Responding the immediate need of out of school children through providing quality, inclusive and protective learning spaces in Imam Sahib, Baharak and Khawja Bahawuddin districts of North-Eastern provinces Kunduz and Takhar. The project aims to reach 5400 out of school children (50%, 2,700 girls) in the North-eastern region of Afghanistan (1800 students in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province, 1800 in Baharak and 1800 more at Khawja Bahawuddin districts of Takhar Province). The project focuses on ensuring access to quality inclusive and protective learning space to the targeted number (5400) out of school children through establishment of Temporary Learning Spaces to facilitate teaching and learning through Community Based Education (CBE) approach within the targeted host communities including children from returnees and internally displaced people (IDP) estimated 20% of the total targeted population. The project will immediately contribute to meet the need of 7.9 million out of school children in Afghanistan, in need of education in emergencies (EiE) for 2022 and will also directly contribute 1.5 million children in need targeted by education cluster in the targeted locations in 2022 including (810000 girls) will directly contribute who are affected by the ongoing humanitarian crises including disaster, conflicts and displacement.
The project will be implemented in partnership with a local NGO, Organization for Women Empowerment OWE who will take over all the project interventions in Kunduz province Imam Sahib district as the sub-implementing partner for the project implementation. OWE will work together under AREP existing staff of under a similar type existing project in Kunduz to share experience and build their capacity that will ensure quality program delivery. AREP as a lead partner will implement the project in Baharak and Khawja Bahawuddin districts of Takhar province to cover 3600 out of school children along with supervising the project sub-implementing partner OWE. The project key interventions are included but aren’t limited to establishment of 180 classrooms (120 by AREP and 60 by OWE), recruitment 180 teachers (120 by AREP and 60 by OWE), rehabilitation of relevant classrooms and WASH system (13 by AREP and 7 by OWE), providing teaching learning materials including classroom kits, teacher kit, students kit, winterization and hygiene kit for 5400 students integrated in 180 classrooms (3600 children and 120 classes by AREP and 1800 children and 60 classrooms by OWE) and establishment of 150 school management committees (100 by AREP and 50 by OWE) to mobilize and sensitize communities and parents towards their children education right and ensure smooth access, monitor and continue functionality.
Sub-implementing partner selection is according to the UNOCHA operational manual and AREP has selected the Organization of Women Empowerment OWE based on its local capacity and successful partnership experience in our previous projects. Secondly, AREP has been committed in its existing strategic plan to strengthen local civil society organizations and therefore OWE has been selected with AREP based on an evaluation process. The reason on behalf of the sub-implementing partner in this project is that AREP has ongoing similar type operation in Kunduz province covering 3000 students and the agreement ends on November 2022 so AREP deemed it a mutually interested opportunity to engage OWE as the local partner with strong access to work closely under AREP existing team technical capacity. that helps AREP to better manage  its existing operations in the province while AREP will continue to to takeover the project operation in the cluster priority areas of Takhar province. 
The project will pay particular attention to gender issues and address cultural barriers including enrollment of 50% girls, at least a female member in SMCs, recruitment of 50% women teachers and capacitating those teachers in teaching methodology and child protection (i.e. psycho-social support, children safeguarding support on displacement and Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse PSEA along with other relevant topics for the sake of child welfare).