Girl’s Middle School In Kunduz Gets New Building

Today, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education announced that a new school building for the Haji Hussein Girl’s Middle School in the Aliabad district of Kunduz province has been inaugurated.

Government officials, community leaders, teachers and students attended the opening ceremony. The new building took 8 months to build at a cost of $341,000. Funding for the project came from the German government.

The building has 16 classrooms, 1 administrative room, and 5 restrooms.  A surrounding wall and a well was also put in. The education ministry also said that 306 2-person tables and chairs were provided to the school.

February 14, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development, Women's Rights

Afghanistan is victorious – Young team wins 2011 ACC U-19 Elite Cup!

Photo shows ACC site - Afghanistan is handed the championship cup

Afghanistan defeated Nepal today by 61 runs in the final match of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under 19 Elite Cup tournament at Terdthai Cricket Ground, in Bangkok, Thailand to win the 2011 ACC U-19 Elite Cup.

The tournament began on February 1st and ended today. The teams that participated in the tournament were separated into 2 groups: Group A and Group B. Group A consisted of Hong Kong, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore and Bahrain. Group B consisted of Afghanistan, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Thailand.

Afghanistan first went up against Thailand on February 1st and defeated them by 249 runs. For their second game, they played against Oman on February 3rd and defeated them by 9 wickets. Unfortunately, they lost their third game to Nepal by 6 wickets on February 4th, but they came back on February 6th to beat UAE by 6 wickets. This put them in a semi-final match against Hong Kong on February 8th, and they won that match by 7 wickets. They were able to avenge their only loss to Nepal in the final match.

In this special tournament, players only under the age of 19 were allowed to participate. The ACC U-19 Elite Cup tournament is part of the qualifying process for International Cricket Council’s U-19 World Cup 2012.

The Afghan U-19 team consists of Yunis Khan Ahmadzai, Aftab Alam, Amanullah Amin, Dawood Bahram, Noor-ul Haq, Nasir Jamal, Mohibullah Paak, Abdul Rashid, Rahmatullah Sahaq, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Sher Mohammad Sherzai (leader), Mohammad Yamin, Najibullah Zadran, and Afsar Khan Zazai.

February 10, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

New buildings for schools in Samangan and Kapisa

A total of seven new school buildings were opened today in the northern province of Samangan, according to a report from Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN). Three of the buildings are for primary schools and the other four are for middle schools – all located in the Dara-e-Sauf district.  Each building has 8 classrooms and 6 administrative rooms, and they took 10 months to build. PAN quoted the district’s education manager, Aminullah Amin, as saying that previously, the “students had to study under tents and in mosques”.  Funding for the construction projects were provided by the World Bank.

Also today, PAN reported that a new building for a girl’s school in the north eastern province of  Kapisa was inaugurated. The new building which took 6 months to build, has 13 classrooms, one administrative room, a guard room, a cashier office and eight toilets. The project was funded by the Danish government at a cost of $220,000.

February 9, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development, Women's Rights

One million saplings and trees to be planted in Herat

In Afghanistan’s western province of Herat, a program is kicking off where one million saplings and trees will be planted, according to a United Nations’ report yesterday. The report said that, “Afghan officials are focused on efficient planting to make sure the plants do not dry out”. “Places that have permanent access to water coming from Harirud River will be chosen for the program,” said Abdel Qayum, the head of the Department of Environment in Herat. Over the years, many trees have been cut down in Afghanistan to be used as fuel, or have been damaged as a result of the war.  Programs such as these will help to make Afghanistan greener, and eventually improve air quality and the health of the people.

February 5, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Environmental Issues, Health News

Development projects in Ghazni, Laghman, Jawzjan, and Helmand

Today, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported that “development projects worth million of dollars will be launched in the southern province of Ghazni this year”.  The source of the report was the provincial governor of Ghazni, Musa Khan Akbarzada. “Saudi Arabia would construct a huge mosque in Ghazni City, the provincial capital, while the United Arab Emirates had pledged to build a trade centre, he added. Pakistan will construct a playground. Polish and American troops want to invest $20 million in road projects, wind electric systems and urban development, according to the governor.”

Yesterday, a PAN report said that Laghman’s governor has announced that development projects worth $1.7 million will be implemented in the province. According to the report, the projects include the building of a bridge in the Alingar district, another bridge on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, the construction of canals in Alishang district and roads, retaining walls and seven electricity projects in the Qarghai district. The projects will be funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Bank, and the provincial reconstruction team (PRT).

Also yesterday, Tolo news reported that for the first time, a thermal power station will be built in northern Afghanistan. According to the report, the station will be in Shiberghan, the capital of Jawzjan province. It will function using natural resources such as gas from the province. “In four months, the station will be up and running and generate 400 megawatts of thermal power,” said the report. “The project will not only meet Shiberghan electricity need, but some other northern provinces would also benefit.”

Finally, a NATO news release yesterday said that road work has begun in which two major cities in Helmand province (Marjah and Gereshk) will be linked. The new road will improve security and transportation for the people.  Moreover, “all the work will be carried out by local Afghans”.

February 2, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development

Major agreement signed to protect children in Afghanistan

Today in Kabul, the Afghan government and officials from the United Nations signed an agreement to end recruitment of children in security forces. This is a major achievement because in a United Nations report last year, Afghanistan was listed as one of the countries which had child soldiers. Today’s agreement will prevent under-age recruitment into the Afghan National Security Forces as well as other violations committed against children in the context of the conflict.

