Amanullah Qasemi
Education Officer
Faryab Province, Afghanistan
April 20, 2015
Nezamuddin is one of the teachers in Gorziwan district of Faryab Province, one of the Sponsorship impact areas in Afghanistan. He is 57 years old and has been a teacher for the last 12 years. Nezamuddin teaches history, math, Dari, and Islamic subjects for grades 7th to 9th and is also a member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). He is married and has seven children, four sons and three daughters. He has 14 grandchildren and all his unmarried eligible sons, daughters, and grandchildren are going to school.
Nezamuddin is a very friendly man and always welcomes me warmly when I meet him out in the field. He says that the majority of parents in their community are illiterate due to limited access to education and several years of civil war. He adds that also a decade ago parents were not interested in sending their children to school because they didn’t know about the importance of education. But after Save the Children started programs in their village in 2006 and established the PTA as a bridge between the school, the community and the parents, PTA members and teachers mobilized the community and raised awareness. Now the majority of school-aged children are attending school. He says that now all parents in his village believe that education is the right of each child and have dreams for their children to complete their education and become teachers, doctors, and engineers and serve their community by earning money for their livelihood from such a good way.
Nezamuddin has seen a noticeable difference since Save the Children entered his community. He says that lecture was the only teaching method before, but now he and the other teachers use different active child-centered methods in the class, through interesting and child friendly teaching and learning materials. Nezamuddin continues to receive training on child-centered methodologies, positive discipline methods, and disaster risk reduction. Save the Children has also provided access to books for the children, playground equipment in the school yard, safe latrines and drinking water, construction of a school boundary wall for ensuring safety, and school desks and chairs. Nezamuddin says these have all been factors to increase child attendance rates and learning outcomes. The children are interested in attending class and participate and learn better. Nezamuddin adds, “As a teacher, teaching a class has been much easier and more enjoyable for me now comparing to the past.” Nezamuddin thanks Save the Children and sponsors for supporting their school, teachers, and children and providing such a golden opportunity for them!
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