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Nuristan is a remote, mountainous region in northeast Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan.
Changes in recent years have opened up the possibilities for secular, co-educative schools in a region where illiteracy is at 99%. Five are now established in the villages of Lumrukdesh, Atetti, Samanak, Patchigram and Apsai, funded through Afghan Schools.
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Two of the schools, Atetti (left) and Lumrukdesh, have been purpose built in local materials using traditional techniques and local labour.
All are staffed by local men and women, whose wages and training courses in Peshawar are also paid for by Afghan Schools.
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School roles are steadily increasing, with more girls in attendance than boys. There are now over 700 pupils at the 5 schools |
Volleyball is particularly popular, with frequent inter-school matches played on the sports ground at Lumrukdesh, one of the few flat areas in the region! The children also love watching a fast paced horse-back game called Buzkashi.
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Three of our head teachers.
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In the UK, Afghan Schools has set up a programme to promote communication between children here and in Afghanistan. A series of presentations given to schools in our area and further afield attracted a lot of interest, and pupils have exchanged letters and drawings. |
Outdoor classes at Patchigram
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