A popular learning centre in Kandahar City has received new financial backing from the Canadian government, temporarily ending fears that the facility might have to close. An announcement of the funding was made this week at a ceremony to mark International Women's Day. The centre, though catering to both male and female students, is an especially important educational outlet for Kandahari women and girls who often risk their lives to go to school, centre director Ehsanullah Ehsan said. Since opening in 2007, more than 1,500 students have received schooling at the 23-room facility or through the centre's online courses. About 700 of the facility's students, including 300 women, have moved on to full-time jobs with aid agencies, United Nations programs and the Afghan government, Ehsan said. But despite those successes, serious challenges remain for women in Afghanistan, he told graduates at the ceremony. "Illiteracy, poverty, violence, disease and discrimination, forced marriages, underage marriages, selling girls for property and forcibly giving a girl to a man to settle tribal feuds are still common practice and go unchecked in our community," he said. "Women are deprived of basic rights to education, decision-making and freedom of expression." This funding from Canada is certainly a good move as it shows Canadian support and will benefit thousands of children, especially women as they become educated and live better lives.
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