Pakistan Must Rise Above the Ashes

In the less than a week, more than ten schools have been burnt down in the Swat Valley of the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan. Almost 70 state-run schools have been destroyed through arson in the past three months, leaving more than 17,000 students displaced from their schools and deprived of an education. It is estimated that a staggering 60 out of the 70 schools targeted and burned down have been all-girls’ schools. The destruction is suspected to be linked to pro-Taliban militants trying to enforce Islamic extremism and prohibit the education of girls. It is believed that these attacks have been in retaliation against the violation of the May 21st peace agreement when the NWFP government launched military operations against the Taliban.

This news is alarming not solely for its sheer brutality in attacking the commonplace of defenseless children, but also due to the fact that the community which Barakat Pakistan serves is composed of primarily Afghan refugees living in the Attock district of Pakistan, which is bordering the conflict-ridden North West Frontier Province. These refugees have fled from the terrorism and destruction of Afghanistan so that they could have stable lives and ensure the safety of their families. Now, they see the same problems emerging in the area they were seeking sanctuary and relief. The affects of the school torchings reach far beyond the schools that have been destroyed. Due to the high insecurity, many of the surrounding schools shut down due to threats or fear of threats.

These attacks along with the continued soar in global food prices, especially for wheat (the main staple in Pakistani diet) creates major barriers to families who wish to lead normal lives. It forces families to focus on their immediate survival as opposed to thinking of the future of their children. As a result, it decreases the already low propensity of impoverished parents to send their children to schools as opposed to the workforce to obtain what little money they can to help the family.

With these major limiting factors, an entire generation of girls is in danger of being left illiterate and deprived of basic educational tools. To prevent this, parents have to realize they must sacrifice the foreseen financial benefits of removing their children from schools and placing them in the workforce and remember the significant impact and potential that an investment in their children’s future can have. It is a difficult decision to make. Even after they have decided to invest in the future of their daughters, parents now are faced with the dilemma of determining if sending their girls to school is worth risking their safety.

Frequently, parents are unable to support the education of their children, even if they do wish for them to attend due to financial obligations that most schools enforce such as tuition fees. Many parents wonder how they can provide an education to their children when they do not even have enough money for food and healthcare for their families. It is a common problem in the developing world where the drop-out rates increase as the cost of schoolbooks and uniforms increase as well. Barakat understands the many factors inhibiting parents from sending their children, especially girls, to schools. As a result, all of the schools which Barakat supports are free, and require no payment of fees or tuition.

For Pakistan to move themselves towards a more secure and prosperous future, teaching and education must persist. Parents and educators must continue to invest in education so as to equip their children with the knowledge necessary to be able to pave the roads leading to development and security. The government as well must find ways to keep educational opportunities available for the children of Pakistan despite the drastic decrease in the number of open schools. When a child is able to attend a school and obtain an education, a new world filled with opportunities is opened to them, and they are much less likely to fall into the clutches of violence and terrorism. Education is the only true way to become emancipated from the chains of poverty and terrorism. Despite the opposition and recent school burnings, I am hopeful that with continued investment in the educational wellbeing of the children of Pakistan, they can become the generation to rise above their impoverished past and lead the way to peace and prosperity.

When Moving Up the Ladder Means More Than Success. 

      In 2007 a government letter containing a suicide bomber threat had been sent to Shukaria Barakzai, a female member of the Afghan Parliament.  As BBC news Women under siege in Afghanistan had noted, she had been sent this letter for the past three months anticipating her for the acclaimed threat to happen in the next six.  At this time she was also one of six members to receive a letter.  Ms. Bazakzai, mother of three daughters believes she was a target due to her speeches against the "country's warlords" and her support for women's education and rights. 

      Since the Taliban's ending rein in 2001 women have been able to be a part of Afghanistan's constitutional positions. Of today's 361 members of Parliament, 91 are women, a severe change since Taliban rule. Now women can be a part of politics from almost every angle and their rights as women are completed in the constitution. The government has also been sought after to deal with traditions that work against them as women. Even though these changes have been made, the women still live in fear of coercion throughout their daily lives.

