Our Winter School – a great succès!
IN AFGDuring the winter holidays – January to March – we welcomed 233 children 5-19 years old.
In total, there were 112 boys and 122 girls in 5 classes.
Class 1: 70 children, 45 boys and 24 girls from 5-9 years
Class 2: 50 children, 32 boys and 28 girls from 7-11 years
Class 3: 49 children, 20 boys and 13 girls from 7-13 years
Class 4: 39 children, 11 boys and 28 girls, from 7-13 years
Class 5: 25 teenagers, 3 boys and 22 girls from 13 -19 years
Age distribution:
14 children 5 years old
23 children 6 years old
30 children 7 years old
30 children 8 years old
36 children 9 years old
20 children 10 years old
25 children 11 years old
23 Children 12 years old
8 teenagers 13 years old
3 teenagers 14 years old
7 teenagers 15 years old
3 teenagers 16 years old
7 teenagers 17 years old
3 teenagers 18 years old
1 teenager 19 years old
35 children are semi-orphans, without a father or mother, the others are from very poor families.
The staff of 10 people who took care of the children were:
1 full-time director
1 full time assistant
6 part time teachers
2 guards (day and night) Full-time
Unlike last year, when we gave only English and computer lessons, we extended the subjects taught , ie:
English
Dari (Afghan version of Persian)
Mathematics
Computer
Art – drawings etc.
General education, citizenship
Religion
Classes take place 6 days a week, from Saturday to Thursday, Friday being the Sunday in Afghanistan like in other Muslim countries.
Classes start at 8:30 am and end at 11:50 am, with 5 lessons of 40 minutes and a 10 minute break per morning.
To make this winter school possible, we have funded
Staff salaries
Wood to heat the classrooms
Diesel for the generator (when electricity fails, which happens very often)
The electricity, rent and internet connection
1 additional wood stove for the 5th class we opened and heated this year.
The total cost of three months is around CHF 6,000.
We just closed the school to prepare our normal primary school. It will open on March 22, the day following the Nouroz or Afghan New Year which is March 21, the day of the solstice.
As is the custom in Afghanistan, for Nouroz, we sent the money to our local partner Zabi Majidi to sew new clothes and buy new shoes, school bags, notebooks and pencils for the 70 children we will admit again.
During this school year, children will again receive breakfast and lunch, as well as the staff. The classes will be held morning and afternoon.