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| Fahima, 37, taught a secret school for girls during the Taliban regime. When questioned, she would say that she was teaching her students to sew. (©2005 Phil Borges) |
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Sometimes an act as simple as teaching can take extraordinary courage. When the Taliban regime rose to power in Afghanistan in 1996, they outlawed education for girls and prevented many women from working outside the home. Defying the government's ban, Fahima started a secret school for girls. She kept sewing supplies in the house, and when questioned by the religious police would respond that she was teaching her students to sew. In the years that followed, Fahima helped 120 girls get the basic education the Taliban tried to deny them.
But most Afghan girls were not so lucky. By the time the Taliban fell in 2001, millions of girls had missed years of studies. Even when they were allowed to return to school, many of the older girls felt uncomfortable taking elementary classes with children half their age.
| Students display their work at a Fast Track school. The Fast Track program provides an accelerated curriculum, allowing girls to re-enter public schools at an age-appropriate level. (©2005 Phil Borges) |
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Today, CARE is giving these girls a step up through an initiative called Fast Track. Fast Track is a school program specifically designed to provide an accelerated curriculum for girls who were denied an education under the Taliban. It allows them to complete six grades in just three years and re-enter the government schools at an age-appropriate level. Launched in 2002, Fast Track now includes 10 schools and has an enrollment of 2,281 girls.
Mina, 15, goes to a Fast Track school in Kabul. This is the first school she's ever attended; under the Taliban, she was forced to stay home and do household chores. "I was so bored," Mina says of her life at home. "I didn't have much time to learn, even though sometimes my sisters would teach me a little bit." Now Mina is eager to make up for lost time. "I love coming to school to be with the other girls and to learn. My favorite subjects are math and English," she says enthusiastically.
| Sultana, 39, has been the principal at a Fast Track school for three years. She is one of 120 female teachers and principals employed by the program. (©2005 Phil Borges) |
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In addition to providing a long-delayed education for Afghan girls, Fast Track offers employment to women who were not allowed to work under the Taliban regime. Sultana, 39, has been the principal of a Fast Track school for three years. After the fall of the Taliban government she attended CARE workshops to build her skills in management and accounting. Now, after years of staying at home unemployed, she finally has a chance to put her talents to work. In all, the Fast Track program provides jobs for over 120 female teachers and principals.
After years of oppression, the overwhelming feeling at Fast Track schools is one of hope. Mina plans to continue her studies once she graduates and hopes one day to become a doctor. Sultana would like to add chemistry classes and a computer course to her school's curriculum. Fahima says it's her hope to start teaching again, this time free from intimidation. Only a few years ago, these would have been impossible dreams. Today, the resilience and ambition of women like Mina, Sultana and Fahima may well be the brightest hope for the future of their war-torn country.
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