Afghan Girls Learning the Sound of Music
Mazar-e-Sharif is home to a music school specifically for girls – the only one of its kind outside the capital Kabul. It only opened in mid-August and already has 30 students who learn singing and how to play the guitar, electric keyboard, harmonium and drum. The school was started by the Balkh Musicians’ Union with a grant from the Afghan Foundation for Culture and Civil Society. Plans to replicate the girl’s school in areas of Afghanistan where it would be culturally acceptable are in the works. Although some might disapprove of girls learning and practicing music, the students are determined to continue their studies to completion. Afghanistan has remained committed to providing all of its citizens with the gift of education. Over six million children have returned to school since the fall of the Taliban; 34 percent of those students are girls.
