Participants learn about different crafts in training courses
The international Christian relief organization Shelter Now is helping disadvantaged boys in Afghanistan to integrate into the work environment with training courses in various trades. In a training center in the provincial capital of Faizabad, 10 to 15 boys are given theoretical and practical instruction in areas such as bicycle repair, painting and electrical skills, as the German Shelter Now director Matthias Stechert reports. Shelter Now is supporting the operation of the center in the 2025/26 training year with around 43,000 euros from donations.
The courses also include basic carpentry, plumbing, tailoring and gardening skills. Many of the participants live in an orphanage for 200 boys between the ages of five and 16 who have lost their parents through war, illness or poverty. Others come from poor families in the city of Faizabad. During school years 9 and 10, they complete course units lasting several months.
“The practical training should enable the young men to either work in an existing company or set up their own later on,” says Matthias Stechert. Those who want to take part must show an interest in the fields of work, be willing to learn and be committed. The Shelter Now director adds that they will receive a certificate for this after completing the course.
Faizabad is the capital of Badakhshan province, a poor and geographically remote region in northern Afghanistan. Shelter Now started its vocational preparation program here around ten years ago with a course in tailoring. It was initially only intended for residents of the orphanage, but quickly opened up to disadvantaged boys from all over the city. The orphanage has also long received financial support from the relief organization for food, heating materials and salaries.
Brunswick, April 24, 2025