The Village of Sada

Sada is one of the hamlets of Qara Bagh district, in the Ghazni Province. Its entire population is around 5’000 people.

It is a very remote area, situated at 2’800 meters above sea-level, dominated by mountainous terrain, with no established road connections, extremely isolated, accessible only on foot or donkey or horse-back, virtually cut off from the world during the long winter season, when temperatures regularly drop to -20 degrees centigrade. It is a region with poor infrastructure, no hospital or clinic. People's main occupation is farming, despite the very scarce water availability, which makes it difficult for agriculture.

Project Objectives

Our project is to build an entirely new school in the village of Sada. The main objective with this project is to significantly raise the motivation and self-respect of the children, as well as that of their teachers, bringing a positive impact to their lives, families and communities. The construction of the new school will provide improved conditions of study for approximately 700 students, boys and girls.

There is a very big need to provide children of Sada and the surrounding hamlets with a decent and proper environment in which they can complete their primary, secondary and high-school education.

In general, the levels of education have remained low throughout Afghanistan. This is all the more true in regions such as Qara Bagh, owing to its remoteness and difficult economic situation. Central governments of the past neglected such areas throughout Afghan history.

The decades of war have worsened this situation further, bringing misery and lack of development. At the same time, these years of despair and deprivation have contributed to a rise in awareness among the people. They understand, more strongly than ever in the past, the importance of education, of literacy. This is a development that must be encouraged and supported.

The financial project requirements include costs for building materials, equipment, transport and salaries for the daily workers, as well as covering administrative costs for the project team. The Sada community has formally made a piece of land available for the school and will provide labour and general support. It will also be in charge of the future maintenance of the school.

This project aims to be another model for the future development and a source of hope for the region. It has been discussed and is consistent with the objectives and plans of the department of Education of the Province of Ghazni and of the Ministry of Education in Kabul.

The total budget for the Sada project amounts to some USD 350,000.