One hundred school buildings constructed in Paktya over past two years

Paktya Governor Juma Khan Hamdard

[UNAMA Report] — Some 100 school buildings have been constructed in Paktya province over the past two years, with 70 more to be completed this year.

This progress in the education sector in the south-eastern province was revealed by Paktya Governor Juma Khan Hamdard, at the opening ceremony for a middle school building in the Shakar Khel area of Gardez, where he urged parents to ensure education for their children.

“The parents have responsibility to send their children to school, and building schools is mine and (that of) the Government of Afghanistan,” the Governor said.

With only 70 schools throughout the province in 2001, Paktya now has 259 government and six private high schools, and one madrassa (religious school) in each district of the province, according to Director of Education Mihrabuddin Shafaq who said this “means 65 per cent development has occurred in the education sector.”  Click here to read more.

April 21, 2010 · admin · One Comment
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Newly Repaired Middle School Inaugurated in Jabul Saraj

Parwan Governor Abdul Basir Salangi

Today in Parwan province’s district of Jabul Saraj, Afghan officials led by governor Abdul Basir Salangi, inaugurated the newly repaired Mullah Tariq Shaheed Middle School.  The $110,00 project was funded by the Germans, and the work was completed by the Hindu Kush construction company in one year.  The newly repaired school has 8 classroom, 4 administrative rooms, 10 bathrooms, and 160 desks and chairs for the students, as well as an area for water storage.  The school will now be able to educate many more boys and girls in the district, as well as provide teaching jobs.

April 20, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education Takes Over Responsibility Of The National Women’s Dormitory in Kabul

Acting Minister of Higher Education, Sarwar Danish

Acting Minister of Higher Education, Sarwar Danish

Yesterday, the National Women’s Dormitory was handed over from international donors to the Ministry of Higher Education during a ceremony at Kabul University. Acting Minister of Higher Education, Sarwar Danish, and other important Afghan and foreign officials were present at the ceremony.

The Americans had built the dormitory originally in the 1970s, but years of war had caused much damage to it. The U.S. government funded the renovation of the dormitory, and the Asia Foundation took over the management and maintenance of the dormitory in December 2008. The renovations were finally completed in March 2009.

Today, the dormitory provides living space for 1,100 women attending university courses in Kabul. Yesterday’s ceremony marked the official transfer of the management, maintenance and operational costs of the women’s dormitory to the Ministry of Higher Education. This is a step further in the Afghan government being much more self-sufficient and less dependent on foreign organizations.

April 19, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development, Women's Rights

Hospital improvements completed in Bamiyan and Laghman provinces

Governor Habiba Sorabi (left), and Dr. Suraya Dalil (right in blue)

Habiba Sorabi, the governor of Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan, inaugurated a brand new surgery ward at the the Yakawlang District Hospital today. The surgery ward which includes a waiting room, will benefit thousands of people in the province. The project was funded by the U.S. government.

Also, late last week, in Mihtarlam, the capital of the eastern province of Laghman, Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Public Heath, Dr. Suraya Dalil, inaugurated the completion of a new waiting room for a maternity hospital. Previously, there were no facilities for admitting pregnant women to the hospital. The project was funded by the United Nations. There are plans to further expand the hospital which currently has a 20-bed obstetrics ward. It also employs two specialist doctors, five nurses and many midwives. About 22 deliveries take place every day.

April 18, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development, Women's Rights

Restoration of Kabul University’s herbarium announced

A student intern at Kabul University carefully cleans and documents plant specimens - Photo: Texas A&M University PEACE Project

Yesterday, in a press release, the American Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the restoration of Kabul University’s herbarium, which is a collection of preserved plant specimens.  The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts.  The collection in Kabul contains nearly 25,000 preserved plant specimens, and was nearly destroyed during the Taliban rule, but was saved thanks to the efforts of the Dr. Noor Ahmad Mirazai, a professor of botany at Kabul University.

Because of its location in the world, Afghanistan is home to a diverse group of wildlife – both plants and animals. The restoration of this herbarium will help in the study of Afghanistan’s natural heritage. The press release states: “The restored herbarium will be of immense benefit to researchers and other scientists, students, and teachers and provides extensive baseline data for Afghanistan’s flora. Environmental impact assessments that could not previously be undertaken due to lack of information are now possible. Data to help inform the design of natural resources management and rehabilitation measures are now available, and identification and preservation of protected areas will be improved.”

The restoration projected was funded by the United States government via its USAID program. WCS worked with Kabul University, as well as with schools and other organizations from the United States on the restoration project.

April 16, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Environmental Issues, Reconstruction and Development

Project To Reduce Kabul Street Floods Started Today

Photo from the foundation stone laying ceremony held in Kabul today (April 15, 2010)

Every year, during the rainy season, many of Kabul’s streets flood, thus causing hardship on residents and making transportation in the city difficult and dangerous. As a result of this, the United States is funding a project via its USAID program where a seven kilometer canal will be built to stop flooding in about 50 percent of Kabul’s streets.

The laying of the foundation stone ceremony for the project was held today in Kabul. Afghan and US officials joined Kabul’s Mayor Yusef Nawandesh and U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry as the two laid the foundation stone.

