SCHOOL EDUCATION FOR GIRLS (VOA FEB 24)

DATE=2/24/98 TITLE=CONFLICT RESOLUTION: EDUCATION FOR AFGHAN WOMEN BYLINE=JUDITH LATHAM

CONTENT = (TAPE CUTS IN AUDIO SERVICES)

INTRO: SINCE THE MILITARY TAKEOVER OF KABUL IN SEPTEMBER 1996 BY THE TALIBAN, OR ULTRACONSERVATIVE ISLAMIC MILITIA THAT NOW CONTROLS MOST OF AFGHANISTAN, THE LIVES OF AFGHAN WOMEN HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. THE TALIBAN BELIEVE THAT BARRING WOMEN FROM PUBLIC LIFE AND DENYING THEM BASIC FORMAL EDUCATION ARE IN KEEPING WITH THE TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMED. AFGHANISTAN HAS ALSO BEEN PLAGUED BY 18 YEARS OF ARMED CONFLICT. AND SO, MANY AFGHAN WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN HAVE FLED THEIR COUNTRY AND ARE NOW LIVING IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN PAKISTAN. TODAY, THE AFGHAN INSTITUTE OF LEARNING IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN, IS TRYING TO REACH AFGHAN WOMEN IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND INSIDE AFGHANISTAN. VOA'S JUDITH LATHAM HAS TALKED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF AFGHAN INSTITUTE AND WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE SISTERHOOD IS GLOBAL INSTITUTE ABOUT THESE EFFORTS. HERE'S _____ WITH A REPORT.

TEXT: SAKENA YACOOBI [SAH-KEE-NAH YAH-KOO-BEE] DIRECTS THE AFGHAN INSTITUTE OF LEARNING, WHICH IS HEADQUARTERED IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN. A FORMER PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS WHO RECEIVED HER GRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES, MRS. YAKOOBI SAYS SHE RESIGNED HER JOB, WENT TO PAKISTAN, AND HAS WORKED THERE WITH AFGHAN REFUGEES FOR PAST SIX YEARS.

TAPE: CUT ONE -- YACOOBI (0:25)

"WE MAINLY TRY TO HELP AFGHAN GIRLS, TRY TO EDUCATE THEM. WE REALLY STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT, IF WE EDUCATE THESE GIRLS, WE WILL EDUCATE THE WHOLE COUNTRY BECAUSE A MOTHER WHO IS EDUCATED WILL BE ABLE TO EDUCATE HER OWN CHILDREN. SO, WE HAVE STUDENTS FROM PRESCHOOL, WHO ARE 3 YEARS OLD, UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL, WHO ARE 18 TO 20 YEARS OLD."

TEXT: MRS. YACOOBI SAYS THE AFGHAN INSTITUTE OF LEARNING IS CURRENTLY ABLE TO REACH ONLY ABOUT 3,000 GIRLS. MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THEM ATTEND SCHOOLS IN AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMPS IN PAKISTAN, NEAR THE BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN.

TAPE: CUT TWO -- YACOOBI (0:31)

"BUT WE ALSO HAVE 20 SCHOOLS INSIDE AFGHANISTAN RIGHT NOW. OF COURSE, INSIDE AFGHANISTAN THEY ARE CALLED 'HOME SCHOOLS,' AND WE TEACH THEM IN A MULTI-GRADE SYSTEM. AS YOU KNOW, [BECAUSE OF] THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN AFGHANISTAN RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AVAILABLE. SO, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO ALLOW THEIR HOMES TO BE USED AS A CLASSROOM. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO LOVE EDUCATION AND WHO ARE WILLING TO OFFER TO TEACH A CLASS. AND, WE SUPPORT THEM BY GIVING THEM SALARIES AND MONITORING THEM."

TEXT: MRS. YACOOBI SAYS ABOUT 600 STUDENTS ATTEND THESE "HOME SCHOOLS" INSIDE AFGHANISTAN. CLASS SIZE RANGES FROM 20 TO 30 GIRLS. IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR CURRICULUM, SHE SAYS, THERE ARE CLASSES IN HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND "LEADERSHIP IN NONVIOLENT EDUCATION." MRS. YACOOBI SAYS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE MANY AFGHAN TEENAGERS TODAY "RUN IN [ROAM] THE STREETS" AND UNFORTUNATELY HAVE NEVER KNOWN ANYTHING "EXCEPT GUNS AND HAND GRENADES."