      For Ms. Barakzai, not even security had been ensured for her, even through her MP status.  The state cannot protect women or ensure safety, even considering their work. Considering these women of status, this does not even describe the scenario for common women. For others the real situations of beatings, forced marriages and rape has been the life of many. Many of these situations, especially forced marriages and even physical abuse from drug- addicted husbands, have led to fire suicides by women. As exposed in BBC's Afghan Women Seek Death by Fire in 2006, the number of suicides by fire has been said to have doubled since that year. Most of the women said they just wanted to receive an education and a chance to work.  Delegates from countries that included Sri Lanka and India among others met at a conference in Afghanistan in November of 2006 to discuss the issue. Sima Simar, Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission chief stated "It [self immolation] is the final decision for women who don't have any other way to solve their problems". 

      Among the women of Afghanistan, especially the MPs, now in 2008, Mehbooba Andyar, a female Afghan on her way to the Beijing Olympics went missing. Although a middle distance runner, she still chooses to wear a full body covering running suit along with her headscarf. This covering while training to run in the Olympics is what has led to taunts and threats by the Taliban, not to mention she will be the only Afghan 

woman to compete in the Olympics as seen in Time's Where is The Female Afghan Runner? These factors could have lead to her sudden disappearance right before the opening ceremonies in Beijing. Her bags and passport were gone, displaying the chance she had left on her own, but all factors are not being ruled out. There is the suspicion that she is in hiding in Europe after repeated threats. Andyar was an athlete trained by the IAAF, which is a program that offers special opportunities to athletes in troubled conditions and paid for by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The world track and field governing body has said the disappearance came as a surprise and that they knew nothing of Andyar having second thoughts of competing. As the days go by, there is little hope Afghanistan will have a competing woman in the Beijing Olympics. The only other Afghan athlete is a male sprinter, training in the same facility, who has also said he has no knowledge of Andyar's whereabouts. Andyar could be another symbol of the effects of threats and abuse of women all around Afghanistan.

            As it can be seen much progress has been made for women since the end of the Taliban rule. Threats made on women and women of power have been seen in the past years in the same condition that can be seen now in 2008.  Although these issues are still prevalent, measures are being taken to help ensure a bright future for women in all areas of Afghan life.  For most of these women security and education could be the solution. For common women in Afghanistan education and the opportunity to work are not only their hopes, but also a necessity for their livelihood. As women slowly move up the ladder of success, a follow-up of security to ensure their goals are met and secured is essential to guarantee women can preserve the accomplishments already attained. 

In Pakistan, Corrupt Governance Could Obstruct Development

A recent opinion piece in the LA Times, by American law students Tobias Berkman and Matthew Fay, describes the rising discontent felt by many Pakistanis towards President Pervez Musharraf’s November suspension of their nation’s constitution.

Last fall, in anticipation of a possible court order that would render him ineligible for re-election, President Musharraf declared a national state of emergency, suspended Pakistan’s 1973 constitution, and dismissed numerous major judges—in effect, dismantling the nation’s legal system and erasing the already-tenuous separation between its military and its government.

These events, combined with the December assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, have lead to a less stable situation in Pakistan. Berkman and Fay’s article describes the recent upswing in protests against Musharraf’s violations of democracy. The constitution was restored on December 15, when the state of emergency ended (though the international NGO Human Rights Watch, among others, voiced sharp criticism of the true nature of that restoration), but 60 removed judges remain to be reinstated. Reuters India reports that Aitzaz Ahsan, a resistance leader and president of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association, predicts more protests.

One of the most important steps, in a developing country, towards procuring people’s basic needs is maintaining a government that is just and accountable. The corruption that President Musharraf and his regime cultivate in Pakistan—scolded publically by, yet tacitly condoned by, the United States— is detrimental to the humanitarian development goals that we at Barakat seek to achieve. Educational parity cannot be achieved when the government is more concerned with maintaining its own power than supporting the needs of its people. Undemocratic governance and inequality go hand in hand— as long as power struggles continue at the top level of the government, the people’s needs will continue to go unaddressed by those who are supposed to heed them.

