30 April 2026
In the first days of April, an evaluation seminar was held in Khost Province for the twenty selected teachers, and as a result they were found qualified to teach and our twenty classes in Khost became active. Likewise, with the creation of new classes in Kabul, the total number reached 190. Although we had all 250 classes active before the middle of April, those classes did not yet fully have the materials that should be available in each classroom. Therefore, when the delegation from the Ministry of Education wanted to visit our classes, we asked them for time so that we could fully equip all the classes. Fortunately, the 60,000 euros that were sent from Germany to Afghanistan in April arrived in Afghanistan without being stopped in Italy, and with this money we were able to purchase the necessary materials for all of our classes.
In recent days, our female and male controllers have been very busy. Every day they visit many classes and make improvements so that before the representatives of the Ministry of Education come to inspect the classes, all classes will have been checked once. We have seven female colleagues who go every day to different areas in teams of two or three. Among them, Zarghona is our most experienced colleague, so all female trainers share their reports about the classes with Mrs. Zarghona, and she then shares them with the central office. For quick coordination, we have a WhatsApp group where everyone can share their opinions, which reach all colleagues at the same time. We had some new female teachers in Kabul’s District Seven who needed training, and our female colleagues provided them with training so that they are now teaching in the classrooms.
All of our field trainers or supervisors now have a book called “Observations.” Anyone, regardless of their position, who visits and inspects our classes and activities must write their comments in that book and sign it. In my opinion, this will help us evaluate our classes and make positive improvements, because we will have people’s opinions, suggestions, and criticisms. Yes, every three months we will review these books and take the necessary actions accordingly.
As in the past, when our colleagues from all field locations would come to the Kabul central office every two weeks on Sundays to report on progress and challenges in their areas, we once again hosted all of our field staff on Sunday, April 19. The meeting was very interesting because, since new classes had been established in all areas, there was much positive news about progress. Another issue that we were able to resolve in April concerned the project’s start date. Because our agreement with the Ministry of Education had been delayed much longer than usual, the project start date recorded in the documents registered with the Ministry of Economy differed from the date stated in the agreement. The Ministry of Economy strongly resisted changing the date, arguing that according to the law, the Ministry of Education should have completed the agreement within fifteen working days. During this process, we visited both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economy several times. In the end, the Ministry of Economy corrected the project start date in the documents so that it matched the agreement.
Although negotiations between Pakistan and the Taliban continued until two days ago in Urumqi, China—which in a way also served as a ceasefire—only the Taliban, as usual, remained committed to the ceasefire. Pakistan has continued, as always, to fire artillery into border provinces such as Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Kandahar. As a result, we still have not been granted permission to carry out major activities in our project areas. Although it is now time to clean the water storage place of trees for both of our forest restoration projects in Khost, doing so would require us to employ a larger number of laborers in the area, and the Department of Agriculture has not permitted this. Fortunately, because rainfall has been abundant this year, our saplings have not yet suffered from thirst. It should be mentioned that we are allowed to visit the sites for monitoring purposes: our supervisors visit daily, provincial staff visit weekly, and Kabul staff visit monthly for both projects
In April, representatives of youth associations from the Musa-Khel and Spera districts of Khost visited our Khost office. They requested forest restoration projects for their mountain areas. They showed great interest and were willing to contribute by working voluntarily and helping protect the trees. This shows that the new generation understands the value of forests better than their parents did. Such signs among the youth are hope-giving. In the past ten days, hailstorms have occurred in some parts of Khost. Although crops in Khost Province are much better this year compared to previous years, if the hail continues, farmers could suffer heavy losses. Only a few days remained for the wheat harvesting, meaning farmers have already invested fully in cultivating their crops.
The negotiations between the Taliban and Pakistan in Urumqi, China also did not produce significant results, and third-party countries Turkey, Qatar, and China are still trying to mediate a settlement. During the past month, Pakistan continuously carried out artillery attacks on Afghanistan’s border provinces. The heaviest shelling was on Kunar Province, including attacks on the city of Asadabad. In the same way, Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan University in Kunar was also hit in these attacks, causing casualties including students. The Ameer has made no public statements since the beginning of the conflict regarding the ongoing tensions with Pakistan. However, in the past month he told the nation as advice: “If you want your children to become like Karzai (former President of Afghanistan) or Musharraf (former military ruler and president of Pakistan), send them to schools. But if you want your children to become like the Amir al-Muminin (referring to himself) or the current Mujahideen (the Taliban), then send them to religious madrassas.” Since relations with Pakistan worsened, Afghanistan’s markets have become increasingly dependent on Iran. Whenever tensions rise in Iran, prices in Afghanistan’s markets—especially fuel prices—also increases. During the past month, the prices of fuel and food products in Afghanistan’s markets rose significantly.
In the final days of April, the Taliban’s Prime Minister issued a decree permitting residential construction, citing the return of large numbers of refugees to the country and the shortages of housing. According to the decree, people throughout the country—including in Kabul and all provinces—are allowed to build homes. However, valid proof of ownership is required in order to construct a building, such as a Sharia deed, tax stamp or receipt, customary ownership document, or other recognized property records. In addition, confirmation from the local mosque imam or area authorities is required to verify the ownership and location of the property. Security and government institutions have been instructed not to create unnecessary obstacles for citizens and to facilitate construction activities. At the same time, municipalities and the land administration are required to identify areas where construction is prohibited, such as flood-prone zones, historical and protected areas, and land designated for roads or urban planning. Furthermore, in some areas, specific restrictions have been imposed regarding the number of floors allowed and the construction of basements or cellars in accordance with building regulations.
Best Regards
Hewad Khan