WADAN

  • +93 202510627
  • info@wadan.org
  • Afghanistan, Kabul , Sherpur

The Welfare Association for the development of Afghanistan

We are committed to advancing equitable education in Afghanistan by empowering communities through learning, opportunity, and hope.

Education

In response to the ongoing social and economic situation, large-scale awareness programs and grassroots level interventions along with effective, sustainable support are essential actions to take in order to address the needs of Afghan children, adolescents and adults for education. Since 2005, WADAN has utilized all available resources, taken every opportunity, and maintains advocacy activities to educate Afghans. WADAN has worked in all 34 provinces to implement projects that support schoolteachers, principals and students, and to involve local religious leaders and other social multipliers including civic actors and government officials to advance opportunities for education throughout Afghanistan.

Working with local school Shuras, WADAN reopened 125 closed schools allowing 209,251 students and 2,354 teachers to re-access education through school safety initiatives between 2009 and 2012. WADAN has delivered capacity-building activities to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Maliks, and other community elders and mobilized them for school safety, child protection, and to encourage education for children in geographically remote areas. Since 2002, WADAN has mobilized and trained 6,401 members of CSOs, Maliks, Mullahs, and Community Development Councils (CDCs) on community mobilization, child protection, classroom observation, monitoring of classes, and capacity building activities for involvement in “back to school” campaigns and other public awareness interventions.

WADAN has implemented more than 30 projects throughout the country in partnership with UN agencies, Save the Children International (SCI), European Union (EU) funding through Terre des hommes (Tdh), the Central Asia Institute (CAI), and USAID, WADAN has delivered packages of assistance to the public schools and assisted Community Based Education (CBE) and Accelerated Learning Centers (ALCs) throughout Afghanistan. We have trained 128,484 schoolteachers and 15,400 principals in capacity-building activities from 2004 to May 2022. Sessions on child protection, psychology, and teaching methodology were conducted for teachers and principals during the education projects’ implementation lifecycle.

Currently, we cover 50,598 students in the 1,611 CBE and ALC classes in Badakhshan, Logar, Farah, and Nangarhar Provinces. Already 71,083 students (29% girls and 71% boys) have been part of 2,370 CBE and ALC classes that were maintained by WADAN between 2004 and 2022. UNICEF, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through SCI, and CAI supported these classes. These students received referral services under Child Protection services, school supplies were also distributed to them, and following CBE they were enrolled in the government supported schools nearest to them to continue schooling beyond the third grade.

From 2009 through the end of 2022, students already attending public schools have been provided with clean water, school supplies and hygiene kits, as well as refurbished classrooms. Under this component, 189,188 students were enrolled in public schools through public awareness and community inclusion campaigns from April 2018 through January 2023. The Malala Fund, Afghanistan Girls Learning Education (AGE) project through CAI, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through UNICEF, and UNICEF’s Education Cannot Wait (ECW) programs are the main contributors to this initiative. The AGE, ECW, and GPE programs continue to meet education needs in Farah, Logar, Badakhshan, and Nangarhar provinces.

Afghanistan Girls Education,AGE

In the current context of Afghanistan where restrictions on girls’ schooling have created one of the most severe education crises in the world, community-based learning has become a lifeline. Millions of girls remain barred from formal secondary education, yet families continue to seek opportunities for their daughters to learn safely and with dignity. At this critical moment, WADAN’s commitment to girls’ education is not only urgent but transformative. By working directly with communities, training teachers and supporting local schools, WADAN ensures that education remains within reach for thousands of girls who would otherwise be left behind.

0 +

Students

0

CBE Classes

0 +

Teachers

0 +

SMS Members

The Community-Based Education (CBE) initiative was established to expand access to quality education for children excluded from the formal system, particularly displaced, returnee and host-community students. These children have long faced barriers such as lack of nearby schools, unsafe travel routes and limited capacity in public institutions.

With the financial support from Central Asia Institute (CAI), WADAN is committed to meet these challenges, and implemented a comprehensive, community-centered strategy through;

  • Establishment of CBE classes,
  • Strengthening of nearby public schools,
  • Community mobilization to promote and protect girls’ education.

In April 2022, WADAN initiated Afghanistan Girls Education (AGE) project in Badakhshan with support from the Central Asia Institute (CAI), reaching girls in remote and underserved districts. Building on this success, the program expanded to Takhar Province in 2024, establishing 99 CBE and 58 ALC classes that served 4760 students 70 % of them girls. Under this program, the project covers 2 districts in Takhar and 4 in Badakhshan. The initiative supported a total of 4760 children.

Each learning space received a full set of educational and recreational materials, including textbooks, notebooks, stationery, winterization kits and child-friendly resources. Additionally, numerous government hub-school teachers were trained in:

  • Modern teaching methodologies,
  • Child protection and psychosocial support,
  • Disaster risk reduction,
  • Awareness of early/child marriage risks.

A total of 144 teachers were trained in pedagogy, psychology and child protection to improve instructional quality and ensure a safe and supportive learning environment.

