NEED magazine | Issue 1 | Future

the humanitarian magazine

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future \| writer: matthew pritchard photographer: steve mccurry for Imagineasia "Afghanistan's children represent the country's hopes for a better future, and education is the only key to that future." -Steve Mccurry, Founder Imagineasia	The education system in Afghanistan was virtually destroyed following successive wars and oppression by the Soviet Union and the Taliban.


only 28.7 percent of afghans over the age of 15 can read and write, the majority of which are male —unicef
“The country’s new constitution makes education mandatory for children up to grade nine. This is a unique window of opportunity in Afghanistan’s history, a time when the need for education has been recognized and children are yearning to go to school. However, there are no schools and no trained teachers for children in the most remote mountainous areas of the Bamiyan province; therefore we have selected this region to assist through ImagineAsia.”	Steve McCurry, who is a world-renowned photographer for his reportage in Asia, founded ImagineAsia in 2004. McCurry has been covering Afghanistan since before the Russian invasion in 1979. He has a unique and intimate knowledge of the country. He saw first-hand the turmoil of war and an entire generation of Afghans lose an opportunity to be educated. The result is a shattered country that ranks among the most illiterate in the world.
girls were not allowed to attend school under the taliban’s rule.

“The first three years after the liberation from the Taliban, Afghanistan saw an incredible record number of students coming back in schools, both girls and boys. Setting up programs, opening doors for eager students, training teachers coming from years of exile and providing humanitarian aid to our schools was a wonderful feeling.” -Wahid Omar, Director of Education Afghans4Tomorrow "These teachers are the uncelebrated heroes of our age, and so are the children who trudge to school each day to study sums and letters, science and history." -Tamim Ansary, Author West of Kabul, East of New York "Security is a big issue, as schools are frequently targeted by Al Qaeda as symbols of Western influence, particularly female education. From January 2006 to April 2006, there have been more than 50 acts of violence against schools, many of them targeted at learning centers for girls. However . Afghan women and their families are facing the challenges, moving past them and helping to contribute to Afghanistan's restoration." -Farshad Rastegar, CEO Relief International


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