Through this 49-month grant, Sida contributes to Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Afghanistans ongoing education programme to further its reach and increase its positive impact on student beneficiaries through improved access to quality education in a protective environment. This is carried out through the establishment of learning centres, recruitment and training of teachers as well as provision of education materials to facilitate the learning process.
Initially, the project targeted Badghis, Kunduz, Nangarhar and Uruzgan Provinces. However, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced a new directive allowing only one education actor per district. NRC commenced negotiations with the MoE and Education in Emergencies Working Group (EiEWG) for allocation of new districts to implement the project. NRC successfully negotiated for five districts in Kunar Province, three districts in Zabul Province and six districts in Faryab Province. The selected districts fall into hard-to-reach areas to preserve the projects objective. The districts have been allocated to NRC on June 30th 2019.
NRC relocated the project to new locations during June and July 2019 by terminating contracts of already hired teachers and community workers in Badghis, Kunduz, Nangarhar and Uruzgan Provinces and shifted all procured kits to new locations. At the same time, NRC commenced access negotiations with Armed Opposition Groups (AOG) and finalised the negotiations in September 2019 in Zabul and Kunar provinces.
As of January 2020 NRC has established 125 classes in an accelerated learning and community-based education in the high Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and returnee-hosting areas of Faryab, Kunar and Zabul Provinces. 2 200 girls and 2 200 boys aged 10-15 have so far been enrolled through this intervention.
During the months of December 2019 and January 2020, NRC has identified rehabilitation and WASH needs of the established classes, and began supporting them with small cash amounts for minor rehabilitation of classrooms as part of the learning spaces upgrade during the months of January - March 2020.
