Afghan woman builds girls’ school in far-flung district

SHIBERGHAN – An Afghan woman has helped in constructing a school for girls in the country’s northern Jawzjan province, which has been welcomed by Afghans as an initiative towards developing education in the country.

In Aqcha, a far-flung district of the Jawzjan province, Hajji Bibi Nazira has built a 12-classroom school on 650 square metres of land at a cost of 65,000 US dollars, largely solving the school shortage for girls in the district.

She has become the first woman who built a girls’ school from her own wealth since the Taliban took over the power of Afghanistan in mid-August last year.

Local officials said local female students, who used to attend classes under tents, now have finally found a place to study with rooftops. Provincial director of Education Department Mohammad Tahir Jawad told Xinhua recently that getting education is vital for everyone as well as for the whole society.

“The Islamic Emirate encourages education for girls and the new school has been built with the support of the government to promote education,” Tahir Jawad said.

Provincial education authorities have named the school Hajji Bibi Nazira Girl School, calling upon more capable Afghans to follow the suit. “Half of Afghanistan’s population are women and girls are paving the ground for them to get education. It definitely would have a positive impact on our society,” an elder of the area, Nematullah told Xinhua.

Although there are no official statistics on the number of literate and illiterate people among the war-torn country’s nearly 35 million population, it is reported that the majority of Afghans, particularly the women, are illiterate.

Local businessman Abdullah Safi, inspired by Nazira’s benevolence, has donated 250,000 US dollars for building another school in Aqcha to accommodate more students. “The children and pupils traveling tens of kilometres daily to attend classes and with building the new school, the problem in our area would be solved,” Rohullah Habibzai, a close aide of Safi said.

Ahead of the new educational year beginning in late March, Habibzai said investment and donations to support education would encourage more people to send their children to schools.