AKF launches $25m programme to expand education access across 8 provinces in Afghanistan

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), in partnership with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), has launched a new $25 million initiative designed to reach over 282,000 children and adolescents across eight provinces in Afghanistan.

Over 29 months, the programme will address the country’s acute education crisis by strengthening teaching quality and expanding learning pathways in underserved rural communities.

The initiative will engage 15,000 teachers and 16,000 community members and caregivers to build a resilient, community-led support structure. Women and girls will make up at least half of the participants and beneficiaries.

Interventions included in the programme are:

• Teacher training: Investing in professional development, with a focus on inclusive education and psychosocial support.

• Diverse learning pathways: Expanding community-based schools, early childhood development centres, and accelerated remedial classes to bridge learning gaps.
• Resource distribution: Providing essential classroom supplies to students and teachers, establishing community libraries, and building playgrounds for early childhood development centres.

“We are thrilled to partner with GPE to improve access to quality education for more children in remote and underserved areas,” said Dr. Najmuddin Najm, CEO of AKF Afghanistan. “This initiative combines different learning pathways, including piloting an innovative community-based schools model that will be used to provide insights into how to sustain and expand similar educational strategies in Afghanistan and beyond.”

Afghanistan faces a complex landscape of financial hardship, infrastructure deficits, and safety concerns that have pushed millions of children out of the classroom. In a country where fewer than 20% of teachers have received professional development or formal training in the past five years, this programme uses a human-centered approach that enables educators to create tailored solutions to local educational issues.

“The new programme is another important step in our support to Afghanistan’s children,” said Marco Mantovanelli, Regional Manager, GPE. “We work with partners, communities, teachers, and families to ensure that every child has the chance to learn and secure a better future.”

AKF has operated in Afghanistan since 2003, supporting education, livelihoods, and community development across 14 provinces.

GPE is a shared commitment to ending the world’s learning crisis. GPE mobilises partners and funds to support over 90 countries to transform their education systems so that every girl and boy can get the quality education they need to unlock their full potential and contribute to building a better world.