Ali Ahmad Mashal Afroz, provincial coordinator of Integrity Watch in Kapisa
I remember when my friends and I saw the Sher Khan School in Kohistan-e-Awal for the first time in 2015; there were no walls except the one where a door had once been and several yellowing plants in need of water. A school without walls was clearly not a proper environment for academic study.
When we arrived at that ruined school the authorities welcomed us warmly and after we introduced Integrity Watch and the Community Based Monitoring of Schools (CBM-S) program, they led us around some of the classrooms. At first all we saw were classrooms in ruins and without students. A few steps further there were some students studying in an open area who complained to us about the school’s condition.
Seeing this situation and knowing the value of education, we got to work. Our first priority was to gain the support of the local community and to build their capacity to monitor all aspects relating to the schooling of their children. During social gatherings and talks with community members we were able to make them aware of how they could make a difference. We encouraged them to identify the specific problems with their school and encouraged them to engage with the Education Department. It is worth mentioning that the local people had already complained to the Education Department authorities but without success. Over time and with an organized effort, however, my colleagues and I were able with the support of the local people and the local Shura to gain the cooperation of the Education Department. This made all the difference.
Today, after two years, there have been huge changes at Sher Khan High School. 750 meters of school walls have been constructed with a USD 60,000 grant from Education Department’s budget and an Afs 228,000 (about $3500) contribution from the community. Construction of these walls now provides protection to both students and the school’s staff.
In addition to this, another important task was accomplished by the active intervention of the local people and the local Shura: providing the school with potable water. This project cost approximately Afs 41,000 (about $600). About 1.5 Km to the north of the school there was a deep well and the people connected it with school with the use of pipes. Now students have access to potable water in the school. The water also helps to maintain the plants around the school. It is planned that the School Management Shura (SMS) will invite representatives of the governmental for the inauguration of this project in the near future and a large participation is expected.
Besides these changes, a number of other things have changed at the school. There are now regular monthly meetings of the School Management Shuras (SMS), hygiene has improved, security has improved, teachers all have teaching plans, student discipline is good and the interaction between the school administrators and the students’ parents is now far beyond what had existed previously.
It is worth mentioning that all the problems which have been solved have been due to the combined efforts of the School Management Shura (SMS), the local development council, the school’s administration and teachers as well as the students themselves. Nothing better demonstrates the beauty of the Community Based Monitoring approach than the success which was realized at the Sher Khan School.