In all our programs, WADAN rebuild Afghanistan from grassroots, during our activities, WADAN mobilized 722 School Management Shura (SMS) members across 119 community groups (3 women and 285 men in Takhar and 98 women and 336 men in Badakhshan. These members monitored classrooms, supported teachers, and participated in training on advocacy, supervision, and the broader importance of children’s, especially girls ‘education throughout 2025.   

Currently (2026), WADAN has 72 CBE classes under the AGE (Afghan Girls Education) Project in Takhar and Badakhshan, 10 in Khash, 19 in Bahrak, 15 in Tagab and 16 in Argo districts of Badakhshan and 12 CBE classes in Warsaj District of Takhar province which are fully functional in the aforesaid geographic locations.

Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, EIE

Education in Emergecies, AHF

Implemented in Helmand & Farah, Funded By AHF

Provide access to education to 5,400 school-aged children (60% girls and 40% boys) in Khak-e-Safeed, and Qala-e-Kah districts of Farah Province and Lashkargah, and Nahr-e-Saraj districts of Helmand province.   

0 +

Students

0

CBE Classes

0

ALC Classes

0 +

Teachers

0 +

SMS Members

Narrative description of Project: Overall objective:
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Provide access to education to 5,400 school-aged children (60% girls and 40% boys) in Khak-e-Safeed, and Qala-e-Kah districts of Farah Province and Lashkargah, and Nahr-e-Saraj districts of Helmand province.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:
Total of 180 learning spaces for 5,400 school-aged children of which 10 would be ALC learning
spaces (100% girls) and 170 CBE learning (60% girls and 40% boys,) with a focus on those affected by the crisis as well as those from vulnerable and conflict-affected families left out of the education system in Khak-e-Safeed, and Qala-e-Kah districts of Farah Province and Lashkarghah and Nahr-e-Saraj Districts of Helmand Province. Each of the earning spaces would serve 30 students for a time period of one educational year (9 months) with consideration of the project period. The ALC students will study up to three and half hours a day to complete the school year for a time period of 12 months. WADAN would target out-of-school children, those in hard-to-reach areas, and children from vulnerable families most affected by the developments in Afghanistan since the end of August 2021. The learning spaces would offer access to education for students from Grades 1 to 3. The site selection will done in close coordination with PED, DEDs, and other stakeholders. Considering the needs and initial assessment we conducted, WADAN intends to establish 116 CBE classes in Helmand (58 in Lashkarghah and 58 in Nahr-e-Saraj) and 54 in Farah (27 in Khak-e-Safeed and 27 in Qala-e-Kah). In addition, the 10 ALC learning spaces will be established in Helmand Province, 5 in each participating district.

Education Can Not Wait, ECW

Education Can not Wait

Nangarhar | Funded By UNICEF

The overall objectives of the ECW project is to provide access to quality and inclusive education in emergencies and provide a safe learning environment for conflict-affected out of schoolboys and girls. 

0 +

Students

0

CBE Classes

0

ALC Classes

0 +

Teachers

0 +

SMS Members

Narrative description of Project: Overall objective: The overall objectives of the ECW project to provide access to quality and inclusive education in emergencies and provide a safe learning environment for conflict-affected out of schoolboys and girls

The five main results of the MYRP remain the same for Year 2 of implementation:
• Outcome 1: Access to education for emergency-affected girls and boys is increased
• Outcome 2: Child-friendly and inclusive learning environments are created
• Outcome 3: Continuity of education for emergency affected girls and boys is increased
• Outcome 4: Quality of learning for emergency-affected girls and boys is improved
• Outcome 5: Safe and protective learning environment for emergency-affected girls and boys, especially the most marginalized, are established.
Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment: Establishment and Continuation of the 538 CBE and ALC leaning spaces for the 18,716 students in the year 2 and three, coordination with relevant stakeholders (PED, DED and SMCs), teachers capacity building trainings, SMC capacity building trainings, provision of School Improvement Plan and provision of learning materials to the students and teachers.

GPE COVID-19 School-based and GPE-CBE-Accelerated Fund Project

Narrative description of Project: Overall objective: The proposed programme responds to these identified gaps in education resources and capacities, and the need for all children both to catch up on and to engage with learning, especially in high need districts. Its objectives are, therefore, twofold:.

GPE COVID-19 School-based and GPE-CBE-Accelerated Fund Project

Narrative description of Project: Overall objective: The proposed programme responds to these identified gaps in education resources and capacities, and the need for all children both to catch up on and to engage with learning, especially in high need districts. Its objectives are, therefore, twofold:.

 1.  To provide 75,000 school-aged girls and boys in 150 public-schools in hard to reach areas of Farah province — with access to quality education in safe learning environments equipped with COVID-19 risk mitigation measures; and

2.   Provide 30,000 emergency-affected out-of-school children in hard-to-reach areas of Logar and Farah province with access to quality education through the establishment of 1,000 Community-based Education (CBE) centers, CBE classrooms and ALC Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment: establishment of 800 CBE and 200 ALC learning spaces, construction of 80 toilets, coordination with relevant stakeholders (PED, DEDs and Maliks), recruitment of teachers, Conduction of back to school campaigns, provision of learning materials, capacity building of DEDs and Hub-School staff, provision of WASH facilities (water tank, access to clean water) to 150 Government schools and hiring 150 teachers.