their subsequent inability to support themselves, and the impact this lack of education and health has on Afghan society.

An Afghan women’s non-governmental organization, AIL is run entirely by Afghan women and has played a major part in reconstructing education and health systems capable of reaching the women and children of Afghanistan – whether in refugee camps or in homes.

AIL presently has offices in Kabul and Herat, Afghanistan, and in Peshawar, Pakistan. We serve 350,000 women and children annually and employ 400 Afghans, over 70 percent of whom are women.

At AIL, we believe that educated people are the key to a future, developed Afghanistan. With that in mind, AIL works to empower all Afghans who are needy and oppressed by expanding their educational and health opportunities and by fostering self-reliance and community participa- tion. It is our mission to lay a foundation for quality education and health for years to come and to provide comprehensive education and health services to Afghan women and children, so that they can support and care for themselves.

Financial Overview ______

$1,000,000

$900,000

$850,000

$800,000

$750,000

$700,000 2004 2005 $650,000 2003 $600,000 2002 $550,000

$500,000

In U.S. Dollars Cost of AIL Programs

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A Timeline of the Afghan Institute of Learning ______▪ AIL is founded by ▪ Opened new preschools in Science ▪ Opened two home schools and 1995 Professor Sakena Yacoobi 2000 Kabul and Jalalabad ▪ Began began advanced classes in Mir Bacha ▪ Established and supported two schools underground health education program in Kot ▪ Developed eight new health and for Afghan girls in Peshawar Kabul with 2,000 women and children education training workshops ▪ Began seeking assistance monthly ▪ Mobile and publishing Voice of Education magazine ▪ Established a Health central health clinics conduct covert, ▪ Offered first teacher training seminars in 1996 Education Program in door-to-door visits in Kabul rural Kabul province and Herat province Peshawar, benefiting hundreds of ▪ Opened seven home thousands of women and children to date ▪ Reached over 350,000 2001 schools in Logar, 2004 ▪ Began Technique Seminar workshops Afghans with urgently Afghanistan, for 285 students ▪ First needed health and education services in Peshawar to train teachers in NGO to open a Women's Learning ▪ Developed 16 new life skills workshops interactive, student-centered teaching Center (WLC) in a refugee camp in ▪ Developed a seminar to train Ministry of ▪ Began preschool classes in refugee Peshawar ▪ Operated four WLCs in Women’s Affairs staff to operate women’s camps around Peshawar for about 500 Pakistan for 2,000 women per month centers ▪ Piloted a Women’s Reproduc- children tive Health Training workshop ▪ Began ▪ Registered with the supporting new community-based ▪ Began seven home 1997 2002 Afghan government organizations in Parwan and Herat schools for girls and income ▪ Opened sub-offices in Kabul and Herat, provinces ▪ Expanded WLCs to new generation skills training programs for Afghanistan ▪ Broadened our Teacher locations in Karenda, Kalikhan, and women in Herat, Afghanistan. Programs Training curriculum to include seminars Shakardara ▪ Dedicated the Mir Bacha are offered in the homes of teachers on Pedagogy, School Management, Kot Health Clinic ▪ Expanded maternal/ ▪ Began first health clinic and four mobile Literacy, Health and Kindergarten child health care at the AIL clinics clinics in refugee camps in Peshawar ▪ Opened a new WLC for refugees at Bi including pre- and post-natal care and Bi Sumaia ▪ Began planning Gawhar on-site baby delivery ▪ Designed seven teacher 1998 Shad University to expand higher training seminars and ten education opportunities for Afghan ▪ Opened nine new workshops ▪ Began preschool education women ▪ Offered its first Nurse/Health 2005 Educational Learning program and 25 home schools for 900 Educator course for Afghan women in Centers (ELC) for women and children girls in Kabul Peshawar including one in Bamiyan ▪ Trained 1,991 teachers, government officials and 1999 ▪ Began a Health Education 2003 ▪ Expanded WLCs to Mir members of civil society ▪ Held an Program in Jalalabad, Bacha Kot in Kabul and Sar International Leadership Training Afghanistan, serving 1,500 patients in Asia and Darb-e-Iraq in Herat ▪ Began Conference for 23 Ministry of Women's mobile and central health clinics in building a permanent health clinic in Mir Affairs staff ▪ Began supporting Imam Jalalabad ▪ Opened 13 homes schools Bacha Kot ▪ Opened two new computer Shish Nur Clinic in Herat, providing for 500 girls, a preschool for 65 children labs in Kabul and Herat ▪ Developed health education and health services to and two primary schools for boys and production sections for AIL’s WLC sewing 174,800 patients ▪ Graduated 15 students girls in Jalalabad ▪ Began six income and drawing classes that began from the College of Math and Computer generation skills training classes for generating income to support AIL’s Science and 8 women from the Nurse/ women in Herat ▪ Established a computer programs ▪ Began new program to Health Educator Program at Gawhar support and train grassroots, community- training program for youth in Peshawar, Shad University ▪ Educated 15,452 based organizations ▪ Conducted first women and children through 34 ELCs Pakistan ▪ First NGO to offer leadership traditional birth attendant training for ▪ Received the 2005 Democracy Award and human rights training to women in refugee women in Pakistan ▪ Opened of the National Endowment for refugee camps in Pakistan ▪ Opened Gawhar Shad University with curriculum Democracy ▪ Supported earthquake English language centers for refugees in tracks in Nursing/Health Education, survivors in Pakistan with emergency Pakistan Education, and Math and Computer supplies and educational centers

