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Middle School Block Haye Hawayee
Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan
Projectstart: 2022
Donation status: 474.052 €
Goal: 600.776 €
Donation status: 474.052 €
Goal: 600.776 €
The Block Haye Hawayee middle school in Mazar-e-Sharif currently has 2,195 registered students, but not even half of them receive their lessons in classrooms. About 1,300 students have to attend classes in the corridors or outside. Lack of space, high noise levels and extreme temperatures make learning extremely difficult. Many students gain little to no skills, while others do not even get a place at school. Their families are financially weak and have only a low level of education. Due to the difficult access to education, children have hardly any chance to escape poverty.
The project aims to improve the quality of learning by expanding the school building. A total of 12 new classrooms, a science laboratory, 4 administrative rooms for teachers and a library will be built. To improve the learning atmosphere and minimize health risks, 10 sanitary facilities including a hand washing facility will also be provided. In order to promote the sustainable development of the school, additional training courses and workshops for teachers and students will be offered, expanding the professional teaching offer and creating more awareness for the topics of hygiene and health.
Initial situation
The Block Haye Hawayee Middle School is located about 300 kilometers northwest of Kabul in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan’s Balkh province. The school currently has 2,195 registered students between the ages of 6 and 17. Most of the children come from financially weak families with a low level of education. Before the humanitarian crisis, some of the parents worked as day laborers in handicrafts, but the majority was already without employment and regular income. The situation has worsened dramatically since August 2021 and the financial poverty increased in the whole country.
EXHAUSTED CAPACITIES AND POOR LEARNING CONDITIONS
The school building so far includes only 7 classrooms, where about 900 girls and boys are taught in 3 shifts. Due to the lack of space, about 1,300 students have to switch to the hallways or outside – even in extreme heat in the summer and temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees in the winter. The quality of teaching and the students’ ability to concentrate are severely limited by a lack of space, overcrowded classes and a high noise level. As a result, a number of students gain little to no skills despite attending school. In addition, there are many children from the surrounding area who do not get a school place at all because the admission capacities are completely exhausted. Although they are of school age, they are denied their right to education and have little chance to escape poverty.
HEALTH RISKS DUE TO LACK OF HYGIENIC STANDARDS
The few sanitary facilities at the school are in a desolate state. There is no water supply, only one makeshift hand washing facility and only 5 toilets, which are not sufficient for more than 2,000 students. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to maintain hygienic standards and implement important rules of conduct to protect against disease. The insufficient hygienic conditions mean health risks for all people on site and cause frequent cases of illness among the students and teachers and thus also the absence from school or the cancellation of lessons.
solution approach
The project focuses on three central points: the expansion of the school building, the improvement of hygienic standards and the promotion of sustainable structures.
In order to create sufficient space and a better learning atmosphere, a total of 12 classrooms, a science laboratory, 4 administrative rooms for the teachers and a library will be built and equipped. To improve the hygienic standards, 10 sanitary facilities including a hand washing facility will be constructed. The new building, together with the existing classrooms, will finally provide enough space for all 2,195 students at Block Haye Hawayee Middle School!
In order to promote sustainable structures, there will also be further training for teachers and workshops for students and staff. The main focus of the training is to educate the teachers in science and to familiarize them with the new laboratory equipment. In the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) workshops, students are sensitized to the topics of hygiene, health and their interrelationships through training and practical exercises. There are also workshops on topics such as school management and team training for our partner organization OASE.
The LOCAL PARTNER – OASE
The local partner is OASE (Organization of Afghan Support for Education), with whom we have already implemented numerous successful projects in Afghanistan. The staff is very well connected in Mazar-e-Sharif and has valuable expertise in the local educational context. This know-how makes it easier to cooperate with the local authorities and schools in view of the current political events. The commitment of OASE in the difficult security situation is outstanding and enables the continuation of educational projects also in view of new challenges that come along with political changes.
What has been achieved so far
Sep 2023
Sep 2023
Aug 2023
Jul 2023
Jun 2023
Mar 2023
Dec 2022
Continuing the construction and school management workshops
In September, the interior spaces were designed, including wall cladding, the installation of doors and window frames, and work on the toilet walls. Additionally, our local partner, OASE organized school management workshops where teachers worked on a shared vision and action plan for the school's development. These measures are intended to ensure that progress continues to be sustainably promoted even after the project phase is completed.
Over half of the construction work completed
In July, the construction workers began pouring concrete for the second floor, and due to the intense heat in Mazar, these works were carried out in the evening and nighttime hours. This led to work on the construction site continuing until as late as 4 in the morning.
The first workshop takes place
The first WASH workshop took place as part of the project. As in previous projects, OASE successfully combined the workshop with playful circus elements to increase the interest of the students. Since the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus (MMCC) was not available, OASE hired a doctor instead and invited the circus committee from a nearby school. OASE reports that the workshop was very successful. However, due to the persistent heat, it was necessary to move from the school library to the new classrooms.
Halfway through!
The construction progress of the school building is already above the 50 % mark. During the month of July, among other things, concrete pouring for the second floor was started. Due to the intense heat in Mazar, this work had to be carried out in the evening and night hours. As a result, work on the construction site was sometimes carried out until 4 am.
Already 1/3 completed!
The construction is progressing very well. According to the engineers of our partner organization OASE, one third of the construction work has already been completed! In addition, as every month, a meeting of the School Development Council (SDC) has taken place, where not only parents but also elders of the community regularly attend. This ensures that all activities of the school and the project are accepted by the community and ownership is created. This month, various small works at the school were discussed and how they can be financed.
Construction work continues
The winter break is over and work on the construction site has resumed. The construction of the shell is progressing and the next step is the installation of the drinking water supply.
Construction Starts
In December, the first construction measures for the new classrooms were implemented - the foundation was laid, the first floors filled and work on the masonry has already begun. After the winter break, construction will continue in March. At the same time, a school committee made up of teachers and parents was formed to work on the further development of the school during and after the project.
