Two new school buildings inaugurated in western Afghanistan

Earlier this week, according to a press release issued by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education, two new school buildings were inaugurated in western Afghanistan.

The first building is for the boys and girls Tajekhaa Primary School in the Muqur district of Badghis province. The building was built in 6 months at a cost of 47, 000 Euros.  Funding for the project was provided by the Spanish government.  The building has 4 classrooms, 1 administrative room, and 6 restrooms.  Tables and chairs were also provided for both student and teachers.

The other building is for the boys and girls Bandabad Middle School in the Pashtun Zarghun district of Herat province.  The building was built in 6 months at cost of 110,000 Euros.  Funding for the project was provided by the Italian government.  The building has 10 classrooms, 7 administrative rooms, and 6 restrooms. It also has a basketball and volleyball court.  Tables and chairs were also provided for both students and teachers.

As more school buildings are built throughout Afghanistan, less students will have to student outside or in tents.

December 1, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development, Women's Rights

Improvements Being Made To Balkh Public Hospital

The Balkh Public Hospital in the city of Mazar-e Sharif in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh is currently under reconstruction, according to a NATO news release issued today.

The reconstruction project will increase the capability of the hospital for expanded treatment as well as routine checkups.

The hospital treats hundreds of patients every day, and so the project is being implemented to adequately meet the needs of these patients.

According to the news release, once the construction is over, the hospital “will easily cover all the medical needs in the northern provinces and will be a leading example for all other hospitals.”

November 28, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Two Nangarhar clinics receive upgrades

Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan

The Afghan government recently completed refurbishment projects on two clinics in the Darah-ey Noor district in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar, a NATO news release said today. The cost of the construction work was $66,000 and it took more than a year and a half to complete. The project added a waiting room, a food storage room, and a delivery room for the clinics. The news report said that the “two clinics will serve roughly 25,000 people in the district and assist in delivering approximately 75 children per month”. Dr. Baz Mohammad Shirzad, the provincial public health director praised the location of the project. “Because the clinics are built in a highly rural area, the people of Darah-ye Noor who rarely visit more advanced urban hospitals now have a viable, sophisticated healthcare option readily available.”

November 24, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Afghan police stations in Badghis get winter equipment

The delivered equipment at an Afghan police station

Five Afghan police stations in the Qal’eh-ye Now district of Afghanistan’s northwestern province of Badghis received necessary winter equipment recently.  According to a NATO news release today, “The equipment consisted of 145 winter coats, 36 pairs of winter shoes, 145 pairs of boots, 145 pairs of gloves, 80 winter hats, 105 blankets, five heaters and two tents.” The delivery of the equipment was made to the stations by the members of the Spanish Police Operation Mentoring Liaison Team. “This contribution will significantly improve the working condition of our officers,” Afghan National Police Col. Golan Navi said. Navi, who is the main police station operations chief in Qal’eh-ye Now, was the one that had made the request for the equipment.

November 23, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development, Security in Afghanistan

Afghanistan wins first medal in 2010 Asian Games

Today at the 16th Asian Games, currently being held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou,  Nesar Ahmad Bahawi grabbed Afghanistan’s first medal. He received a silver medal in the Men’s Under 80 kg in Taekwondo.  This is an improvement for Bahawi since in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, he received a bronze medal. Nabil Hassan of Jordan narrowly beat him to claim the gold medal.  “After four years of working hard, I made it to the final. I’m really happy,” Behawi told AFP, when he reached the final against Hassan. “All my family and friends are praying for me. I fight for them, for my people and my country.”  As there are still many days of competitions left, Afghan sports fans are hoping their athletes pick up some more medals in martial arts and in cricket, which has become very popular in Afghanistan in recent years.

November 18, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

New Courthouse Built In Afghanistan’s Kapisa Province

Mohammad Sharif Hakimzada Safi, the Acting Governor of Kapisa, Nijrab District Governor Sultan Mohammad Safi; and Mohammad Hussain Khan, Provincial Council Chief, cut the ribbon on the new Nijrab Courthouse. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Brasier, Kapisa PRT).

On Saturday, November 13, 2010, Afghan officials and members of the Kapisa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a new courthouse in the Nejrab District of Afghanistan’s north eastern province of Kapisa. A NATO news release issued today said that the “courthouse facilities consists of a justice center, residential quarters, generator room, jail facility, guard shack and restrooms”. According to the news release, Mohammad Sharif Hakimzada Safi, the acting governor of Kapisa province, was present at the ceremony, and in regards to the new courthouse, Governor Safi said, “This courthouse will allow our justice system to protect the rights of ordinary citizens from cruel individuals who wrongly mistreat them”.

