NEW CHILDREN'S CENTER
Since 1995, Engineer Yousef and his team of social workers and teachers have operated out of temporary, makeshift quarters in small houses, vacant offices, tents and other spaces lent to them. Aschiana will continue to operate programs in temporary quarters near the poor and needy but for the first time Aschiana has a permanent home, as well.
Built on land now owned by Aschiana Afghanistan, the Children’s Center provides Aschiana with a headquarters, classrooms, a kitchen and a health care clinic. The new center, to which the Aschiana Foundation USA has devoted most of its recent fundraising efforts, was designed by the Aga Khan Foundation as a modest, functional u-shaped building with Afghan architectural elements and local materials. Walls built around the property’s perimeter provide a secure outdoor space for play, sports and a garden. Once furnished the center will accommodate 1,500 students a day, divided into two shifts.
The Aschiana Children’s Center provides:
- 24 classrooms
- a health care clinic
- indoor bathrooms
- library and music rooms
- a kitchen for preparing hot meals
- well-protected open space for recreational and outdoor activities
- administrative rooms
The Aschiana Foundation in the U.S. is soliciting donations to help purchase materials and supplies needed to furnish classrooms. The foundation would like to help Aschiana obtain electricity and computers. The center promises to play a critical role in allowing Aschiana to provide services to more children and provide adequate space to train teachers for Aschiana programs in outlying areas of Afghanistan.
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