"Only the educated are free."
– Epictetus

In a courtyard located in the city of Taloqan, group after group of young girls sat in the dirt, attending primary school for the first time since the Taliban were forced out of power in Afghanistan. The headmaster explained, "We have so little money. We do not have classrooms. We don't have any books, no desks, not even mats for the children to sit on." Astonishingly, around 2,500 girls attended school here, on property with a building that offered only a few tiny classrooms. Many of the young girls walked over an hour each way from outlying villages, eager for the chance to learn. "Our schools were destroyed during the war, so now we hold classes here, out in the open under the hot sun and even in the cold months. Can you please help us?"

It is hard to imagine our own young children walking over an hour one way to sit outside on the ground to attend first grade. But this is the reality in many countries for those lucky enough to even have a school to attend. SFL builds schools in communities where none exist because we believe that a secure society is founded in large part on the education of its people. Schools create a permanent platform for education, help to stabilize the community, and foster a sense of local pride. Ultimately, schools offer hope and freedom to future generations who can chart a new course for their lives and for their country.

View video: Building Schools in Afghanistan (requires QuickTime)