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2005: The Year in Review ______

COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TAKE THE LEAD

core component of the Afghan Institute of Community-based Organization (CBO) strategy to all of Learning’s philosophy is the concept of commu- our educational learning centers, whether a Women’s A nity participation. We believe that when people Learning Center, a school or an existing CBO. In the are invested in the programs and opportunities being process, AIL has received numerous requests from other offered them, they are committed to seeing that the pro- local organizations requesting small amounts of support grams succeed. We also know that the Afghan people and training so that they can establish centers in their are a proud peo- neighborhoods. ple who desire to Today we be independent are working in and self- four of Afghani- sufficient in their stan’s 34 prov- daily lives. Our inces, with 34 call for commu- active educa- nity participation tional and health empowers them to exert their in- centers in 26 cit- dependence and ies, outlying ar- encourages eas and villages them to reach within those prov- their goals for a inces. Of the 34 better future for centers, 29 are themselves and grassroots, com- their country. munity-based That philoso- organizations. In phy has guided our work over the years as we’ve devel- 2005 we opened nine new CBOs in new areas. That’s oped Women’s Learning Centers and supported more than double the number of CBOs we started with in schools, most of which were started by local people who 2004. approached AIL for assistance. With training, small amounts of funding, and in-kind At the end of 2003, we began a pilot project called support, AIL continues to prepare these organizations for the Community-based Organization Support Project. self-sufficiency as an essential component of rebuilding Through this project, AIL began supporting four grass- Afghanistan. Afghanistan needs highly competent, well- roots, community-based organizations with teacher train- trained Afghan professionals and organizations to pro- ing, management training, supplies, salaries and books. vide quality educational opportunities to Afghans today The program worked so well that we began to apply the and for future generations.