Afghanistan: Taking Steps Towards Development

Although “free” from the oppression of the Taliban and granted billions of dollars of international aid, the majority of the Afghan people still lack the basic rights and services that were promised to them by President Hamed Karzai. The root of this problem is the pervasive corruption within the government and the elite minority. If Afghanistan is to fully develop, they will have to work towards addressing this widespread corruption and create a system of governance and leadership where the first priority will be to attend to the grievances and plight of their people.

Afghanistan is slowly taking steps towards placing development and reconstruction at the forefront of their list of priorities. Just recently on June 12th, the government of Afghanistan met with many delegates of the international community in Paris, France to discuss the implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). At this conference, approximately 20 billion dollars was pledged to fund ANDS—surpassing the amount of aid that Afghanistan was expecting to receive. Although a significant amount of aid is a major mobilizing force, the most significant aspect of the conference was its evaluation of the successes and failures of the Afghan government over the past seven years. The conference addressed the major flaws of the government such as the widespread corruption, the significant power of many warlords, and lax laws regarding drug trafficking. The Government of Afghanistan also formally declared their promise to focus on development by implementing reforms to combat the pervasive corruption that Afghanistan has been struggling with since their liberation.

Although great strides have been made since the liberation of Afghanistan from the Taliban, this conference is a beacon of hope that the government, with the backing of the international community, will continue to follow the path of reconstruction and not fall into the trap of civil war and corruption that many recently liberated countries fall into. Hopefully, Afghanistan can become a model country for democracy, liberty and development. This conference, unlike most international conferences, acknowledged that the participation of the Afghan people is a critical component for the success and sustainability of any programs and policies implemented. With the incorporation of the voices of the Afghan civil society, donor countries can not only make sure that the funds are used efficiently (and that the foreign aid will not be siphoned directly into the pockets of the government officials and elite minority), but also that the Afghan government will be held accountable to the people of Afghanistan for any major decisions and actions taken.

We at Barakat believe that it is the right to education that is one of the most important provisions citizens can be given. With this new increase in foreign aid and dedication to development, we hope that there will be an increase in the investment in education for women and children.

Only time can tell what lies in the future for Afghanistan and its people, but hopefully this conference will be the catalyst that will force the government to begin placing the needs of their citizens first and begin investing in services to promote the development and well-being of its people. With this new investment, we hope that the future of Afghanistan will be brighter, with both elites and impoverished Afghans working together as informed leaders and citizens to develop sustainable policies that will consistently address the social and economic problems that continue to afflict their country.

Afghan Refugees Brace For Repatriation

Afghan citizens who have had to leave their home country since the Soviet invasion in 1979 represent the largest group of refugees in the world. A recent “in pictures” feature from the BBC tells the story of these families, many of whom—those living in Pakistan—are now being required to return to Afghanistan despite possible security fears. The BBC article concerns a particular camp in northwest Pakistan that has officially been closed by a joint decision made by the Pakistani and Afghan governments and the UN, yet still retains the majority of its original refugees, as most are reticent to uproot themselves and return home. The BBC touches on a number of obstacles the refugees may face as they re-enter Afghanistan; for one, they may encounter an increased cost of basic materials. Families who make their livelihood off of carpets, for example, may find that the materials necessary for production cost too much when they reach Afghanistan. Another concern is that people who were on the losing side of past political clashes will face repercussions today. Additionally, after having spent so long in Pakistan, many returnees lack the extended family ties that are so essential to Afghan family life. Finally, many girls who were attending school in the refugee camp in Pakistan will be unable to complete their education in Afghanistan due to cultural pressures and lack of resources.

It is this final issue that most connects to one of our projects here at Barakat—our girls’ and women’s literacy programs in northwest Afghanistan. The curriculum offered, developed by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education, consists of twelve different subjects, including Pashto and Dari (Afghanistan’s national languages), math, and writing. All ages of girls and women (and, in some of the most under-served communities, boys) can attend and gain crucial basic educational knowledge. In many of these areas there is a strong societal taboo against educating women and without the literacy schools, these students would probably be unable to access classes.

