Back to back victories for Afghanistan’s football (soccer) team!

Afghanistan's national football (soccer) team

Afghanistan played against Bhutan on Wednesday and today in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Challenge Cup 2012 pre-qualifying round. They easily defeated Bhutan 3-0 in the first game, and then in the second game, they shut them out once again with a score of 2-0.

In the first game, all 3 goals from Afghanistan were scored by Mohammad Sediq Walizada. He scored the first in the second minute, then one at the 35 minute mark, and then the final goal of the match in the 80th minute. In the second game, Nadeem Wahid scored the first goal in the 65th minute, and 5 minutes later, Israfeel Kohistani scored the second goal.

Both games were played at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon, India.

Now that they have defeated Bhutan, Afghanistan will will join DPR North Korea, Sri Lanka and Nepal in Group D of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying round, which is scheduled to be held from April 7-11 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Overall, there are four qualifying groups of the AFC Challenge Cup 2012: A, B, C and D. Group A consists of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Palestine, and Philippines. Group B consists of India, Pakistan, Chinese Taipei and Turkmenistan. Group C consists of Maldives, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Cambodia.

The Asian Football Confederation’s Challenge Cup is a football competition for emerging nations. All the participants of the competition are members of the Asian Football Confederation.

March 25, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

Afghan MMA fighter victorious once again!

Last night at the second round of the United Glory – 2010-2011 World Series in Belgium, Afghan MMA fighter and Shooto Light Heavyweight World Champion, Siyar Bahadurzada defeated John “The Natural” Alessio by way of a knock out (KO) punch in the first round.  The fight only lasted 90 seconds.

“I’d like to thank each and everyone of you for praying for me, supporting me and for being my motivation!”, Bahadurzada posted on his Facebook account.

In the first round of the United Glory – 2010-2011 World Series, which was held in October of last year, Bahadurzada defeated Derrick Noble in the first round via a TKO (Technical Knock out).  Click here to see video.

With his win last night, Bahadurzada improves his record to 19 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw.

March 20, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

Afghanistan’s National Museum To Be Expanded

US Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry joins Afghan Minister Makhdoom Raheen at a ceremony to announce a new master plan to improve the National Museum of Afghanistan. Photo credit: Sheila Vemmer/U.S. Department of State

In an effort to preserve Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, yesterday, in a ceremony held in the Nuristani room at the National Museum of Afghanistan, the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl W. Eikenberry, pledged $5 million to support the planning, designing and constructing of a new museum building. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, headed by Makhdoom Raheen, also committed $2 million to support the new museum building.

According to media reports, the new museum building will have “state of the art security, conservation and administrative space and will include beautiful new exhibition space.” The new building will one day be the home for the ‘Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan’ Exhibition”. The exhibit toured various museums in the United States in 2008-2009, and is currently on display in London at the British Museum. The exhibit consists of carved ivories from Bagram, gold jewelry from ancient nomads, and Hellenistic sculptures found in Northern Afghanistan. The land for the site of the new museum building was donated by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense.

“My vision is for a museum that will be an even greater source of pride for Afghans from all regions. Afghans need a museum so that our children can learn about our nation’s rich cultural history at the crossroads of East and West”, Makhdoom Raheen said at the ceremony.

The Afghan National Museum was built in 1919.

March 16, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Cultural Heritage, Reconstruction and Development

3 New School Buildings To Be Built In The North and Teachers Get Pay Raise In Kandahar

Yesterday, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education announced that 2 new school buildings will be built in Afghanistan’s northern province of Takhar and another school building will be built in neighboring Kunduz province.

In Takhar province, the new school buildings will be built for the Haji Pahlawan and Haji Abdul Satar Middle Schools, located in Barak district.

The buildings will be built in 6 months at a cost of $434,789. Funding for the projects will come from the Aga Khan Foundation and Germany.

The building for the Haji Pahlawan Middle School will have 10 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms and 5 restrooms. The building for the Haji Abdul Satar Middle School will have 8 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms and 5 restrooms. Both schools will have a well and a surrounding wall put in.

Meanwhile in neighboring Kunduz province, education officials have announced that a building will be built for the Qakhandar High School, located in central Kunduz province.

The building will be built in 5 months at a cost of $181,000. Funding for the project will come from the Aga Khan Foundation and Germany. The new building will have 8 classrooms, and 4 administrative rooms. This school will also have a well and a surrounding wall put in.

In other Afghan education news, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported yesterday that the “salaries of hundreds of teachers in southern Kandahar province have been increased from 3,500 afghanis to 14,800 afghanis a month”. The pay raise is for 1,200 teachers who had passed a skill evaluation test, according to the PAN report. The hope is that this move will inspire educated people into joining the profession.

March 13, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Afghan Woman Receives Global Award!

Sakena Yacoobi, Founder and Executive Directory of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL)

Today in Boca Raton, Florida, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, the Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), received the inaugural Enterprising Women’s 2011 Global Women’s Hall of Fame award. Dr. Terry Neese, Founder of The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, presented Dr. Yacoobi the award at the 9th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration.

