Child-centers with a goal

It is one o’clock and time for the daily shift in Aschiana no. 2 in the center of Kabul. The playground is full of children who are either on the way to their classrooms – or on the way to their work along the polluted and dusty streets in the capital. But before that: it´s time to play and act like children for a short while at Aschianas playground.

Aschiana no. 2 is one out of six community-centers for streetworking children in Kabul. In order to give children who need to work a minimum of basic education and practical skills, the centers have classes every morning for one group – and again every afternoon for another group of children.

In Aschiana no. 2 there is space for 600 children. Totally the six centers offers 2.400 streetworking children a daily break from their work. But… with estimated 37.000 streetworking children in Kabul it is far from enough. Every day Aschiana have to refuse children who want to attend the classes. Those who are lucky to get in, will start as soon as their parents, uncle, ant or whoever they live with, have agreed. To compensate for the lack of income due to the daily hours the children have to spend in the classes in Aschiana, the families each get 50 kilos of wheat and some oil as well for cooking every month.

Dialoque with the family is a part of Aschianas politic. Head of the centers, engineer Yuesef, believe that support for the families is the best way to help the children. For the same reason Aschiana have income generating projects like chicken-farms and bakeries for some of the weakest families who are connected to the centers through the children.

Girls playing in the Aschiana courtyard.

More about the children of Afghanistan >

Lalai - a street working child in Kabul >