On November 20, 2002, 5,000 girls walked in the doors of the Sultana Razia Girls' School after being banned for more than six years. Located in Mazar-e-Sharif, this school is one of the largest girls' schools in northern Afghanistan. The renovation cost more than $200,000 and included the restoration of 32 fully functional classrooms. This project is one of many which are part of a joint initiative between the governments of Afghanistan and the United States to build or rehabilitate 1,000 schools over the next three years.
Before
Sultana Razia Girls' School was closed during the Taliban regime and used as a refuge for Taliban forces. As a result, the school was destroyed and then abandoned when the Taliban fell from power.
Photo by:IOM-ATI staff
After
Five thousand girls now attend the Sultana Razia Girls' School. During the opening ceremony, one 21-year old student said "I want to become a lawyer because I want to bring justice and freedom to Afghanistan ... especially for women." One of her teachers added, "To teach makes me feel like I am helping Afghanistan. I couldn't fight before, but now I can help make Afghanistan better."
