More than just cash

No one in Amina’s family has ever been to school, but this has not stopped the 16-year-old from dreaming of going to school one day and learning to write her name. For years, for reasons she does not always understand, she has not been able to attend school in Afghanistan, while elsewhere in the world, children her age can.

“We used to move around a lot because there was no peace. We did not stay in one place for too long and it was not safe to go to school,” explains Amina.

With the previous conflict came economic instability. This made it difficult for Amina’s father to support his daughter’s education, even when it was safe enough for them to finally return home. The nearest public school is about five kilometres from Amina’s village.

Amina spends her days doing housework and sometimes weaving carpets with her mother. But in recent years, business has not been good, so they do not sell carpets as often anymore. Farming, too, is no longer a viable source of income as a decades-long drought has made the land too dry to produce enough to survive on all year. At 75, Amina’s father still works in construction, earning 50 Afghanis (less than a dollar) per square meter of construction whenever he can find work. The situation is just as bleak for many of their neighbours.

A turn for the better

In 2023, UNICEF provided cash support to families like Amina’s to cover basic needs like food, clothing or transport costs to attend school. In general, cash also helps families after a shock or disaster and prevents harmful coping mechanisms such as child labour, or child marriage as families struggle to make ends meet.

With support from the World Bank and USAID, UNICEF distributed cash to 86,000 families with at least one girl between 12 and 17 years old. Each family received three separate tranches of payment of $120.00 to cover opportunity costs related to education in two provinces: Nuristan in the east, and Jawzjan in the north. While USAID funded the cash transfers and associated costs in both provinces, the World Bank contribution was used exclusively in Jawzjan province as a top-up to the USAID grant.

What started as cash assistance for struggling children and families in Amina’s village has become a lifeline, giving children a chance to go to school. In a small modest house built by the community, Amina has become the first person in her family to ever go to school. Families are using some of the cash they receive to buy uniforms, notebooks and textbooks for their children. A local school committee oversees the running of the school and manages contributions from parents. Each family contributes 100 Afghani per month to pay teachers’ salaries. 

Amina now goes to school six days a week. “Our classes start at 7am. When I’m late my father reminds me that it’s time to go,” says Amina. 

With only one classroom, the school operates in shifts and classes are grouped according to age.

Mobilizing support for girls’ education

Along with cash support for these communities, UNICEF partners engage the parents, community leaders, religious scholars, and young people on the importance of education and the impact it has on children’s futures, especially for girls. Through these awareness sessions, the local education committee or Shura has been empowered to continue mobilizing support and create demand for education within the community. “Parents are willing to support their children’s education. We have identified a bigger plot to construct a school so that more children can attend,” says the head of the Shura.

Community classes are not uncommon in Afghanistan, particularly in areas where public schools are too far or too full for children to attend, or where safety concerns and other restrictions prevent children from going to a public school. For thousands of children like Amina, these classes are their only chance to learn.

Amina doesn’t know how far she will be able to go with her education, but for now she enjoys the time she spends with her teacher and classmates, learning something new every day.

“I can write my name, my father’s name, my mother’s and my brother’s name,” says Amina.

_{Amina’s name has been changed to protect her identity.}