Literacy Courses Pay Off

Sohaila, 35, joined the Afghan Women Education Center's literacy course in Paktia Province because she had always wanted to learn to read. Her husband, a tailor, is illiterate. He often brings home clothes to work on in the evenings in order to meet the customers' deadlines, but he can't read the written measurements for the clothes without an assistant.

Now with Sohaila's support, her husband meets all the customers' deadlines and the family's income has increased considerably. Sohaila says that her husband is very happy with her literacy course, and he is determined to make sure their children are also educated, both boys and girls.

The Afghan Women Education Center is one of the beneficiaries of Counterpart International's (Counterpart) Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society (I-PACS). Counterpart supports the Center's project, entitled "Self-Sufficiency and Advocacy: Increasing the Capacity of Women in Paktia Province." The Center not only runs literacy courses, but also has an income-generating program for women, including a basic introduction to microfinance.

I-PACS aims to increase the role and viability of Afghanistan's civil society. Counterpart provides capacity building, training and grant support to civil society organizations which show potential to be sustainable, effective organizations. Counterpart has successfully integrated gender equity, a controversial issue in the region, into its programming. Helping Afghans like Sohaila have access to education, legal, social and economic resources contributes to a healthy civil society in which women play a critical role alongside men.

Please read more about Counterpart's I-PACS Project.

Photo: © Counterpart International.