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AFGHANISTAN / LAKE EDUCATION
STORY: AFGHANISTAN / LAKE EDUCATION
TRT: 2:50
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: DARI / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 25 OCTOBER 2013, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
1. Various shots, school girl Sumaya Aziz, taking notes in classroom
2. Wide shot, classroom
3. Close shot, Sumaya listening and taking notes
4. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Sumaya Aziz, High School Student:
“My family isn’t always supportive because my mother is illiterate and doesn’t understand the importance of education. They supported me until I was 13 but when I got older, they said girls shouldn’t go to school.”
5. Wide shot, hundreds of girls arriving at school
6. Med shot, crowd of girls coming to school
7. Med shot, Sumaya’s classmates in class
8. Med shot, Sumaya taking notes
9. Med shot, Pan of classroom
10. Close shot, girls reading a book
11. Med shot, School teacher Shaima Alkozai writing on black board
12. Med shot, Students reading
13. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Shaima Alkozai, Teacher:
“During the Taliban rule, girls especially were not allowed to study. They had to wear burqas and pretend they were going to a friend’s house when instead…they were going to study. They would even hide their books in food containers.”
14. Pan right, from UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake to girls singing in class
15. Med shot, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake
16. Close up, girls singing
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director:
“This is an extraordinary school and unfortunately it is extraordinary in Afghanistan, because there are many millions of girls who are not in school across the country. Many millions who are not able to say as the girls I just met with could say ‘I want to be a doctor’.”
18. Various shots, Kabul city from hilltop
19. Various shots, girls sitting in classroom
At just 17 years of age, Sumaya Aziz is already the most accomplished member of her family.
She’s the youngest of seven sisters and the only one to reach the 11th grade. Her siblings were pulled out of school early to get married.
But Sumaya fought to stay on.
SOUNDBITE (Dari) Sumaya Aziz, High School Student:
“My family isn’t always supportive because my mother is illiterate and doesn’t understand the importance of education. They supported me until I was 13 but when I got older, they said girls shouldn’t go to school.”
Across Afghanistan more than eight million children are enrolled in school, compared to less than one million in 2001.
Nearly 40 percent of them are girls like Sumaya, who dreams of one day becoming a doctor.
With over 14000 schools in the country, children now have more access to education than ever before.
It’s a dream come true for Sumaya’s teacher, Shaima Alkozai, who risked her life to secretly educate girls under the Taliban.
SOUNDBITE (Dari) Shaima Alkozai, Teacher:
“During the Taliban rule, girls especially were not allowed to study. They had to wear burqas and pretend they were going to a friend’s house when instead…they were going to study. They would even hide their books in food containers.”
This remarkable progress in Afghanistan was highlighted by UNICEF’s Executive Director Anthony Lake during a recent visit to Kabul.
But he said much more needs to be done.
SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director:
“This is an extraordinary school and unfortunately it is extraordinary in Afghanistan, because there are many millions of girls who are not in school across the country. Many millions who are not able to say as the girls I just met with could say ‘I want to be a doctor’.”
With the on-going security and political transition in Afghanistan, the country has entered a period of uncertainty.
It is now more important than ever that the international community and the Government of Afghanistan strengthen their commitment to social development.
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