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FROM THE FIELD

CWS children's rehabilitation centers in Afghanistan fan embers of hope
09 Jan 2008 20:30:00 GMT
 Source: Church World Service-USA
Website: Website: http://www.churchworldservice.org

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Students at a rehabilitation center in Kabul for youths who have experienced trauma and violence. Boys and girls share a classroom -- something unthinkable during the era of the Taliban.
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Students at a rehabilitation center in Kabul for youths who have experienced trauma and violence. Boys and girls share a classroom -- something unthinkable during the era of the Taliban.
Photo: Chris Herlinger/CWS

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January 9, 2008

"I want to become a pediatrician when I grow up, so that I can help orphan children in my country," says 13-year-old Mariam. A studious 6th grader, she attends the CWS-supported Child Rehabilitation Center of Kabul in the afternoon shift. Mariam lost her father at a very early age and now lives with her family of eight. Only one of her brothers is working and supporting the family.

Mariam says she loves to spend time with her friends at the Child Rehabilitation Center because she gets to learn about useful and important things like land mine awareness, peace, children's rights, health and hygiene, etc. She is also learning to use a computer.

"The children's rehabilitation centers provide education and life skills programs, lunches, and health and hygiene training to the children," says CWS Emergency Response Director Donna Derr. "A goodly portion of the students are there because their families can't afford school uniforms and fees, so this is the only education they really have. For most of the children, the time spent at the center creates a place of comfort and safety in otherwise extremely difficult living situations."

Currently Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan, in collaboration with local partner Cooperation Center for Afghanistan, is running Child Rehabilitation Center programs in Kabul and Bamyan, each serving 200 students, ages seven to 14. The program was established in 2002 to assist traumatized and war-affected children. Through participation at the centers, young people from among the poorest families of the region develop peacemaking and cooperation skills, improve their study methods, and learn the basics of sanitation, health, and the environment, while growing into active, aware, productive members of their communities.

Like Mariam, 10-year-old Shahid Mohammad attends the Child Rehabilitation Center of Kabul. His father is unemployed, and one of his brothers supports the family with his meager income. Shahid says he likes the Child Rehabilitation Center because he can read books in the library and learn to use the computers. He also likes the nutritious meal that is served during sessions and enjoys playing outdoors with the other children.

Because of the emphasis on balanced meals and good hygienic practices, the children's health and nutritional well-being also gradually improve. And, within the gentle and caring learning environment of the centers, it is not uncommon for violent and rowdy children to undergo a behavioral transformation.

In early December 2007, Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan collaborated with local partner Cooperation Center for Afghanistan in a distribution of warm clothes and school supplies for children at the CWS Child Rehabilitation Centers in Kabul and Bamyan. The supplies, donated by Afghans for Afghans, included caps, jackets, sweaters, mittens, socks, pencils, pens, notebooks, sharpeners, and crayons. The warm clothes are welcome protection against the cold Afghan winters, where below 0° F. temperatures are common.

As part of the days activities in Kabul, the children presented lively and colorful cultural performances and role-play dramas. The event was covered by Afghanistan National Television and by private TV channels Lemar and Tolo.

Some 140 students and their families participated in Kabul, and 200 students participated in Bamyan. Church World Service also delivered supplies for 133 more children in Markaz-e-Islah-Tarbeet, at a government run educational center for children whose mothers are serving jail sentences.

Mariam, Shahid, and the other children were very excited to receive the warm clothes and school supplies. They appreciated the kind gesture of the donors and expressed their warm wishes for Christmas, Eid, and the New Year for everyone around the world.

Read more about Church World Service work in Afghanistan and Pakistan at www.churchworldservice.org/news/Afghanistan and www.cwspa.org.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Wed Jan 9 20:38:22 2008