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EDUCATION IS AT THE CENTER OF AIL’S MISSION

he Afghan Institute of Learn- vide a fast track program for grades ing continues to be a leader one through seven, as well as AIL’s Educational T in educating Afghan women classes teaching income-generating Learning Centers make and children. Our success is built on skills including carpet weaving, em- an impact in 2005 the use of interactive teaching meth- broidery, knitting, tailoring and even • The ELC in Shakardara of- ods, rather than the rote memoriza- beauty parlor management. fered a computer class for tion teaching style that has been the That’s right. At AIL’s Jabre’el girls, giving 31 girls their first norm in other educational settings in Center in Herat, we began offering opportunity to learn computer Afghanistan. We believe in involving an innovative new course to train skills. our students in the learning process, women as beauticians so they can • AIL opened the first ELC in listening to their ideas, encouraging open home-based beauty parlors to the Bamiyan Province for 125 them to ask questions and, in the earn their own income. This four-and- female students. process, helping them to develop a-half-month course teaches women • We opened three new centers critical thinking and problem solving about makeup, hair cutting and styl- in Kabul city to help rural peo- ple who have had to leave skills. While educating Afghans is the ing and skin care. Our students have their homes in the country to thread that weaves all our programs already begun earning money by survive. together, our core educational ven- charging fees for their services. On • AIL supported Rabia Balkhi, ues include: the heels of that success, we plan to Salman Farse, and Etefaq Educational Learning Centers offer the course in other ELCs and Mosque Centers in Kabul city, In 2005, AIL began referring to all our teach this lucrative skill to other Af- as well as two new centers in Women’s Learning Centers as Edu- ghan women. rural Kabul province in the villages of Kalikhan and cational Learning Centers (ELC) be- The ELCs have been especially Farza. cause many of them were offering popular among the Afghan people services to males as well as females. and every time we begin supporting a • AIL established a new ELC called Zargoona Ana in the Women and girls continue to be the new center, we receive requests from Peshawar area to help earth- majority of our students (71% in neighboring communities who want quake survivors whose homes centers of their own. 2005). However, access to educa- were devastated by the dam- tional opportunities has also been Group Counseling age. By December 2005, 227 limited for males during the last few The women and children who women and girls were study- ing in this center, which offers decades of war and civil strife in Af- visit our ELCs often need help in tailoring, literacy, Arabic and ghanistan and we believe it is appro- solving family, social and economic priate for us to serve them as well. English classes. AIL provided problems. Many suffer with health books, notebooks, paper, tai- We opened nine new Educa- and psychological problems as a re- loring tables, sewing ma- tional Learning Centers in Afghani- sult of war and economic hardship. chines, scissors and measur- stan and Pakistan in 2005. More than To address their needs, AIL teacher ing tapes to the new center. 15,900 students took advantage of trainers, teachers and doctors pro- • AIL’s clinic in Peshawar has the educational and skills training vide individual and group counseling also begun to treat earth- courses offered in our centers in services. In 2005, 126 AIL staff per- quake survivors who are suf- 2005, including language, science sons provided counseling to 31,583 fering from diseases due to food deprivation and lack of and math, computers, art, health, and women and children who are stu- basic life necessities. human rights. The centers also pro- dents and patients of AIL.