Go ahead and take a look at the BBC photo-essay linked above—it’s very interesting and poses many questions about the complexities of large-scale refugee repatriation and the effect politics can have on everyday people’s lives. It is important to make sure that if these people must be forced to relocate themselves, there is at least sufficient assistance to help them re-establish their families and gain access to the resources to which they should be entitled.

Women's literacy in Pakistan

Literacy is not just a tool to write and read, but more importantly it is a means for social and human development. Literacy enables people to gain a voice and power against their disadvantaged situations, particularly women. The female literacy rate is drastically lower than the male literacy rate in developing countries. In the world today, one in five adults is still illiterate, and two-thirds of them are women (UNESCO).

Pakistan is one of those countries in which the literacy rate for women is quite low. I read an article in humanitarian news and analysis (IRIN), about the status of current female literacy and how they are trying to improve it. Currently, the female adult literacy rate in Pakistan is as low as 36 percent. This number indicates that there needs to be higher priority given to girls education in Pakistan. Recently, there has been a movement in Pakistan to tackle the women's deprived status by providing them with access to literacy. In 2002, the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) literacy center was formed by Pakistani President Perves Musharraf to support governments in areas of education, literacy and the provision of basic healthcare services. NCHD aims to accelerate the literacy rate by 3.3 percent per year to achieve Goal 4 of the Millennium Development Goals-from the current adult literacy rate of 53 percent (2006) to 86 percent by 2015. The commission has established over 41,000 literacy centers nationwide from which over 10,000 women have benefited. Nevertheless, despite this significant progress, barriers to real achievement in literacy still remain prevalent in Pakistani society. Particularly, poor transportation and hostile attitudes of men and the community towards female literacy are major factors that hinder women from pursuing literacy.

In tackling poverty, material aid tends to be emphasized by donor agencies. However, I believe that literacy is also among the most essential means that leads to eradication of poverty. Addressing material needs such as food, shelter, clothing and housing will not be beneficial to the community in the long term if it is not accompanied by initiatives to improve literacy. If people, especially women, do not have a voice, it will be difficult for them to break out of the poverty cycle and dependency irrespective of availability of material goods. Barakat has been supporting Afghan refugees living in Pakistan since 1994 by providing educational opportunities at elementary schools and evening schools. We promote education for girls in order to help minimize the literacy gap for the future generations. Acquisition of literacy at an early stage in their lives will significantly offer people, especially girls, more opportunities and options for their future and will also help improve their status.
Yumi Ujihara

Education for Afghan children

Education is one of the most fundamental human rights. Everyone should have access to at least a primary education during their lifetime irrespective of the place they come from. Education often provides people with opportunities to develop and practice skills they will need to improve the quality of their lives.

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times, about the Qalai Sayedan School, located in the Central Afghan province of Logar. I was shocked to read that there are hundreds of public schools in Afghanistan that have shut down due to shootings, beheadings, burnings, and bombings instigated by the Taliban. The only choice for parents to protect their children from the attacks is not to send them to schools. Sayad Rasul, a father of two daughters, kept them at home, saying "It is better for my children to be alive even if it means they must be illiterate". Moreover, the quality of education is extremely destitute in Afghanistan. The lack of schools and classrooms makes a few available classrooms or tents overcrowded and difficult to maintain and provide a safe learning environment. Despite an urgent need for the provision of quality education in a safe environment, international donors such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have not contributed enough to increasing their budget for education in Afghanistan. Only 5 percent of its Afghanistan budget goes towards education as compared with 30 percent for roads and 14 percent for power.


I have had the privilege of enjoying the benefits of educational opportunities from primary education to higher education. I did not believe that I was very fortunate to do so until I found out that a significant number of children could not receive even primary education due to poverty, conflicts in the country, and many other reasons such as poor health and shortage of schools. A large number of children without education remain illiterate and thereby are likely to fall into a trap of poverty, added by difficulty in expanding their opportunity to generate more income. Therefore, providing educational opportunities is undoubtedly important for children especially in war torn zones like Afghanistan, which is particularly what Barakat is trying to work on.

Yumi Ujihara