According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Kabul, “The new canal, which will consist of four main channels and feature 40 culverts, will span seven kilometers through the streets of Kabul, reducing flooding in those areas.  The project will also create temporary cash work for 4,000 Afghans, helping reduce food insecurity for some of Kabul’s most vulnerable people”.

April 15, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Environmental Issues, Job Creation, Reconstruction and Development

Direct flights now available between Tehran and Kandahar

Aseman Airlines

Yesterday, the Iranian Aseman airlines flew for the first time a direct flight from the Iranian capital of Tehran to Afghanistan’s second largest city, Kandahar. Flights by both Afghan and Iranian airlines happen at least twice a week from Tehran to Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, however this was the first time an Afghan or Iranian airline directly flew from Tehran to Kandahar. Now, scheduled flights from Tehran to Kandahar and back will be available on a weekly basis. Afghans living in Kandahar and neighboring cities can more easily their export their goods to Iran, and import other goods from  Iran. These types of flights are expected to dramatically improve trade between the two countries.

April 14, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy

The opening of the refurbished Farah City Orphanage celebrated

Farah Provincial Governor Rahul Amin (center) spending time with the children in the orphanage

In Afghanistan’s southwestern province of Farah, a celebration was held on Sunday (April 11th) to mark the opening of the refurbished Farah City Orphanage. Afghan officials, led by Farah Provincial Governor Rahul Amin, and foreign officials from NATO participated in the celebrations. They spent time with the children (ages 4-18) who live in the orphanage. Since last year, numerous improvements have been made to the living space, and to the classrooms in the orphanage. School supplies, computers, desks and other furniture were also donated to the children living in the orphanage. The orphanage keeps many children off the streets by providing them a safe place to live, as well as food, clothing and an education.

April 14, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development

New Hospital Opens in Bagram

Bagram, Afghanistan

Yonhap News Agency from South Korea reported on Sunday that Afghan and South Korean officials opened a new hospital in Bagram, Parwan Province. Construction on the hospital had started in June of last year.  The hospital will be run by South Koreans with help from 25 local Afghans. It is a two-story building; it has 30 beds, two operating rooms, and is expected to treat 200 patients a day.

April 12, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Health News, Reconstruction and Development

Champion Afghan Karate Team Greeted by Fans In Kabul

Afghanistan’s National Karate Taekwondo team arrived home today from Iran where they had participated in the the 2010 Jam-i-Fajr International Karate Tournament. The team was welcomed at Kabul Airport by numerous adoring fans. The team did very well in the competition. Overall, they won 8 medals – four gold (Mustafa Nazari, Tariq Faiz, Naved Omari & Roman Abbasi), one silver (Abdullah Farid), and 3 bronze (Yama Bahavi, Naved Dastagul & Alim Mehran). Combat sports like Taekwondo are very popular amongst both men and women in Afghanistan. Afghans have done very well in international competitions. In February, Afghan kick boxers came home with 7 medals from the Asian Open Kickboxing Championships, and in the 2010 South Asian Games, out of the 32 medals the Afghans won, 29 were in combat sports (Taekwondo, Wushu, Wrestling, Boxing, and Judo).

April 11, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

 
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Man of the Match - Raees Ahmadzai

 Afghanistan defeated Nepal today in the final of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy Elite 2010 by 95 runs at Hubara Ground in Kuwait to become the ACC Champions and win their first ACC Trophy. 

The Man of the Match Award went to Raees Ahmadzai.  Ahmadzai said that during lunch, their coach Kabir Khan stood over them and told them not too eat too much, so that they will have the hunger for victory, for glory, for proof of their excellence.  

Both teams were very evenly matched, but Afghanistan’s bowlers and fielders really pushed themselves in order to ensure victory for Afghanistan. There were more than 4000 people in attendance watching the final match between Nepal and Afghanistan. 

Now it’s the ICC World Twenty20 for the Afghan team – just three and a half weeks from now. 

Summary and players of both teams: 

Nepal have won the toss and elected to field
Afghanistan: 224 all out 50 overs (K.Sadiq 58, R.Ahmadzai 52, M.Nabi 48; B.Das 3-35) / Nepal: 129 all out off 40 overs (G.Malla 30, S.Vesawkar 35) 

Afghanistan: Nowroz Mangal (Captain), Karim Sadiq, Raees Ahmadzai, Hamid Hassan, Asghar Stanekzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ali Noori, Mirwais Ashraf, Shahpoor Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, 12th Man Shabbir Noori 

Nepal: Paras Khadka (Captain), Mahesh Chettri, Anil Mandal, Shakti Gauchan, Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Basant Regmi, Dipendra Chaudhary, Binod Das, Sanjam Regmi, Rshul Vishwakarma, 12th Man Amrit Bhattarai

April 9, 2010 · admin · 2 Comments
Posted in: Afghan Sports News

Development projects in Nangarhar and Ghazni provinces

Nangarhar and Ghazni

The construction of an eight-room primary school, and a social center was completed this week in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar. The primary school is in the Sheikh Misri returnee township, and the social center is in the Behsud district of the province.  The social center has two rooms, a hall and a library. Both projects were funded by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT).

In Ghazni province, which is located in south east Afghanistan, construction began on three high school buildings.  The project is funded by the Japanese government, and is scheduled to be completed in six months.

April 8, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Education, Reconstruction and Development