Bridges That Unite

Tajikistan
Children learning to use a laptop computer as part of efforts to introduce participatory teaching and learning methods and practices into the education system. Education in Tajikistan is being revitalized in the wake of a civil war prompted by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Afghanistan
Math class for girls. The education of girls was neglected for years while the country was at war. Now efforts are underway to train more teachers, build more schools and provide more opportunities for girls and women to gain an education.

Baltistan, Pakistan
Girl in a dark red school uniform. In traditionally conservative villages in this isolated part of Northern Pakistan, communities increasingly recognize that educating girls is vital to the health and well-being of families and communities.

Bilibiza, Cabo Delgado - Mozambique
Pre-school class held outdoors in a village near Bilibiza in one -- one of the poorest provinces in Mozambique. Teachers are trained to use locally available materials to create teaching tools, such as this large white sheet which has been divided into squares showing letters of the alphabet and numbers. Community-run pre-schools like this one give rural children the opportunity to develop an aptitude for learning.

Rajasthan - India
In Rajasthan, community schools help poor and disadvantaged children, many of them from minority groups, receive a primary education they might otherwise be denied. The goal is to promote enrollment, retention and learning, and achievement. Women in the community are encouraged to participate in the educational development of their children as Mother Teachers.

Cabo Delgado Province - Mozambique
Improving the quality of primary school education is one of the educational priorities of the Coastal Rural Support Programme in Mozambique.In-service teacher training and community education spaces run by the government and local volunteers have been introduced. This photo shows six students drawing on the board of a primary school in one of the participating villages. Following a government initiative, new material on health and hygiene has been introduced to the curriculum in order to better prepare students for active life.

Khorog, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast - Tajikistan
This Lycée in Khorog was opened in 1998 to help provide high quality education as well as a model of financially sustainable educational institutions in poor communities. Schools are shaping the next generation of professionals whose skills will be needed to help this isolated region create a vibrant and sustainable economy. Students of the Lycée are here seen watching their teacher as she performs a chemistry experiment behind her desk in one of the science laboratories. Other facilities include extensive IT labs, language study aids and a library.