“I nominated Dr. Yacoobi for this award due to her long time efforts to empower women and communities to bring education and health services to poor rural and urban girls and women, as well as other disenfranchised Afghans,” said Dr. Neese.

“Her organization was the first to offer human rights and leadership training to Afghan women in the 1990s. She is an inspiration to Afghan and American women.  Her visionary work is an example to everyone that women can persevere through the most challenging times to help build their country and educate their people.” 

Dr. Yacoobi was honored.  “This is both an honor for me and an honor for the women of Afghanistan who are creating new lives for themselves through their pursuit of education, their creativity, and their drive to succeed under the most difficult of circumstances,” she said.

“When women gain knowledge and have new opportunities for bringing some kind of economic security to their families, they become more valuable in the eyes of others and then see that value in themselves.  Thank you for honoring all of us.”

Dr. Yacoobi at the awards ceremony. Photo courtesy of Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women.

About Dr. Sakena Yacoobi

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi is Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL), an Afghan women-led NGO she founded in 1995. Established to provide teacher training, education and health services to women and children, over 8 million have benefited from AIL’s programs to date. AIL was the first organization to offer human rights and leadership training to Afghan women in the 1990s.  AIL supported 80 underground home schools for 3000 girls in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.  AIL was first to open Women’s Learning Centers for Afghan women – a concept now copied by many organizations throughout Afghanistan.

For more on AIL, check out: http://www.afghaninstituteoflearning.org/

About The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women

The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women is a 501(c)3 non-profit empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.  For more info, visit http://www.ieew.org

March 11, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Health News, Human Rights, Women's Rights

New court building opened in Helmand; Construction projects on 2 factories begins and 2 new school buildings inaugurated in Herat

Inauguration ceremony for the new Helmand courthouse, photo courtesy of Bakhtar News Agency

Afghanistan’s Bakhtar News Agency reported today that construction work on a new building for the Helmand provincial court has finally been completed, and that an inauguration ceremony was held to celebrate the event. Muhammad Gulab Mangal, the provincial governor of Helmand province, attended the inauguration of the new building. The construction work had begun 2 years ago, and was finally completed at cost of $900,000.  Funding for the project was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The building has two floors, 19 offices and two conference rooms.

Meanwhile in the western province of Herat, construction projects on two new factories has begun. Bakhtar News Agency reported today that a steel mill factory will be built in the province that will produce on a daily basis 150 tons of constructional wire. Also today, Pajhwok Afghan News reported that an iron-melting factory will be built in the province that will use old iron and imported iron from other countries to create 150 types of construction materials. The factory will be built in the industrial park that was established in 2002 by former provincial governor, Mohammad Ismail Khan. The PAN report said that “the factories in the industrial park include manufacturers, such as those that make iron materials, utensils, ghee, cool drinks and washing liquids, as well as motorbike repair workshops”.

Finally, this past Saturday (March 5th), Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education announced that 2 new school buildings were inaugurated in Herat. One building is for the Abu Mansur Ali Boy’s High School in Zinda Jan district and the other is for the Qool Girls and Boys Middle School in Shindand district. Both buildings were built at a cost of 290,000 Euros, and funding for the project was provided by the Italian government. The buildings took 5 months to build. Each school buildings has 16 classrooms, 8 administrative rooms, and 6 restrooms.  Sports fields, surrounding walls, and water wells were put in for the schools as well. Moreover, each school was given 300 tables and chairs. The Ministry of Education told Bakhtar News Agency that due to classroom shortages, previously the students of these two schools were taught under tents.

March 7, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Education, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development

Further improvement in Afghanistan’s Health System: TB lab opened and clinic to be constructed

Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported yesterday that the first-ever tuberculosis (TB) laboratory was opened in the western province of Herat. The laboratory has the capacity to diagnose patients from five different provinces – Herat, Nimroz, Badghis, Farah and Ghor. The lab is part of the Herat Zonal Hospital, which took three years to complete at a cost of one million US dollars. PAN reported that the funds were provided by the government of Italy.

Daoud Saba, the provincial governor of Herat province, told everyone in an inaugural ceremony for the lab that patients “would no longer need to go abroad for tests and treatment of the disease”.

TB is a preventable and treatable disease, but unfortunately, it is still a major public health issue in Afghanistan. The World Health Organization reported in 2010 that over 50,000 people tested positive for TB in Afghanistan. Hopefully, with the increase of labs such as the one that has been opened in Herat, more and more Afghans will be treated.

In other health news, Afghanistan’s Bakhtar News Agency reported today that a health clinic will be built in Zaranj city, located in Nimroz province.  A foundation laying ceremony was held yesterday, according to the report. The clinic will be constructed on 200 square meters of land, and will be built at a cost of 1,700,000 afghanis (approximately $37,660).

March 4, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Laboratory and Library Inaugurated In Ghazni and Aid Given To Balkh Education Department

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education said today that a laboratory room and a library was inaugurated in the Amir Mohammad Khan High School in Afghanistan’s central province of Ghazni.  Education officials, community leaders, teachers and students attended the ceremony.  The laboratory was provided with 166 instruments and the library was provided with 750 educational books.