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Schools Mir Bacha Kot. When AIL opened n 2005, AIL supported 1,997 this home school, many people were students in six refugee schools uncertain if it would be feasible to I in Pakistan. Fifty-two percent of offer education for girls in Shaikhan. the students were girls. The success of the girls’ home school and AIL’s Educational Learn- AIL encourages all the schools ing Centers in Mir Bacha Kot have and centers we support to move to- changed the attitudes of the people ward self-sufficiency. That’s why there and now the community is in we’re so proud of our Somaia School favor of offering education to girls in in Pakistan. After more than nine government-run schools. years of assistance and training from AIL, the school was one of two AIL- Changing attitudes is an impor- supported schools to achieve self- tant part of improving access to edu- schools in Pakistan in 2006. Like the sustainability in 2005. They have cation for women and girls in Af- students in Afghanistan, these re- raised all of their funding and have ghanistan and AIL’s programs do turning refugee children are able to sufficient managerial and resource just that. We begin by working with enroll in the newly opened govern- development capacity to operate community members to open small ment schools in Afghanistan at age without assistance from AIL. Their programs in safe locations with the appropriate grade levels and move achievement is a clear demonstra- support of community leaders. When forward in their education. tion of how successful Afghan these programs demonstrate suc- women-led organizations can be cess, local confidence builds in the Preschools when they have access to training programs and they become institu- IL’s preschool education and seed funding. tionalized so that girls can continue program continues to set to benefit from classroom learning Shaikhan Girls Home School A the standard in early child- for generations to come. has also found its independence, hood education for Afghans. Our having been incorporated into the In 2005, more educational op- preschool staff regularly hears about local government school program in portunities for boys became avail- former students who go on to able in Shaikhan and to students in achieve high positions in primary Jalalabad as government schools school classes and about children opened all over Afghanistan. who are able to skip grade one be- Because of AIL’s Shaikhan Boys cause of the education they received Home School and Jalalabad at AIL’s preschool. schools, boys and girls in these com- Preschool students range in age munities are able to join local gov- from three months to seven years. A ernment schools at age-appropriate small fee for preschool classes is grade levels. Were it not for AIL’s charged to families who can afford it, schools, these children would have while poor families are offered schol- been left out of the new government arships for their children to attend schools because they would have the preschool. been too old to enroll in the first Our preschool curriculum in- grade. cludes language arts, secondary With many Afghan refugees in math, health, Islamiat, sports, arts Pakistan repatriating to Afghanistan, and crafts, story telling, role plays, AIL will not support as many refugee patriotic songs and life skills lessons

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on topics like peace and friendship. We make every effort to accom- Some new subjects added in 2005 modate students with special needs include radio, television, telephone, because every child deserves the and fax as methods for learning in- opportunity to learn. Classes in our formation, as well as puzzles and schools and Educational Learning vocabulary lessons to help the chil- Centers have included children who dren develop critical thinking skills. are blind, those with Down’s syn- Students in AIL’s preschool pro- drome and children who have lost gram also learn songs, poems and limbs in mine explosions. Seven- role plays to enhance their under- year-old Khalid came to the Kabul standing of Afghan culture, traditions preschool unable to talk or process and values. The children enjoy per- things very well. With the help of forming the pieces at AIL events AIL’s teachers, he now participates which enhances their self-confidence in class activities and is learning to and self-esteem. speak. Needless to say, his family is has its own preschool education thrilled with the progress Khalid has program serving 65 students. made. • The Kabul preschool graduated Preschool highlights from 2005: 34 students to primary school in • AIL had 244 students studying in 2005. our preschools in Pakistan and • AIL provided 14 training work- in Herat and Kabul, Afghanistan. shops to the preschool staff in • AIL began supporting a new 2005, providing more formal, in- Educational Learning Center in depth training to preschool Herat, called Zainabia, which teachers on individual topics.

Words of Thanks From Pleased Parents

“My son, Ahmad Modasir, was one of your well. He enjoys learning and going to school with preschool students . He learned many things his friends. AIL has helped him to feel this way including good behavior, good manners, reading, and to be smart. I would like to thank all the AIL writing, speaking, etc. I would like to say thanks to teachers who helped my son a lot. I wish you all the AIL office and to all the preschool teachers the best of luck.” who helped my son. He is now in school and one Samon’s Mother of the most intelligent students in his class. He “My daughter, Diana , was your student. [Now that has the first position in his class and he doesn’t she is in school], she has got the first position in have any difficulty in his subjects. We wish you all her class. Thank you so much to all the AIL staff, the best luck and success.” Director, and PEP teachers who accepted many Ahmad’s Mother challenges to improve my daughter’s education “My son, whose name is Samon, was your and ethics.” student. Now that he is in school, he is doing very Diana’s Mother

