LFT Afghanistan – Hasibullah’s Story
LFT Kabul, Afghanistan meet Hasibullah – one of the many orphaned children supported by the LFT to continue his education.
Hasibullah, 11, is a child growing up without a mother from one of the most vulnerable families who is studying alongside other orphaned children at a privately run school in Kabul, Afghanistan.
He is a sixth grader whose education is being supported by the Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust at a time when the country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis where financing orphaned children’s education is overwhelmingly difficult.
Hasib has been looked after by a caregiver for years who has brought him up while enduring lots of hardships in providing for him and her other children’s food, healthcare, and education. Just like most of his classmates, Hasib comes from an extremely disadvantaged background with a host of painful stories.
Hasib’s father, Abdul Ali, is a street worker who struggles to make a living for his family. Hit hard by the current widespread unemployment and poverty, Abdul Ali engages in day labor to earn some money to provide for his family’s expenses.
“There was no job for Abdul Ali so he borrowed money from his friends and relatives to buy a cart with which to do day labor to make some money to support the family,” Sharifa, Hasib’s caregiver said.
“Sadly, most of the time, he comes home with some loaves of bread and a very meager amount of money at night. This can never fulfill the needs of a family of 10. On the days that he cannot find work, he stands in front of a bakery shop to get some bread at least.”
For Abdul Ali, life is very difficult and day labor is the only resort for him to help his dependents survive. “Sometimes I am forced to line up in front of a bakery just to get some food to feed my children otherwise the whole family will be hungry,” he said.
When Sharifa learned about the LFT’s education program for orphaned and poor children from her neighbors last winter, she enrolled Hasib in the center. At the center, Hasib undertook supplementary science education, gained language and life skills, improved his self-confidence and social interaction skills, as well as developed relations and friendships with his class fellows.
Luckily, following the winter learning center, Hasibullah got the opportunity to be enrolled in the school.
Since March 2022, he is studying in the school with the financial support of LFT.
His caregiver said, he has made lots of improvements in mathematics, language, reading, and writing, as well as interacting with others both on the school campus and in public. “In his current school, he not only receives good education but also enjoys other supplemental learning materials such as textbooks and stationery which otherwise would have been impossible for us to supply,” Sharifa added.
“Hasib feels this opportunity has kind of transformed his life and changed him both personally and socially.” “More importantly, the program has had a tangible positive effect on his mental health since he was suffering from a kind of mental boredom before joining the program,” Sharifa, explained.
“We thank LFT from the bottom of our heart for caring about the education of children, especially, the orphaned, and providing such life-changing opportunities in this time of need,” Hasib’s caregiver concluded.