The Education Stabilization Initiative, implemented through USAID’s Building Education Support Systems for Teachers (BESST) project, provides grants to schools to improve education in Afghanistan’s insecure areas.  Grants are dispersed to communities that prioritize the needs of their schools and work with district or provincial Ministry of Education offices to solicit grant funding.  USAID/BESST grants finance the construction of school boundary walls, latrines, wells for clean drinking water, and refurbishment of school buildings to support positive changes toward stabilization.

In August, BESST awarded a grant to Shahr-e-Kohna Middle School in Ghazni City for the construction of a boundary wall around the school grounds.  On August 22, BESST held a groundbreaking ceremony to initiate the implementation of the grant.  The governor of Ghazni Province, Mohammad Musa Akbarzada, laid the foundation stone of the boundary wall.  The Provincial Education Director, a member of Afghan National Assembly, and community elders of Shahr-e-Kohna also participated.  The Governor of Ghazni underlined the value of education and the importance of boundary walls for safety and security of both schools and students.  He affirmed, “The only thing that can help improve a community is quality education; therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure a safe environment for education.”