Donate NowShaun McCanna, for the Pulitzer Center
The NGO HAWCA (Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan) has recently opened a school in the village of Malik Jan Khiel, in the country's Parwan province. The school is set in a rented house that offers two classrooms. Before HAWCA opened the school, the nearest educational opportunity for the children of the village was more than an hour away by foot, all but eliminating the opportunity to attend school.
Teacher Najeeba Qaderi assists a student The school currently has an enrollment of 230 students. Without HAWCA, these students would still be part of the estimated 5.3 million Afghan children currently not attending school, whether it be for cultural or security reasons, or because there is no school available in their area.