“Today we come together to undertake a big step for a better future for the children of Afghanistan. This is not only the responsibility of the Government. The entire community is called upon to work together for the protection of all children in Afghanistan,” said Zalmai Rassoul, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Today’s signing of the Action Plan to halt the use and recruitment of children into the Afghan National Security Forces and to address other child rights violations is an important first step to end such practices,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy.

January 30, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Human Rights, Security in Afghanistan

New school building inaugurated in Nangarhar province

Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan

A new building for the Sholgar Middle School, located in the Dur Baba district of Nangarhar province, was inaugurated today, according to an official from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education.

Government officials, community leaders, teachers as well as students attended a ceremony celebrating the opening of the new school building.

The new building was built in 8 months at a cost of $96,000.  Funding was provided by the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

It has 8 classrooms, 4 administrative rooms, and 5 restrooms. A surrounding wall and a water well was also put in for the school.

January 24, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

More Roads, Electricity and Water for Afghans!

A ring road originally planned back in the 1960s to connect Afghanistan’s remote areas to its major cities will soon receive fresh funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  Earlier this week, Afghanistan’s Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal signed a contract with an official from ADB in which Afghanistan will receive $340 million in grants to complete the 2,700 km ring road. The road will connect Kabul with Baghlan, Balkh, Jawzjan, Shiberghan, Faryab, Badghis, Herat and Kandahar provinces.

On the same day, another contract was signed between ADB and Omar in which $12 million will be provided to Afghanistan so it can be used to fund a project in which 500 megawatts of electricity will be imported from neighboring Tajikistan.

Finally, Afghanistan’s Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported yesterday that a new building for Nangarhar province’s department of water supply and canalization was inaugurated. Funding for the project was provided by the Japanese government. The building has 2 floors, 8 rooms and a meeting hall. “The building has a water capacity storage of 5,000 cubic meters and three water pumps that will supply clean water to 5,000 families”, said the PAN report.

January 20, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

New school building in Baghlan, new clinic in Kabul, and a new bridge in Oruzgan

Today, an official from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education said that a new school building for the Darah Kag Middle School in the Dushi district of Afghanistan’s province of Baghlan was inaugurated. The new building has 8 classrooms and 2 administrative rooms.  A water well was also put in.  According to the education ministry, the cost of the construction project was 7 million afghanis.

Yesterday, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) reported that a health clinic was opened in the Deh Arbab area of Paghman district in Kabul province. The clinic will provide “provide basic health facilities to more than 40,000 people”. The clinic was made possible due to $100,000 from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Also this past weekend, PAN reported that Afghan government officials, community leaders and the governor of Oruzgan province, Mohammad Omar Sherzad, attended an inauguration ceremony for a new bridge that was recently constructed in the Chora district of Oruzgan province. The bridge took 18 months to build, and it is 160 meters long and 7 meters wide. This key bridge links Chora and Gizab districts to Tarinkowt, the provincial capital. Funding for the project ($1.2 million) was provided by Holland. The bridge will make travel much easier and reduce travel time as well.

January 17, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Education, Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Modern Rug Processing Factory Opened In Kabul

A modern rug processing factory was opened this week in Kabul, according to a report from Pajhwok Afghan News.  The factory will be able to process about 7,000 square meters of rug in a month, and it will employ about 100 workers. The factory was setup with funding ($200,000) from the United States Agency for International Development.

Rugs and carpets are one of Afghanistan’s leading exports. However, since Afghanistan lacks large-scale processing factories, many of the rugs are sent to Pakistan for finishing.  As a result, they end up being stamped as “Made in Pakistan”. This is a big loss for Afghans, however, now with the opening of this new modern factory, and hopefully more through out the country, rugs sold to the rest of the the world will be properly labeled as “Made in Afghanistan”.

January 13, 2011 · admin · 3 Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development

Major drop in polio cases; New health center building inaugurated in Helmand

Dr. Suraya Dalil

Yesterday, officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health announced that the number of people infected with polio has reduced 37% since 2009. While polio is not an issue in the West, the disease disables and kills many people in developing countries like Afghanistan. Acting Health Minister, Dr. Suraya Dalil said the reduction is due to successful and well-planned vaccination campaigns across the country.  Her ministry had launched 4 rounds of anti-polio drives each year to deal with the disease. “At all the state-run clinics and hospitals, the government has provided anti-polio, TB, hepatitis B, Tetanus, influenza and chickenpox vaccine,” she said. She also said that in a bid to further decrease child mortality, they will expand the government’s vaccination program.

Also yesterday, in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, provincial governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal cut the ribbon at a ceremony inaugurating a new building which will serve as a public health center. The 18 room facility is fully-equipped to provide first aid and emergency services to residents in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province. The new building took 6 months to build at a cost of $275,000.

January 10, 2011 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

New airfield to be build in Nimroz province

Afghanistan’s southern province of Nimroz will get a new airfield, according to a report today from Afghanistan’s Tolo news. According to the report, an official from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Aviation and Transportation said that the new airfield is being planned to be made in an area 14 square km wide, and it will be 17 km far from downtown Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz province. “The airport will be 6.2 km long and 2.2 km wide. And it will be built along the main road that connects Nimroz with Farah province,” Sayed Mahdi Sayedi, Technical Deputy in Aviation and Transportation Ministry, told Tolo news. The new airfield will make travel a lot easier and help improve the economic conditions of the province and the country as a whole.

January 8, 2011 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development