Story from the Field
Mawlavi Faiz Muhammad Shahid School in Kapisa province struggled with many problems that had actually caused the students facing numerous difficulties. The school was only lacked textbooks and professional teachers, but also did not access enough chairs, doors and windows of the classes that indeed had affected the quality of the teaching process.
Two of Integrity Watch local monitors working in school and court programs who were also members of the administrative council of the school identified the problems and decided to ask the locals and businessmen for their contribution to the school.
The Administrative Council organized a gathering for assistance to the school that was attended by 150 people including local elders, a number of governmental officials, religious scholars, local influential people and members of civil society.
The program was organized in the hall of the school and representatives from each of the groups talked about the problems and different methods were explored and discussed to address the problems. One of the participants suggested that each of the families whose children are in school to pay 50 Afghani monthly to the school. Other speakers also asked the people for their contribution. The locals warmly welcomed this initiative because they in fact found it in their own interest. At the end of the program some of the participants willingly paid their contributions to the representative of the council and those contributions also were recorded in the journal of the council.
After this meeting, the council called for an emergency meeting to count the collected money. A committee composed of three members of the council was assigned to solve the identified problems and were instructed to collect the receipts during purchasing of the goods. For transparency purposes, the Council also decided that all three members of the committee must be present when goods are purchased.
Other initiatives were also implemented to improve the lay out of the school yard. Some of the teachers and students volunteered in greenery of the school by planting of trees and flowers as well as painting of the school. The efforts were praised by the civil society and directorate of information and culture. The volunteers also received appreciation letters.
Mawlavi Faiz Muhammad Shahid School is one of the schools in Hesa-e-Dowome Kohistan district. Its council has been the most active and efficient one which has always had considerable achievements through solving of the school’s problems. The efforts of the council include but not limited to painting of the school, praising students and teachers, developing greenery of the school by planting of a variety of trees and flowers and taking problems of the school the Department of Education.