November 15, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Reconstruction and Development

3000 Ghazni residents get new water supply network

Ghazni PRT

Earlier in the week, the second phase of a major development project concluded where a water supply network was expanded in the southern part of Ghazni city. The work was managed by the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

According to a NATO news release today, “almost 8 kilometers of pipeline and necessary fittings were installed, along with the supporting infrastructure such as water supply connections and masonry wells.” Last year, under the first phase, 7.5 kilometers of pipeline were placed and attached to 231 homes. “Collectively, the city of Ghazni has gained nearly 16 kilometers of new water supply lines, which services about 500 homes. The total value of the two phases of the project is approximately $460,000.”

The residents will no longer waste time getting water out of small wells, and their water source is now much cleaner as the wells they used previously sometimes were polluted with harmful chemicals. The NATO report said that “preliminary studies carried out in approximately 33 percent of randomly selected wells in the city of Ghazni found the water exceeded the World Health Organization’s standards for arsenic content.”

A PRT engineer and project manager said that water supply is only one stage of development of urban infrastructure in Ghazni.  He said next a project to construct a municipal sewage treatment plant should start next year.

November 11, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Report: World Bank Pledges $35 million for farm water management program in Afghanistan

Many experts say that Afghanistan has enough water to meet the needs of its people, however, poor management of this valuable resource has left the country with shortages in many areas, including the north.  Tolo news reported today that the World Bank has pledged $35 million worth of financial aid for a farm water management program in Afghanistan.  The report said that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture will spend the money on fields in the next three years to resolve irrigation and water shortage problems.

The Tolo news report said that water shortage is one of the main challenges facing Afghan farmers in northern Balkh, Samangan, Jowzjan, Sar-e Pul and Faryab provinces.  The hope is that with the implementation of this new program, more farmers will be able to access the water supply they need to produce a bigger harvest.

November 9, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Environmental Issues, Reconstruction and Development

Thirst For Knowledge Drives School Expansions

An Afghan student stands by construction equipment outside a new addition to the Mohammad Sidiq Rohee High School. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew D. Lohr, PRT Khost Public Affairs Office)

Prophet Muhammad once said that the seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. In fact, the thirst for knowledge by students in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Khost has driven school attendance by such numbers that it’s driving school expansions in the province. For example, in Mohammad Sidiq Rohee High School, attendance has increased by 300 to 400 students in the last year.  Now the high school is in the middle of expanding with a new building that will contain eight classrooms and two offices. The new building has been under construction for four months and it should assist in meeting the needs of the new students. According to a NATO news release today, there are currently 11 major school expansion projects in Khost province.

The thirst for knowledge is not limited to Khost province, all over Afghanistan new school buildings are being constructed to meet the ever increasing school populations.  In fact, Outlook Afghanistan reported that three newly constructed school buildings were inaugurated in Afghanistan’s central province of Ghor yesterday.  The construction of that project was funded by the Japanese government.

November 7, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Education departments in Maidan Wardak and Baghlan receive tables and chairs

An official from Afghanistan’s ministry of education said in a news release this week that the education departments in Maidan Wardak and Baghlan provinces have received international aid.

First in Afghanistan’s province of Maidan Wardak, education officials received 1192 tables and chairs from the Turkish Provincial Reconstruction Team.  According to a statement from the education ministry, the tables and chairs will be distributed to schools through out the province of Maidan Wardak. Also, in Afghanistan’s province of Baghlan, education officials received 200 tables and chairs, and 42 blackboards from the United Nations. These will be distributed to various schools in Baghlan province.

As Afghanistan continues to build new schools, assistance such as the ones noted above will help to modernize the schools, and students will be able to learn in much greater comfort.

November 5, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

New schools opened in Nangarhar and Badghis

A new agriculture vocational high school has been established in the Rodat district of Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar, said a press release issued yesterday by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education.

A gathering was held where the establishment of the school was celebrated by students, teachers, community leaders and government officials. The press release also stated that the government has approved the establishment of 6 agriculture high schools throughout Nangarhar province, and so far, 3 have already been officially opened in the districts of Rodat, Surkh Rod, and Chaparhar.

Another new school has been opened in Ludina village in the Murghab district of Afghanistan’s western province of Badghis, according to NATO News Release issued yesterday. The school was built at a cost of $78,000 and has 5 classrooms, restroom facilities, a well and a perimeter wall. Funding for the construction of the school was provided by the Spanish government.

November 2, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Agreement signed to build 3 schools in Takhar province

Aga Khan Foundation Logo

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education issued a press release yesterday that an agreement has been signed with the Aga Khan Foundation to build 3 schools in Afghanistan’s north eastern province of Takhar.

Abdul Jabar Taqwa, the governor of Takhar province, education officials, and representatives from the construction companies that will build the schools were present during the signing of the agreement.

Two of the schools will be built in the district of Baharak and the other will be in Taluqan. The cost of the project will be $701, 063, according to the press release. Two of the school buildings will have 8 classrooms and the other will have 10 classrooms.

The Aga Khan Foundation works to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developing world, particularly in Asia and Africa. It was founded in 1967 by Aga Khan IV.

October 31, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development