Maj.-Gen. László Domján, the commander of the HDF Joint Force Command recently handed over the last development project of the HDF Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT), the 12 renovated classrooms of the Hazrat Zaid primary school. (Reporting from the spot!)

The PRT had the local entrepreneurs renovate 12 classrooms in the 36-classroom educational institution in a value of USD 20,000. As part of the project – which was funded by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – they also bought benches, blackboards and school equipment for the schoolchildren.

In his speech delivered at the ceremony, László Domján said that he had been one of the first Hungarian soldiers to visit the province in the summer of 2005 in order to survey the scope of potential tasks to be executed by the Provincial Reconstruction Team. Now, seven and a half years later, the change is visible in the province, and the project – which is handed over here and now – is one element of this development.

In the course of the renovation, the 12-classroom part of the building has received a new roof, the earlier walls have been reinforced and painted, and doors and windows have been purchased. The mains power system – which had previously been absent – has been built in the classrooms, so from now on each has two lamps and a fan.

Around 2500 girls and 500 boys attend the Hazrat Zaid school, where 94 teachers teach the pupils in three turns. The first two educational groups consist of girls. The classes for girls in the middle school run from 6:30 am. to 9:00 am. in the school, and are followed by the junior classes for the girls, which run from 9:00 am. to 1:00 pm. From 1:00 pm. to 5:00 pm. the schoolboys occupy the classroom.

Firs-lieutenant V., the officer supervising the details of the projects told us that the teachers of the school, the children’s parents and the leader of the local Shura had assisted with the school renovation in the form of community service. During the more than six years of its operation, the PRT significantly contributed to improving the circumstances of education in Baghlan Province. Over the last six years, the PRT has implemented close to 400 education-related projects. During this time, through its educational programs the government of Hungary built eight primary schools (usually six or eight grades) and extended or renovated another 14, and also supplied them with various pieces of school equipment (for example: benches, blackboards, other pieces of equipment etc.).

The construction of the 24-classroom Zaman Khil School was one of the largest educational projects of the PRT. The educational programs of the PRT involved around 40-50 thousand children of school age, including 20 thousand girls. The PRT’s educational projects have improved gender equality in Baghlan Province. The improvement in the infrastructural conditions of education involved 15 per cent of school-age children in the province.

(Krisztián Vargha)