War Child
Paraphrased Mission: War Child works in Afghanistan to provide educational opportunities to affected children in Kabul. Since 2002, War Child has supported children from the ages of four to six until early primary school. The program provides counseling and educational support to unaccompanied minors, children working on the streets, or young people in conflict with the law. They currently have four projects in progress, including Educational Opportunities for Vulnerable Children, War Childs Helpline, Border Project, and Protecting Children from Violence in the Justice System in Afghanistan.
The OCTW Connection: War Child is important because it is one of the few organizations that focuses on providing education to children in Afghanistan with a hands-on approach.
Facts and figures about the issue: Out of the total population under 18 of 17.7 million, 16 million children are affected by conflict. War Child spearheaded three projects in 2019 with about 3,040 total participants. There are about 1 million people within Afghanistan that are currently on the move,including 400,000 undocumented returnees. Overall, there are more than 3.5 million people inside the country in need of emergency humanitarian assistance, and children make up 57% of this number.
Regional Context: Afghanistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country in Central Southern Asia. The capital of this mountainous region is Kabul. There are about 3.2 million people living in Afghanistan, the majority of whom identify as Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, or Uzbeks. 99% of Afghani citizens identify as Muslim. After the Taliban government overthrow in 2001, the Karzai administration was formed with the help of the UN. At this point, Afghanistan had the highest world infant and child mortality rates and the lowest world life expectancy; the country faced famine, and the infrastructure was in ruins. The Taliban continued to attempt to gain control of the government and to create violence within the country.
Educational Resources:
Save the Children: 18 Years of Conflict
Humanium: Children of Afghanistan
How to get involved: Anyone can donate to, raise funds for, or become a partner with War Child.