HTAC is proud to sponsor the development and distribution of an original series of illustrated storybooks written especially for our school children. (See our shop)
The stories take place in present day Afghanistan, feature fictional children from our schools, their families, and other key characters, all woven into delightful tales that are a joy to read. Ideas for new stories are developed by HTAC staff and partners, based on feedback from our teacher trainers, teachers, and children at our model schools. Sufficient copies of each storybook are provided to school libraries for children to read or check them out and share with their families.
Our stories are written in both Dari and English, complimenting bilingual learning sessions. Each storybook is designed to provide children with interesting stories to read while introducing important values and lessons that can be discussed in the classroom as well as shared with parents and family members.
Our “Read Afghanistan” Program has several objectives:
Promote reading skills at different levels throughout our schools.
Promote bilingual reading and verbal skills in Dari and English.
Promote story-sharing among children and their families.
Introduce and reinforce lessons and positive values children can incorporate into their daily lives.
Promote help and self-esteem while preparing children to become productive citizens.
Current Storybook Series:
Ahmad’s Kite
A New School in the Village: Leyla’s Gift
The Storyteller Visits Paghman: Leyla's Lesson
A Rose for Leyla Download and View a PDF of this storybook (English version) (Dari version)
Learn More About Our Storybooks; Own A Storybook or Support our “Read Afghanistan” Series by contacting HTAC!
Learn more about our unique storybooks.
Through your contribution, you can own any of the same storybooks our Afghan school children read. (Remember, they are in English as well as Dari). Not only are they a wonderful collection to any library, they make beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts.
Learn how you, your child’s school, or your organization can become a “Read Afghanistan” supporter and sponsor.
Read the following story about our reading program from one of our partners.....
Mennonite Central Committee Global Family Program Update Report - September 2008
Help the Afghan Children, Kabul, Afghanistan
Text & photos by Suraya Sadeed and Stephen Perlman, HTAC
To Read and Write
Tooba Rabbani, a student at one of Help The Afghan Children's (HTAC) model schools in Afghanistan, wrote this short poem: "Ignorance and illiteracy are darkness, which brings bad luck and calamity for the people. Knowledge and literacy is light, which spreads all over the universe and humankind."
Global Family funds have assisted HTAC during the last five years in developing the "Read Afghanistan" literacy program, which brings original, illustrated, bilingual storybooks into the classrooms and libraries of HTAC-sponsored schools.
Above: Girl sharing a storybook with a friend.
In a country with low literacy rates,children like Tooba clearly understand that literacy is a key to personal development, self-esteem, and economic opportunity. It's also a major factor in the ability to participate as a full, active citizen.
Literacy Challenges
Despite the Afghan government's significant efforts over the past six years, literacy gains have been minimal. In 1992, the adult literacy rate nationwide was a mere 28.7%, with women's literacy a dismal 12.7%. By 2006, the overall rate had hardly changed (28.8%), with only a small increase for women (14.4%).
With 5 million children attending school throughout the country, literacy among Afghan girls and boys is improving. Still, more than 50% of boys and 80% of girls are unable to read and write.
HTAC's "Read Afghanistan" program, with its unique storybooks, is beginning to make a difference. Of the several thousand children (mostly of primary school age) enrolled in the program, 84.6% (including 90.9% of all girls), have achieved basic reading literacy. Teachers report tremendous enthusiasm among their students for learning how to read when these storybooksare used in the classroom.
Above: Students in class with new storybooks.
Storybooks Build Success
The stories themselves take place inpresent day Afghanistan and feature fictional children from our schools, families, and other key characters, all woven into delightful tales. Each story is built around a key value or life lesson, such as honesty, respect, personal sponsibility, or peaceful co-existence.
For example, in The Storyteller, a local school girl, Leyla, befriends an old, traveling storyteller who has a thousand stories memorized. But because he is illiterate, not one story has ever been written down, and when he dies, his stories will be lost. Leyla must learn to use her wit and compassion to keep the stories alive while showing respect to a wise elder.
The storybooks complement school literacy programs. Most public schools use woefully out of date materials, some of which date to the 1980s Soviet occupation or before. Because “Read Afghanistan” books are original, current, and have stories students can relate to, children seek them out in school libraries, often bringing them home to practice. Afghans are known for their love of storytelling, and children gain pride and self-esteem when they are able to read these books to their equally proud parents.
Finally, the storybooks promote bilingual literacy. One-half of each book is written in Dari (one of Afghanistan's two major languages), the other in English. While the main goal is to improve hildren's literacy in their home language, students are acquiring English reading and speaking skills which will assist them in college study or future employment.
Sharing Tools for Learning
As HTAC expands the "Read Afghanistan" program to include books written for more diverse reading levels, we will continue to work with local school principals and teachers to incorporate these books into their literacy curriculums. The books also offer tools for helping students in the West learn about Afghan children and their culture.
Thank You
Thanks to you, many Afghan children greatly benefit from our program and, with your continued help,many more will in the future.
Please visit mcc.org/globalfamily
MCC Global Family Program
Kate Myers
21 South 12th Street
Akron, PA USA
17501-500
717.859.1151
cum@mcc.org
Werner Wiens
134 Plaza Drive
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
R3T 5K9
204.261.6381
wernerwiens@mennonitecc.ca