Results for Youth: Afghanistan Andrea Glauber Irina Majumdar Michael Bouvet Catalina and Jackson Cojocaru Foundation Proposal to

Background  Millennium Development Goal #2:  Achieve universal primary education by 2015

Implementing Organization  Mission: Established in 2000, the AIM Initiative is an international education consulting organization focused on: 1. Increasing access to education throughout the developing world 2. Advising on best scholastic practices 3. Improving the quality of educational outcomes  AIM has previously worked in partnership with USAID, the World Food Programme, and Afghanaid to increase access to education in post-conflict situations in Afghanistan

Problem: Kapisa Province Afghanistan predicted not to meet universal education MDG by 2020 School attendance: o Boys: 55% o Girls: 25.8% In 2011, nearly 16,000 male students and 6,000 female students were permanently absent. Large and persistent gender gap Root causes: decades of war, widespread poverty, and conservative opposition

Needs: Kapisa Province Cultural Tradition dictates that girls belong in the home Conservative family members and religious leaders forbid girls from attending school Economic 41.2% of parents, teachers, and girls said that poverty is the biggest barrier to girls’ access to education Social Abuse in school is common: in one survey, 100% of boys reported that they had encountered physical and humiliating punishment in school Girls: high female to male teacher ratio, lack of boundary walls, absence of functional latrines (48% of rural areas do not have qualified female teachers) Security Children in rural areas must walk long distances to school, facing harassment along the way Many schools built by U.S. military and often used as polling places, making them prime targets for attack

Project Objectives Ensure access to quality education for both boys and girls in the Hesa Dovum Kohistan District of Kapisa, Afghanistan Increase student attendance and empower youth to have a voice in their education in Kapisa Province Improve chances of long-term, community-led sustainable development

Project Initiatives Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) Female Teacher Training Programs (FTTs) Parent-Teacher- Student Associations (PTSAs)

Conditional Cash Transfers  Objective: Increase student attendance by meeting the economic needs of the community and reducing financial burdens on families  Modeled on World Bank program in Cambodia  Incentive: Cash scholarships for families who send their children to school  Phase 1: Introduce concept of CCTs at PTSA meetings  Phase 2: Implement CCTs among poorest 1/3 of population  Phase 3: Monitoring, evaluation, and reformation

Female Teacher Training  Objective: Increase girls’ attendance by increasing the number of female teachers in Kapisa  Partnership with Ministry of Education: guaranteed employment after graduation  1 year-long teacher training college  Incentive: Travel/meal stipend paid to participants  Phase 1: Educate members of the community about the benefits of program  Phase 2a: Reach out to youths to create pre-FTT program  Phase 2b: Enroll females in higher education in the program  Phase 3: Monitoring, evaluation, and reformation

Parent Teacher Student Associations  Objective: Foster a norm of inter-community dialogue by establishing local PTSAs to provide a forum for citizens to discuss educational obstacles and solutions  Ensure that stakeholders will be present throughout all aspects of project implementation  Incentive: Community members will be empowered and incentivized to continue hosting PTSAs after project termination  Phase 1: Gain access to and respect of communities  Phase 2: Establish monthly PTSAs  Phase 3: Monitoring, evaluation, and reformation

Thank you.

References  Ayari, Farida. “Afghan Female Literacy Centres bring knowledge and new priorities to remote areas.” UNICEF November 12,  Bradbury, Jen. “Girls’ Education in Afghanistan.” UNICEF November 11,  Donker, Peter. “The Importance of a Good Basic Education.” Teachers First November 11, Web.  Filmer, Deon and Norbert Schady. “Getting Girls into School: Evidence from a Scholarship Program in Cambodia.” The World Bank November 12, Web.  Government of Afghanistan. “Reports.” Ministry of Education November 12, Web.  Save the Children. “Afghanistan in Transition: Putting Children at the Heart of Development.” Save the Children November 12, Web.  United Nations Development Programme. “Achieve Universal Primary Education.” UN Millennium Development Goals November 11, Web.  United Nations Development Programme. “Afghanistan Human Development Report.” UN Human Development Reports November 11, Web.