TAPE: CUT THREE -- YACOOBI (0:30)

"IF YOU WANT TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IS WRONG AND WHAT IS RIGHT, IF YOU WANT THEM TO PRACTICE THEIR OWN RELIGION AND KNOW THE MEANING OF THEIR RELIGION, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ AND WRITE. AND ALSO, AS WE ALL KNOW ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, AFGHAN CHILDREN HAVE THE [MORAL] RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION. I THINK THE FIRST STEP FOR US IN BRINGING A CHANGE ABOUT IS TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTRY, AND THAT IS MY AIM. I'M NOT A POLITICIAN, [AND] I'M NOT INTERESTED IN POLITICS. MY MAIN INTEREST IS IN EDUCATION."

TEXT: SAKENA YACOOBI'S FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, IRANIAN-BORN MAHNAZ AFKHAMI [MAKH-NAHZ AHF-KHA-MEE], IS THE FOUNDER OF THE SISTERHOOD IS GLOBAL INSTITUTE, HEADQUARTERED IN THE SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON, D-C. MRS. AFKHAMI SAYS THE "HOMESCHOOLING" EFFORTS OF THE AFGHAN INSTITUTE OF LEARNING ARE ENCOURAGING IN THE FACE OF WHAT SHE CALLS THE "TERRIBLE APARTHEID SITUATION THAT THE TALIBAN HAS BROUGHT ABOUT."

TAPE: CUT FOUR -- AFKHAMI (0:29)

"YOU KNOW, 'HOMESCHOOLING' IS NOT AN EFFICIENT WAY OF DEALING WITH EDUCATION OF GIRLS, OR OF BOYS, FOR THAT MATTER. BUT, AS IN INTERIM MEASURE, IT IS A USEFUL EFFORT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE CHILDREN WITHOUT INSTRUCTION UNTIL POLITICAL CHANGE HAPPENS. I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC. AND ALSO, RECENT PRESSURES ON THE TALIBAN HAVE MADE IT SO THAT THEY HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG GIRLS, AT LEAST UP TO THE THIRD GRADE, IS TOLERATED. AND THAT IN ITSELF IS A MEAGER, BUT IMPORTANT STEP."

TEXT: MUCH OF THE WORK OF SISTERHOOD IS GLOBAL IS INVOLVED WITH WOMEN FROM MUSLIM COUNTRIES. IT RECENTLY SENT A MISSION TO AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION OF AFGHAN WOMEN. MRS. AFKHAMI SAYS THE TALIBAN'S ATTACK ON LITERACY FOR WOMEN IS CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM.

TAPE: CUT FIVE -- AFKHAMI (0:17)

"THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY THAT IN A RELIGION WHERE THE FIRST WORD OF ITS HOLY BOOK, THE QUR'AN, IS 'READ,' A GOVERNMENT COMES TO POWER THAT CLAIMS TO BE AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT, AND THE FIRST THING IT DOES IS TO TAKE CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL AND ENCOURAGE THEIR ILLITERACY AND IGNORANCE."

TEXT: THE WORK OF THE AFGHAN INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL NON-PROFIT, NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, OR N-G-O'S. DIRECTOR SAKENA YACOOBI SAYS IT COSTS ABOUT 35 U-S DOLLARS TO EDUCATE AN AFGHAN CHILD FOR ONE YEAR. APPROXIMATELY 80 PERCENT OF THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE U-S BASED N-G-O, CREATING HOPE INTERNATIONAL. [OPT] THEIR MAILING ADDRESS IS POST OFFICE BOX 1058, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, 48121, U-S-A. AND THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER IS 1-313-438-2483. [END OPT] IN ADDITION TO THE 3,000 AFGHAN GIRLS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN SCHOOL IN EITHER PAKISTAN OR AFGHANISTAN, ANOTHER 10,000 ARE ON THE WAITING LIST.