Meanwhile in the northern province of Balkh, Ministry of Education officials said that aid was given to the Balkh Education Department. $24,000 worth of furniture, such as tables and chairs were provided to the department.  The furniture was then distributed to a high school and middle school in the Chimtal district of Balkh province.

March 2, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Generous pledge from Japan to protect lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said yesterday that the government of Japan has signed an agreement with them in which $19 million dollars will be provided so that three eight-month projects can be completed that will protect lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan.

According to a report from UNOPS:

The first project will design and construct a new Arthal Bridge and repair the approach roads to the bridge, contributing to a safe, functional and integrated transportation network in Kabul City.

The second project focuses on accessibility during winter and will build new facilities, or repair existing ones, for the effective management of traffic and maintenance of snow clearing equipment. It will also provide management and engineering training to the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) personnel to enhance their capacity to clear snow and prevent avalanches.

The third project aims to improve preparedness for disaster and post-disaster responses in Ghor Province, where people are faced with cyclical occurrences of flood, drought and snow disaster.

Peter Krogh Sorensen, UNOPS Director and Representative, said that thanks to this generous contribution from Japan, he is convinced that they can make a difference in the lives of the Afghan population.

March 1, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Environmental Issues, Human Rights, Reconstruction and Development

One school building completed and two more will be built in eastern Afghanistan

Fazlullah Wahidi, provincial governor of Kunar province

A new school building for the Arazee High School in the Khas Kunar district of Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar was recently inaugurated, according to a press release from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education. Fazlullah Wahidi, the provincial governor of Kunar, education officials, community leaders, students and teachers attended the opening ceremony of the new building. The building was built in 6 months at a cost of $264,000.  The new school building has 10 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms, and 5 restrooms.  A surrounding wall and a well was also put in.  The school was also given 160 2-person tables and chairs.

Also recently, in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Laghman, a stone laying ceremony was held for 2 two school buildings that will be built. Both buildings will be for middles schools, and each building will have 8 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms and 5 restrooms.  A surrounding wall and a well will also be put in. According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education, 8 million afghanis (approximately $177,030 US) will be spent to complete this project.

February 21, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Herat Airport runway extension project completed

An Ariana aircraft about to land on the new runway extension of the Herat International Airport. (Photo by Kevin Wallace)

Yesterday, NATO and Afghan officials, including Daoud Saba, the Governor of Herat province, attended a ceremony commemorating the completion of the Herat Airport runway extension.

A NATO news release today said that “the new runway is approximately 9,840 feet (3,000 meters) long, enabling even the largest civilian aircraft to take off and land”. “I think the extension of this airport makes it a true runway to receive any variety of airplanes. Economically, it saves a lot of money and culturally it’s a milestone for making Herat one of the hubs of development in the country,” said Herat Governor Daoud Saba. “We hope that in the future Herat airport will serve as a hub for cargo in Afghanistan for its access to southern, northern and central provinces of the country.”

A taxiway that will allow larger wingspan aircraft to operate at the airport, an air traffic tower, a radar and precision approach system, new parking for passengers, and paving the apron surface are future projects for the airport.

February 18, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

Afghanistan wins GSMA Government Leadership Award

Afghanistan’s Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, Amirzai Sangin

On Tuesday, in Barcelona, Spain, at the annual Government Mobile Forum, Afghanistan’s Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, Amirzai Sangin, was given the mobile industry’s prestigious Government Leadership Award. The award was given to the Afghan government because of the “immense achievements made by the Afghan government in its commitment to the widespread expansion of mobile communications”.  GSMA said in a press release:

“In just ten years the Afghan government has taken a country with no mobile infrastructure to a point where 80 per cent of the population is now covered by telecommunications networks. It has licensed four GSM operators and has created an environment of healthy, transparent competition and low-cost, broad accessibility. By leading this transformation, Afghanistan’s government is driving economic growth; the mobile industry now directly employs more than 50,000 people, and accounts for 12 per cent of all government revenues. Telecommunications has become the single largest source of foreign investment, bringing more than $1.2 billion dollars into the national economy.”

“I am extremely delighted to receive this award on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan, and want to thank the GSMA for recognizing the efforts of our government for creating policies and a regulatory environment that, together with the efforts of all stakeholders, have resulted, despite the challenges of the ongoing insurgency and war, in the tremendous success of telecommunications and ICT in Afghanistan,” said Minister Sangin.  “With our partners, we are determined to continue to develop the potential for telecommunications and ICT as an enabler for the socio-economic development of our country.”

“This award acknowledges the pioneering leadership of the government of Afghanistan and is a testament to the vision, courage and integrity of its policy makers who are encouraging foreign investment in the country,” said Tom Phillips, chief regulatory officer, GSMA. “By reducing the spectrum fees payable by mobile operators and creating a light-touch regulatory environment which does not impose onerous burdens on operators, the government of Afghanistan is building a new economic era and driving trade through the power of mobile communications.”

GSMA is an association that represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry.

February 17, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development