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AIL TRAINING LEADS TO QUALITY TEACHERS AND LEADERS

hours or one to two days, depending on the needs and TEACHER TRAINING availability of teachers. During 2005, AIL offered teacher IL trained 1,206 teachers in 2005 benefiting training methods workshops to 576 teachers. 36,180 students through pedagogy, logic and Logic Seminars A literacy seminars and workshops on administra- tion, teaching methods and life skills lessons. The impact During 2005, AIL trained 113 logic teachers how to teach of these seminars and workshops on student learning is this subject using interactive, student-centered methods. immediate and amazing. When teachers use the new The curriculum for the Logic and Linguistics of Arabic 12- methods, their students learn lessons quickly and thor- day Seminar was developed a few years ago by AIL’s oughly. Some students are able to learn to read in as little teacher training staff. Participants are taught to read Ara- as three months, compared to the three years needed bic phonetically by using interactive lessons so that they under old methods. Teachers are always eager for more can, in turn, use the same methods with their students. training from AIL that will reinforce the new methods and Teachers who participated in the logic seminar said, help them build their subject matter knowledge. “This seminar was so beneficial and we have learned lots of things. All the topics were very interesting and the Pedagogy Seminars trainers’ methods of teaching were also very good. I have AIL offered eight 24-day technique seminars to 306 learned lots of new methods from this seminar like ques- teachers, including 167 female teachers. This seminar is tion and answer, material and group work. I will use all of the foundation course for AIL’s other teacher training ac- them during my teaching. We just want the seminar to tivities. Seminar participants are modeled and taught sim- last longer and we want such workshops all over Afghani- ple techniques and new interactive teaching methods to stan. We all are so thankful to all the trainers who really provide teachers with an alternative to teaching through worked hard. We really appreciate their work.” traditional dictation and rote memorization. These tech- niques include question and answer, brainstorming, role Literacy Seminars play, group work, discussion, hands-on activities and At the request of the Ministry of Literacy, we offered two competition. 12-day literacy seminars in 2005 to 79 literacy teachers During the training, teachers engage in peer teaching employed by Afghanistan’s governmental Deputy of Liter- to practice the techniques and conduct constructive, self- acy in Kabul. evaluations. Where possible, the participating teachers Team-taught by five AIL trainers using demonstration are visited by AIL staff in their classrooms and are as- lessons, seminar participants included women and men sisted in applying what they learned in the seminar. ranging in age from 25 to 60 years. The curriculum was Our seminars train teachers on the characteristics of the same as that used in the Pedagogy Seminars, but a good teacher, setting objectives, writing lesson plans, applied to Literacy. All participants prepared lesson plans, classroom discipline, teaching a variety of subjects, objectives, and teaching materials and worked in groups evaluating and encouraging students, psychology, test- to teach mini demonstration lessons using various tech- ing, developing teaching materials and how to vary ques- niques. tions. They also practice lessons using different, interac- Administration Workshops tive techniques for all subjects taught in grades one We also offered two administration workshops in 2005 to through six. 65 school administrators, headmasters/mistresses, and In the case where teachers have not yet been able to principals of Afghan refugee schools in Pakistan. The first take the complete technique seminar, AIL teacher trainers workshop — a six-day event — was designed to train provide shorter lessons on individual seminar topics one principals on how to solve administrative problems in their at a time. These short workshops can last one to two

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schools. The second workshop was conducted over two days at the request of the Afghan Consulate’s Education Department in Pakistan to solve the problem of principals giving marks and making documentation for teachers and students who are leaving Peshawar for Kabul. The work- shop addressed the characteristics, responsibilities and duties of headmasters and principals; transcripts for teachers and students; policies and duties of the Depart- ment; and certificates for teachers.

