Nasir Jalili, a Slovak scientist and parasitologist from Afghanistan, decided that in his hometown of Mazar e Sharif he would build a school and provide boys and girls with the opportunity to get an education under one roof in dignified conditions. The fact that he was serious about this was proven by the fact that he even invested his own funds into the project.

Shortly after the opening of the first part of the school in 2016

Illiteracy made him angry

What troubled him was that Afghanistan still belongs to the countries with a very high number of illiterate people, especially women. The ambitious project, prepared by a scientist’s cousin, envisaged in its final phase 16 classes for 600 pupils and employment for about 20 teachers. A 40-are plot of land for construction was leased to him by Alam Khan Azadi, a member of parliament for Balkh province. Incidentally, this province is also the birthplace of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism.

Since it is a non-commercial project, after its full completion, Associate Professor Jalili will hand the school over to the Afghan Ministry of Education, that is, the Afghan state. He began to fulfill his dream in 2013 by acquiring the land. The cornerstone for the school was laid in August 2014. In that same year, they put up a perimeter wall around the entire area; to secure water for pupils and teachers, they dug a well, since the school is in a region characterized by drought. Construction and finishing works continued throughout 2015, and in March 2016, even in provisional conditions, the school welcomed its first pupils. The budget at that time was enough to buy equipment for four classrooms, while the other children studied sitting on the floor. What mattered was that they had a roof over their heads and did not have to study under the open sky in unsuitable hygienic conditions.

With respect to financing, besides Associate Professor Jalili, members of his family also contributed, and Slovak soldiers serving in Afghanistan helped through fundraising and collected 600 dollars at the base in Kandahar. Colonel Peter Michlík coordinated the collection, and Lieutenant Peter Komár personally came to deliver it. From the existing financial expenditures, Professor Vladimír Krčméry from Vysoká škola zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce sv. Alžbety in Bratislava obtained a substantial amount—25%. In addition, friends, compatriots and acquaintances of the associate professor also contributed, inspired by his determination. Five percent of the total costs for building the ground floor of the school came from benefactors from other countries.

Continuation of construction

October 2016 was the time when the project initiators, led by Associate Professor Jalili, started the next phase of construction—the first floor of the central school. This could happen also with support from Slovakia, which through Khair KhawSocial Service Organization decided to support this project. The structural build of the school building is now completed. It still needs painting inside and outside, furnishing 12 classes with furniture, and building sports grounds. In the school year that started on 21 March 2018, 433 pupils attend the school—203 girls and 230 boys. Of these, 50 are new students, 20 came from other schools, or they are children of refugees returning from Pakistan.

The school is for girls too

As for the composition of pupils, Nasir Jalili brought about a “small revolution.” He made education possible for girls, who are very often discriminated against when gaining knowledge. The reasons may be poverty, religious prejudice, and also the use of a burqa to cover women’s faces. The war in Afghanistan, which has afflicted the country, also plays a significant role; corruption, which often causes lower social groups to be undervalued even in terms of education and basic human rights being ignored. It is also worth mentioning the low number of teachers whose incomes are so low that they do not even cover basic living needs. In addition, many schools were destroyed in Afghanistan during the long years of war.

Compulsory attendance did not exist

Until 1972, during the reign of King Mohammed Zahir Shah, school attendance was not compulsory in Afghanistan. The majority of the population—70 to 80%—lived in rural areas, and poor peasants needed to secure a livelihood for their families; education for their children was not a priority. It was mainly in cities that parents showed interest in sending children to school. After completing six years of primary school, they could proceed to a 3-year secondary school or a 3-year lyceum. Admission to universities was possible after successfully passing a demanding academic entrance exam. Universities were located in Kabul and in the south of the country in Jalal-Abade.

They already know where Slovakia is

That it was possible to complete the construction of this school was also because it is located in a developing peaceful suburb in the province, which is safe compared to other Afghan provinces. “People here are not fighters,” emphasizes Associate Professor Jalili. The city of Mazar e Sharif is located in the northern part of Afghanistan, which has been known since medieval times as one of the cradles of civilization. It gave the world the ancient physician and philosopher Avicenna; poet and theologian Rúmí was born here—the founder of the Sufi order of dancing dervishes.

Nasir Jalili visited his hometown five times over the past four years. The parents of the pupils, when meeting him, express immense gratitude for the new school, and he is also glad that they know where Slovakia is, where he lives, and where help for Afghan schoolchildren comes from.

The project can also be supported via 2%. www.walki.sk/school

Author: Mgr. Mária Mišovičová The author is editor of the magazine Prohuman