A school run by Germany-based Christian aid organisation Shelter Now has reopened in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Now called the Helping Hands Educational Centre, it was closed after the Taliban took power in summer 2021 but the militant Islamic group has now given permission for lessons to begin again.
The 150 children (84 girls, 64 boys), aged from six to 12, are taught in four classrooms, in a former restaurant building. The school runs on principles which are based on the Christian doctrine that everyone was created by God in His image, so every child is appreciated, not a small adult, but a human being with his or her own intrinsic worth and rights. This means the teaching focus is not rote-learning by heart – as is common elsewhere in Afghanistan – but on student-centred, self-directed activities, interactive learning and community play. The building even has a large, green inner courtyard, which serves as a playground and is much appreciated by the children and their teachers alike.
