Jesuits teach nearly 4,000 Afghan youth

(July 14, 2011) The vast majority of Afghans want peace and security and dream about education, according to Father Stan Fernandes, an Indian Jesuit who directs the Jesuit Refugee Service in the strife-torn nation. "The Church must help young people to realize this dream, and this is the mission of the Jesuits and of the Jesuit Refugee Service Volunteers,” he says. “The rebels are about 10,000, but attract the attention of the international community,” he told the Fides news agency. “Our mission is to give voice and hope to 99.9% of the Afghan population, who struggle every day with all their heart to go forward and to build a better tomorrow.” He added that the Young people, who have lived through war and exile, will lead the country tomorrow. This generation needs to be empowered in order to focus their energies, enthusiasm and potential, to promote peace and development in the country. The JRS have been working in Afghanistan since 2005, when a team of Indian Jesuits started programs in the field of education. Jesuits are now teaching 600 students at a technical high school in Heart, 3,000 university students in Herat, Bamiyan, and Kabul, and 200 elementary school students who are refugees in Sohadat. Training and development programs dedicated specifically to women are also active.