New Chances, New Roles Afghan girls break barriers through vocational training and capacity building
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS IN AFGHANISTAN AT A GLANCE
PHOTO: SOHAILA VAHIDY
J
oining the vocational training (VT) has opened a new door to a new world for many Afghan families. Graduating successfully from the training courses enabled them to put end to their economic dependencies or living in poverty. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is supporting technical and vocational education in Afghanistan, especiallay capacity building for vocational teacher’s school management and equipments for schools since July 2010. Alexandra Czarnecki from the Corporate Communications Press says „In 50 pilot schools all over Afghanistan GIZ supported training for approximately 1600 teachers out of them 370 were women. Furthermore GIZ is supporting 15 schools offering subjects like business administration or accounting, that are especially interesting for female students“. According to Mrs. Czarnecki (GIZ) further plan is focus much more on the field, how to provide facilities and encouraging females to enroll in the business administration or accounting institutes. She adds „currently 10.000 students are enrolled in these schools, out of them 4000 are female and GIZ further assists four schools that only enroll female students. I can say in 2014 almost 2500 new students were registered here“. Dr. Habib, Senior Advisor for Promotion of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in
Future trainers receive their certificates after graduating from the Administration & Accounting Institute in Herat province Afghanistan, says that GIZ is currently providing formal and informal TVET for the youth in different parts of Afghanistan. „We are developing the curriculum based on the needs of market for our participants in various field, for instance Electricity, Automotive Technology, Machine Technology, Metal Engineering, Central Heating & Water Supply and Carpentry“. According
to Mr. Habib the other most important issue is the implementation of different training programs, such as Grading & Testing, Methodic- Didactic, Marketing of small enterprises & Marketing Management, Introduction of new Curriculum and the Introduction of the New Examination Regulation. In response to the question, about the effectiveness of the training programs by GIZ in
Afghanistan Mr. Habib says that based on the latest evaluation they have conducted, more than 75 % of interviewees were satisfied with the training programs offered by GIZTVET. From the participants’ point of view the trainings have been organized according to the need of labor market and the theoretical and practical experience are improving parallely.
Most of the newly founded vocational schools lack adequately equipped facilities for hands-on practical training. In the period from 2010 to 2014, the number of schools increased from around 60 to around 250 and the number of vocational school teachers rose from 988 to around 2,700. However, with some 90,000 vocational school students, of whom around 10.5% are women, the system currently being developed presently reaches only around 5% of the young people between the ages of 15 to 19 eligible to attend such a school. A study conducted by the TVET programme reported that parallel to the formal TVET system, between 35% and 60% of the 15 to 19-year-olds undergo three to ten-year in-com pany training in the informal sector, and 78% of the apprentices plan to become self-employed after completion. However, this contribution to vocational education and training by the informal economy is not recognised and thus not harnessed. The ongoing training programs is two years and six months (July 2014
PHOTO: GIZ- TVET
By Amanullah Jawad
Monday, 18.05.2015
– December 2016) and the German technical cooperationa contribution will cost up to EUR 8,000,000.
Among the thousands of participants Miss. Sohaila Vahidy (23), Director of the Administration and Accounting Institute in Herat province, who has participated in different vocational training programs offered by GIZ-TVET, is very happy from participating in these trainaing and capacity building programs. Jawad: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have some questions about the effectiveness of Vocational Trainings. Could you kindly please tell me how you became interested to join these programs? Vahidy: You are welcome. I would like to say since many years especially in the Taliban regime I was dreaming the time when I could serve my people and work shoulder by shoulder with my brothers outside the home. So, I was thinking of the possibilities to equip myself with a modern knowledge and seek to transfer it to my people. Fortunately, for the first time after the graduation from school I heard about the trainings which were afforded by GIZ. I joined different programs, such as
Methodic-Midactic, Learning office, Testing and Grading and Communications. Jawad: How do you see the effec-
Jawad: For example? Vahidy: Before joining these trainings I felt unable to work in my society but I was sure that a day I
last year as a result of their pressure I left home and my family for 36 days, one of my relatives helped me and provided a shelter. Her supporting protected me from the expected jeopardizes. tiveness of these programs in your life? Vahidy: In reality the fore mentioned trainings have been changing my life totally, I can say from a dark place this opportunity placed me in a bright location.
will stand in a position where I can realize my dreams. Currently I am serving as a director of the Administration and Accounting Institute in a province which the number of violence against women is higher compared to other provinces.
Jawad: You mentioned violence against women, I am wondering in how for this is considered as a barrier to your further activities. Vahidy: Of course, as for I am extremely supported by my family but still some people are against my activities in the society. Even though I have been warned by some gunmen and neighbors, who threatened me to stay and be limited at home. But I didn‘t give up and am trying to reach my goals. For instance, last year as a result of their pressure I left home and my family for 36 days. One of my relatives helped me and provided a shelter. Her support protected me from the expected jeopardizes. Jawad: If the situation gets worse than in the past what would be your
further steps and reactions? Vahidy: You know i didn‘t get these achievements in a day, I mean I was trying a lot to get a high qualification. From the beginning I knew that I will face to such problems in the future but I never thought that the challenges and fore mentioned threats will defeat me. I decided to show the ability of the women and the opposition of my generation that we can do better promotions for our country. My oppositions must come to the conclusion their efforts are failing and they have to stand besides us, working together without any idea of discrimination to develop our country.
A short outlook on the status of the women in Afghanistan - 49 % women out of 30 Million populations - On average 3-4 female are living in a family - 1.5 million widows live in Afghanistan. Almost 90 percent of them are unable to read & write 94 percent have children - Overall, 67.8% of Afghans agree that women should be allowed to work outside, including 77.3% of women and 57.1% ofmen - 10 % employees of public agencies are female - More than 75 % female are housewives - In rural areas there are more thad 54000 families headed by women - In urban areas less than 22000 families are headed by women - Overall, lack of education/literacy (23.9%), lack of job opportunities (14.6%), domestic violence (11.3%), and forced marriages, and dowry payments (7.2%) were the most widely cited problems facing women
PHOTO: SAMIRA HAMIDI