Life Skills Workshops Sixty-seven teachers were trained in 2005 to incorporate interactive life skills mini-lessons into their teaching. AIL developed 16 short interactive life skills lessons on topics of peace, health, psychology and manners for various grade levels to teach their students important skills to im- prove their health and well-being. These topics were cho- sen in collaboration with teachers who helped us identify the greatest life skills learning needs of Afghan children. Health lessons teach children how to prevent dis- ease. Lessons in manners teach children ethics and re- sponsibility. Peace and psychology life skills lessons help Afghan children, who have always known war in their short lives, to learn skills for living during times of peace, many women are not knowledgeable about life threaten- positive problem solving and coping with difficult feelings. ing problems during pregnancy and delivery or are misin- Curriculum Development formed. Most women deliver babies at home with the help of illiterate traditional birth attendants. Women and their Our teacher training staff developed numerous new work- families often do not seek health care interventions for shops, seminars, and curriculum materials to improve the mothers and new babies until it is too late or are not able quality of education in Afghanistan, including material in to seek health care because they are too poor or live too management, supervision, monitoring, leadership, peace far away from the nearest health care facility. education, life skills and reproductive health. Additionally, Workshop topics include fertilization, problems during 14 AIL teacher trainers received training in peace educa- pregnancy, instructions for pregnant women, delivery, tion, management, monitoring and supervising. breastfeeding, nutrition and family planning. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH TRAINING Of all the participants trained in our health workshops last year, 244 were teachers who can pass on the lifesav- n 2005, AIL offered 14 in-depth reproductive health ing information that they’ve learned to their students dur- workshops to 487 professionals in Afghanistan to ing class. Short reproductive health messages are taught improve the health and safety of Afghan mothers I to adult women in all of AIL’s clinics and during regular and babies during birth. classes at AIL’s Educational Learning Centers. By im- We developed the workshop to improve understand- proving understanding of the health needs of women and ing of women’s reproductive health concerns, especially babies during birth, danger signs during delivery, and how during pregnancy and birth. Afghanistan has one of the to prepare for a clean and safe delivery, the reproductive world’s highest maternal and child mortality rates and health workshop saves lives.

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LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING IL believes that when women and men under- stand what it means to be a leader, how to man- A age work responsibilities and the value of our rights as human beings, great things can happen. That’s why we work hard to offer a number of leadership, man- agement and human rights training workshops to the women — and men — in our schools and centers. In 2005, AIL offered 11 workshops to 285 participants, in- cluding 253 women and 32 men. All lessons were taught interactively through brainstorming, group work and ques- tion and answer methods, with participants performing most of the activities.

Leadership Workshops AIL offered five leadership workshops to 188 participants in 2005. Our leadership workshops provide culturally- sensitive training that enhances women’s leadership skills, empowering them to participate in local, regional and global decisions. During the workshops, women use scenario-based materials to cultivate leadership skills that are horizontal, inclusive and participatory. They learn about the characteristics of a good leader, effective com- munication, examples of women leaders, human rights, and how to cultivate women’s skills and talents. In the process, they are affirmed for their leadership roles as wives, mothers and teachers.

International Leadership Training teacher trainers. Topics included characteristics of a good manager; how to establish a center; demonstration les- Very few women in Afghanistan today have sufficient sons for center classes; administration, bookkeeping, leadership and management training to develop and im- evaluation and report writing skills; community building plement urgently needed health and education programs and community action; asset mapping; and negotiation. for Afghan women. We believe it is vital that women re- ceive this training and step into leadership roles in the Management, Supervision and Monitoring Training reconstruction of their country. AIL offered two management workshops to 52 women In June 2005, AIL offered an International Leadership leaders to improve their management and leadership Training Conference to 23 Ministry of Women’s Affairs skills. The workshops were offered over the summer at staff from Kabul and Herat province to train them for lead- AIL’s Kabul office and team-taught by AIL teacher trainers ership roles in developing and managing Educational Re- who developed the curriculum using group work and in- source Centers. teractive teaching methods. Topics included the duties Three AIL teacher trainers and two American trainers and qualities of a good manager, defining and solving from the University of Delaware instructed the Confer- organizational problems, planning, filing, finances and ence using materials and curriculum developed by AIL report writing.

