Kindergartens

ASET currently runs 3 kindergartens; 2 in Mazar e Sharif and the newest in Baba Qambar. In areas where there are no schools, the kindergartens are particularly vital in providing a high standard of early education for young children, where provision includes support for those with special needs. They also provide female teachers with a safe place for their own children during the day, which enables them to continue to work in order to support their families.

The Parwaz Centre

The women who attend our training centre have chosen to name it Parwaz, which means “flight”. The Parwaz Centre provides vocational training and networking opportunities to young women who are keen to study but have not had appropriate facilities until now. A variety of courses are offered including English and computing skills, and computers with internet access are available to use throughout the day. The centre has proved to be hugely popular and since opening last Spring we have seen hundreds of women enrolling and attending regularly.

BLiSS Training Course

BLiSS stands for Birth Life Saving Skills and is a 6 week course that ASET runs in order to educate women with basic skills and knowledge about safe pregnancy and infant delivery. Afghanistan has some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, and the hope is that women who have attended this course will share their new understanding within their local communities, which in turn will save the lives of more mothers and their children.

Hygiene Awareness

ASET regularly run Hygiene Awareness courses in order to educate local people about the importance of personal cleanliness, good hygiene practices and the benefits of safe drinking water. Here is a quote from a woman who attended the most recent course: “There is a huge garbage dump and a latrine next to my house, and a lot of rats run around it. I didn’t know how dangerous it was and how much it could affect our health before.”

Medical English for medical students

Most advanced medical courses are not available in either of Afghanistan’s two main languages and so there is a huge need for these students to learn English. ASET have been running a Medical English course, introducing not only the language but also its appropriate application in order to empower the students to make correct diagnoses and informed decisions. The take up from female students has been particularly encouraging.