School Opening Creates Space for More Than Two Thousand Students

Behzadi School at Qala-I- Murad Big, District Of Shakerdara, Kabul Province Opened by MRRD Minister H.E. Mohammad Ehsan Zia

Kabul –24 October 2007,

A new school in the District of Shakerdara opened during an inauguration ceremony attended by H.E. Mohammad Ehsan Zia, Minister of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. 

The Behzadi school at Qala-i- Murad Big cost 9.75 million Afs., paid for by MRRD through the National Solidarity Program, will allow more than two thousand girls and boys from 30 nearby villages to attend classes and purse their education. The new school has 16 class rooms, a library, a laboratory, two administration rooms, four store houses, and a first aid room. 

During the school inauguration ceremony, H.E. Mohammad Ehsan Zia said: “The main objective of MRRD is to reduce poverty, shorten the gap between urban and rural living, and increase access to social services. Building schools and increasing the potential for improving access to knowledge and education for rural children helps us accomplish this. This is why the MRRD constructs roads, clinics, bridges, and public utility projects beside construction of school.”

Currently, in the districts of Charasyab, Shakerdara, and Qarabagh of Kabul province eight schools are under construction, and five schools have recently been completed allowing more than two thousand boys and girls to pursue their education.

Rahmat Gul, a grade six student at Behzadi village of Shakerdara district, said: “Our school lacked sufficient classes. Most of the pupils were reading under trees and tents, and it was very difficult for us during winter and summer to walk long distances to school. Now with the school built, all of the pupils can study, and we won't have to worry about the rain or the heat. I hope all the kids in our country will have similar schools, and not have to walk great distances in the summer and winter.”

The MRRD has begun construction on 310 schools at a cost of more than 650 million Afs . Completion of the schools will allow more than 47,000 school-aged children to pursue their education.

For more information, please contact Ajmal Paiman, MRRD spokesman at mobile 070652860, email: anp@mrrd.gov.af

Darul- Aman Road, Nila bagh, Kabul Afghanistan

Telephone: (9320) 2100481 or (9320) 2101387

Internet Address: www.mrrd.gov.af