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In July 2005, we also offered a supervision and moni- toring workshop to 15 women staff of AIL. They learned about the objectives for centers, policies, supervision, “Before attending classes at the Center, I had monitoring, curriculum, administration and conducting a difficulty adding things. Now, when I go shopping, I two-day training workshop for center staff. can easily add, multiply, and divide money and buy

Peace Education Training things without trouble. Also, now that I have

Three AIL teacher trainers participated in an intensive, learned how to read and write, I can dial, memorize month-long peace education training at Teachers Col- and write phone numbers easily. This makes me lege, Columbia University, in New York in 2005 where trainers were empowered to promote peace through edu- enthusiastic about learning more and more.” cation in Afghanistan’s classrooms. They learned about Fahiza, a literacy student in AIL’s Mahjooba Herawai the benefits of peace, violence against women, human Educational Learning Center in Pakistan rights, conflict (group work), and security. They, in turn, organized two peace education workshops for 11 of their colleagues in Kabul to teach them what they’d learned.

AIL’S HEALTH PROGRAM BRINGS HOPE AND HEALTH TO THOUSANDS

uring 2005, AIL provided Each of AIL’s clinics in Peshawar, health services to 87,000 pa- Pakistan, and Jaghartan, Mir Bacha D tients through its four health Kot, and Imam Shish Nur, Afghanistan, clinics in Afghanistan and Pakistan, also provide mobile health services, and provided health education to visiting remote villages where women 87,500 women and children through its and children have difficulty accessing clinics and educational centers. On the nearest health facility. These clin- average, 14,500 people (67% women ics provide vaccinations, patient ex- and children) were served each month ams, wound and injury care and medi- with health care and health education cine. through AIL. AIL’s Mir Bacha Kot clinic distrib- We added one new clinic during utes health and hygiene supplies to 2005 in a rural area of Herat Province, mothers for their children, including called Imam Shish Nur. Before AIL shampoo, lotion, soap, baby powder, began supporting this clinic, it was in baby oil and prickly heat powder. Since danger of closing due to lack of fund- most Afghan women deliver babies at ing. Today the clinic is a lifesaving re- home, the clinics also distribute birth- source for 3,300 patients each month ing kits to expectant mothers to help who have virtually no access to other post-partum hemorrhages, STDs and them prepare for a clean, safe delivery. health care services. miscarriages. The clinics distribute contraceptives During 2005, we provided repro- AIL’s stationary clinics offer a wide including condoms, DepoProvera, and ductive health care to 14,900 women, range of services depending on the tablets. including pregnancy tests, pre- and needs of the communities served, in- Health lessons on topics that post-natal care, baby delivery and fam- cluding patient examinations and treat- range from asthma to drugs to nutrition ily planning. Our clinics also treated ment, minor surgery, dental care, labo- and vaccinations are taught to individ- women with reproductive health com- ratory analysis, nutrition services, mid- ual patients and to small groups in plications including breast infections, wifery and more. each of the clinics.

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GAWHAR SHAD UNIVERSITY TAKES LEARNING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

