Alghadir education center (Pishva-Varamin, Tehran)

Since 2008 the Omid foundation has supported Alghadir education center that supports refugee children who have fled from Afghanistan to Iran. This center was founded by committed Iranian and Afghan teachers who began to teach Afghan refugee children despite financial problems. Due to the tense situation, both on a political and on a social/religious level, there has been a constant influx of refugees from Afghanistan to Iran for years. The educational opportunity for Afghan refugees in Iran has been very limited.

Our activities are divided into three categories:

1. Nutrition and education. Includes primary school: 85 girls + 65 boys, high school: 31 girls +27 boys, total: 208. In addition, 48 mothers are educating right now. 14 teachers are working there.
2. Sewing workshop to train students to learn skills. 65 trainees are attending this workshop.
3. Computer workshop to train some students to be skillful enough and being able to find a decent job. 78 trainees are attending the workshop.

At the moment, the facilities provided so far include schooling, sewing machines and workshop, a few smartphones, for 208 children, and 48 young adults who are either family members or their mothers.

After the collapse happened in Afghanistan the number of refugees has been increasing sharply. Urgent needs including laptops and smart phones for online teaching in addition to financial support for food, should be considered. Living facilities and education and providing a minimum living standard for these families and the new comers are highly demanded, otherwise they have no other source of help and nobody knows how they can survive this hard situation.

We have supported this project with 198,176.00 Euros so far.

The project goals are:

• Provide permanent care for the refugee children
• Make education and nutrition for the refugee children accessible
• Reduce the social exclusion of Afghan refugee children in Iran
• Integrate Afghan refugee children and families into Iranian society
• Reduce the illiteracy rate within the refugee families