Sadly, it is not uncommon to hear about
female students being poisoned in parts of
Central Asia – opponents of girls’ education
poison water wells or release toxic gas on the
property. In these cases girls report losing
consciousness, dizziness, and vomiting. Many
survive after being treated at local medical
facilities, but some do not.
Over the last few years several incidents of
poisoning have been reported in Afghanistan,
as the country continues to battle entrenched
extremist ideology.
“Many students were poisoned in Takhar
province last year – four or five times it happened – and it mostly happened in schools
which did not have boundary walls and were
not well protected,” said Janagha Jaheed, director of CAI partner organization Marcopolo
Social Services and Reconstruction
Organization.
Thankfully, none of the cases involved CAIsupported schools, but the danger remains
imminent, especially for schools with high
female populations.
High-traffic areas are also priorities. Wakil
Karimi, director of Central Asia InstituteAfghanistan, explains:
“Where there is much traffic, people are
afraid their daughters will be taken so they
do not let them come to school. Conservative
people also do not like their daughters looked
at when they are in classes. So, unless there is
boundary wall the girls cannot come to class.
It is a simple problem to fix, but an expensive
one.”
to withstand the extreme conditions in remote
mountain villages, the walls are not cheap.
Despite the prohibitive cost, the walls do
end up saving the schools money in the long
run.
“Goats! They get into everything,” said
Karimi. “One time I visited a school and I was
so confused as to why the teachers put big
stones in all the windows. The people told me,
because we do not have a wall. When we leave
the goats break the windows and destroy the
classrooms.”
Known for their willingness to eat almost
anything – papers, desks, chalkboards, carpets,
and pencils – goats can be a real nuisance. For
some children “the goat ate my homework” is a
legitimate excuse.
Mother and Director of CAI-Tajikistan
Mahbuba Qurbonalieva says another oftenoverlooked benefit of boundary walls is that
children are provided with a safe place to play.
In 2016 Qurbonalieva plans to add a boundary wall to Kindergarten #5, the home of her
pilot early childhood development program.
“Kindergarten #5 will provide a safe place
for young children to play, protected by a
strong boundary wall. There, children can be
children and without worry.”
Once in place, boundary walls last a long
time and are easily repaired.
“The walls are expensive, but if they are built
properly they will last as long as the school,”
said CAI-Gilgit Director Saidullah Baig. “They
will last a lifetime, even through winter snows,
summer heat, and the strongest earthquakes.”n
LAST A LIFETIME
Though price varies according to the size
of the property, location, and availability of
materials and labor, they tend to average anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. Earthquake
resistant, high enough to prevent goats or
humans from jumping them, and thick enough
CentralAsiaInstitute.org
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