ast year was an historic one for AIL’s Gawhar Shad Uni- L versity, which was founded at the end of 2002 in Pakistan. In September 2005, the first 15 students graduated from AIL’s Col- lege of Math and Computer Science after six semesters of study. Five of the graduates were hired that same month. One is an adminis- trator and computer teacher at Abasen University in Pakistan. Two are computer teachers at a Univer- sity in Afghanistan. Another is teach- ing a computer course and the fifth is and the systems of the body. take courses in Management, Web working for President Karzai in Af- Publishing, Graphics, Software Engi- ghanistan. AIL also continued its in-house, post-secondary program to train neering, Internet, Database, Operat- We also had 18 of our students ing Systems, Business Communica- leave to repatriate to Afghanistan or Master Teacher Trainers. Fifteen tion, Math, Psychology, Logic, Phys- other countries. AIL was able to pro- women studied to be Master ics, History and English. vide them with certificates docu- Teacher Trainers in AIL’s Kabul and AIL was able to offer a post- menting the courses they completed Peshawar offices. Their studies in- secondary computer training semi- so that they can continue their stud- clude theoretical lessons and practi- nar in Herat during 2005. Three ex- ies after they leave. cal work under the supervision of perienced AIL trainers taught the Students attending Gawhar experienced AIL Master Teacher five-day workshop in basic, interme- Shad University in 2005 numbered Trainers. During 2005, four women diate and advanced levels with 29 164. About 51% of the students at completed their studies and became participants. the University’s College of Math and Master Teacher Trainers highly Computer Science are women. skilled at training teachers to use interactive, student-centered teach- AIL’s post-secondary Nurse/ he Afghan Institute of Health Educator training program ing techniques that are exceptionally Learning published three also has many successes to report effective for developing critical think- T editions of its magazine, for 2005. ing and logical skills in students. Voice of Education, and distributed 3,000 copies of each throughout In April, eight more women com- AIL’s Master Teacher Trainers Afghanistan and Pakistan. Stu- pleted this intensive, nine-month are working to train as many teach- dents, teachers, NGO-staff, gov- course in Pakistan, bringing the total ers as possible to use these skills ernment workers and others find number of graduates to date to 59. and to improve their teaching. To the magazine’s focus on health, Forty-two female students en- date, 10,000 teachers have been education and current events a rolled in our first nursing course in trained by AIL. great forum for informed commen- Kabul at the end of 2005. Students Students in the College of Math tary on important issues in Afghan are learning anatomy, physiology and Computer Science are able to society today.

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How You Can Help ______

he support of generous donors like you has made it possible for AIL to help hundreds of thousands of Afghan women and children over the last ten years. With this continued concern and generous T financial support, we have been able to reach out to Afghans who have been victims of war, vio- lence and poverty in practical and tangible ways. And we want to do more. Take a look at some of the ma- jor goals AIL is committed to achieving in 2006:

• Encourage the development of more community-based organizations • Train teachers in urban and rural Afghanistan and improve education for thousands of children. • Lend support to Educational Learning Centers that provide healthcare and education to thousands of Afghan women and girls. • Continue to develop model programs designed to improve the health of women and children. You can be a part of these exciting opportunities to help others around the world when you include AIL in your charitable giving plans for the coming year. Please send your tax deductible donation to: Creating Hope International For the Afghan Institute of Learning PO Box 1058 Dearborn, MI 48121 United States And check out our website at www.creatinghope.org/ail for updates on AIL’s activities during 2006. We are ever grateful for your willingness to help others through your support of AIL.

Partnering with AIL ______

he Afghan Institute of Learning would like to thank our grantors and supporters for part- nering with us in 2005. Your critical resources, reliable advice, sound suggestions and T caring, mentoring relationship with us is an invaluable gift to us. Our partners include, but are not limited to, the following companies and organizations:

Academy for Educational Development Global Giving Afghan Women Leaders Fund of The Green Fund The Philanthropic Collaborative Johnson & Johnson American Jewish World Service National Endowment for Democracy The Ann & George Fisher Foundation Network Women’s Program Open

Christ Episcopal Church, Dearborn, MI Society Institute Creating Hope International Tides Foundation Direct Relief International United Nations Population Fund The Flora Family Foundation University of Delaware Give2Asia Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation The Global Fund for Children Women’s Learning Partnership The Global Fund for Women Zonta International

We have also received donations from hundreds of individual contributors who wish to remain anonymous.

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Contact Information ______

IN PAKISTAN: G.P.O. Box 241 Peshawar, Pakistan Tel: +92-91-842308 E-mail: [email protected]

IN AFGHANISTAN: Karta-e-Parwan Street #2, House #63, Dist. #2 Kabul, Afghanistan Tel: +93-702-843-26 E-mail: [email protected]

IN THE UNITED STATES: c/o Creating Hope International P.O. Box 1058 Dearborn, MI 48121 United States Tel: (313) 278-5806 Fax: (313) 565-8515 E-mail: [email protected] Web Page: www.creatinghope.org/ail