Are we truly making a difference in Afghanistan?

In our interviews with over 500 teachers and students in Balkh Province, we wanted to know what was and what was not working. The results we found were not simply good but phenomenal: Education leads to longer and healthier lives.

Fewer Afghan children are dying of preventable diseases like dysentery and dehydration. Malnutrition has declined, as has suicide and depression. Education leads to lower birth rates. When Afghan girls were asked, “How many children does your mother have?” Many said 14. When we asked how many they want, most said two. Boys, in turn, want fewer wives.

Education decreases harmful traditional practices, like early childhood marriage and child slavery. Thanks to the advocacy of our principals (led by a man who also happens to be a mullah), girls are no longer being married at age seven or nine. Our principals have also helped stop the practice of sending young boys to work in Pakistan or Iran.

Education teaches much-needed leadership skills and civic responsibility, and it provides a foundation for democratic governments. A number of our families have participated more fully in the political, social and economic development of their communities.

Education is the path to rebuilding nations destroyed by conflict and building peace. Afghan children from different ethnic groups, religious practices and economic backgrounds, who used to carry weapons and fight in school yards, are now playing soccer together and learning a common language. Parents who fought for decades are participating in Parent Teacher Organizations in our schools. And, Afghan children who grew up hating Americans are now building bridges of understanding with children and families across the United States.