An educational centre in Bamyan province of Afghanistan is providing a smile to every children’s face in the war-torn country. Here’s the story.
It is difficult to grasp that the ancient and peaceful Bamyan Buddha cave-turned-shelter holds some of the nation’s most abject poverty. Nevertheless, the fact remains: over twenty-six families living in poverty in a cave –turned around the Buddha site in central Afghanistan’s Bamyan province.
Lack of resources to cover basic expenses or delay in paying the bills for essential services does not define Poverty; Poverty is multidimensional and encompasses much more than income.
The low-income families who live in the cave-turned-shelter next to the Buddha site and are facing various difficulties can be blamed for several different, interrelated factors, such as luck with the public water supply, sanitation, and educational systems, as well as unemployment rates higher than the rest of the country. No secret solution can be used to eliminate it; that much is certain. However, education is a risk-reducer against extreme poverty, which may stop the emergence of a much poorer future generation.
“Poverty forced me to come and live with my four family members in a dark and cold cave without good food, warm clothes and a heater for ten years,” said Zarif.
He blamed the tough life on poverty and low income, which caused a lack of good life for all poor people of the region; lack of employment in the society born difficulties in the region and most of the East, Northeast, and Central regions—where almost half of the inhabitants are poor—have the lowest per capita consumption and highest likelihood of poverty.
Today, poverty remains a major issue. Among the various factors, education is like a deep taproot under the surface. While severe poverty is a reality for many people, it is more common among those without a high school degree.
According to the UN, Poverty is the loss of chances and choices and a violation of human dignity. It entails lacking the resources necessary to adequately feed and clothe a family, access to credit, a place to attend a clinic or school, a plot of land to raise one’s food, and employment. It entails uncertainty, helplessness, and isolation of people, homes, and communities. It denotes vulnerability to violence and often entails living in precarious situations without access to sanitary facilities or clean water.
“This cave is one of the ancient monuments, which existed hundreds of years ago, but lack of money and the high price of food and fuel have caused me to spend the cold winter night in two thin and small blankets, without any assessments from nowhere and no one,” Zarif said.
Poverty and education are mutually exclusive. Since education and human capital are crucial for economic progress, which in turn contributes to eradicating poverty, the population of a country with a higher educational level will have fewer impoverished people overall.
Lack of houses and living places, lack of equipment and modern facilities, vehicle and fuel, and lack of educational and sensation systems and departments are the problem and disadvantages faced by Nader Hussain and other cave dwellers of the area and let them feel marginalized from the society.
“My son loves to go to school, but now we have financial problems, and that is why my son has begun working in a bakery and earning 150 afghani a day, which is too little for us,” said Nader Hussain.
The prolonged fighting for over 40 years has ruined Afghanistan’s educational system. Despite recent advances in increasing enrollment, finishing elementary school remains a distant goal for many children in the nation, particularly in rural regions and for females. Enrollment numbers vary greatly in Afghanistan’s poorest and most rural regions, where females still do not have equal access to education.
Among all those challenges and obstacles, one thing that brought love and smiles to their face and life was the small classroom, which prepared the cave dweller’s kids to study there and get knowledge.
A group of youthful academics from Peking University, Lanzhou University, Wenzhou University, the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Hong Kong founded and directed the educational course.
“With the help of some Chinese experts and researchers, a curriculum has been created for 37registerd people since the summer of last year for the children of cave dwellers in an ancient place”, said Mohammad ail Hasanyar, a local archaeologist.
In order to change the mindset in society, it is better to work on children and start new and positive changes for the better life of all people of the region, Hasanyar said.
“When we registered the students, we noticed that the children were interested in learning and education, and it’s a positive step for a positive change of the new generation in this area”, he added.
Millions of children desire to go to school, get an education and become educated. However, poverty has forced them to work hard to support their families.
Today, poverty remains a major issue. Among the various factors, education is like a deep taproot under the surface. While severe poverty is a reality for many people, it is more common among those without a high school degree.
Most of the students have been passing the mills to learn new issues and other subjects, how to save the ancient place, and the value of Afghanistan’s ancient areas and places.
“I am coming here to learn about ancient places and how to protect the cultural heritages am so happy from this learning centre which helps me to learn about new objects and get educated about it,” one of the students of that course, Hamida,12, said.
Education increases a person’s earning capacity, and as a result, their improved income will undoubtedly assist them in escaping poverty. Higher education will become more and more effective in reducing poverty because it negatively correlates with poverty status. Because a person’s competence in a certain sector naturally increases with experience, which allows him to earn more, experience also has a negative relationship with poor status. It may be seen as an increase in knowledge and skill development, which has favourable effects in the case of eradicating poverty.
It is hoped that the Afghan caretaker government and the officials and stakeholders working for the well-being of Afghan people focus more on the important problems and, by reforming the relevant policies, provide access to better lives for the people of the region.
Also read: Afghanistan: Cultural dilemma and need for change
