Kabul (PAN): A large number of Maidan Wardak people complain of deteriorated security, administrative corruption, joblessness, shortage of girls’ schools and unilateral operations by foreign forces.  
 
They said the province is experiencing shortage of health care centers and its roads are also presenting a dilapidated condition.
 
Muhammad Ibrahim, a resident of Kodi village of Chak district said he got graduated two years back from the Nangarhar University’s computer science faculty. After getting job for sometime in an organization, he said he is now jobless for the last one year. 
 
He went on to complain one can get government job easily on the basis of nepotism and personal contacts work. Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, he says: “I am really disappointed because of continued joblessness. Sometime, I repent why I got education rather I should have my personal business instead.” He said he has applied for job in a number of special and government departments but do not so far get any positive response.
 
Hailing from Zarani village of Sayed district, Hizbullah said he completed his education with high marks from the Dar-ul-Mualimeen in Nangarhar province. However, after returning to his home province, he said he is searching for a job since then but to no avail.
 
He says: “I have applied for a teaching position in a school where the principal promised to hire my services when he has vacant post. I am just wondering that two candidates are hired after my application most probably on favoritism and nepotism basis.” He said he is ready to pick the job of a watchman if someone offered him.
 
Abdul Ghaffar, a resident of Maidan Shahr said the biggest factor contributing to the wave of joblessness is growing insecurity because foreign organizations and NGOs are not ready to work in insecure areas. He said if security is improved then NGOs working in various development and health sectors would be willing to initiate work in the far-flung districts.
 
He says: “I have a 12th class education but due to absence of a job, I am working as a driver with a provincial council lawyer.”
 
Breshna, a resident of Khawt Dare of Chak district while complaining about shortage of female educational institutions, said that the absence of education forced her entire family to shift to Kabul where she and her sisters are studying in Spin Kali High School.
 
She said girls’ schools are functioning only in the province’s Behsud and Jalrez districts but education ceases to function in Chak, Jaghtu, Daimir Dad and Sayed Abad districts due to fast-spreading insecurity.
 
She said when she studied up to 6th class in Chak district then she was forced to close her books because there was no facility to study the 7th class there. She told Pajhwok Afghan News “the Taliban allowed girls education up to 6th class. The militants told the parents of students not to educate further their children. Due to those problems, our family shifted to Kabul four years back.”
 
Muhammad Anwar, a resident of Kamal Babakhail village of Jaghtu district said now the education has been made a business. He said none of the school is closed in the district. A number of boys’ schools are functioning but there is no girls’ school, however, there are some villages in which girls’ education is allowed up to 6th class with equipment and other assistance are being extended by the Swedish committee and education department.
 
He told Pajhwok Afghan News “there is no female teacher while the male teachers are not teaching properly. The teachers come to school at 9:00am or 10:00am then they leave the kids after a brief period of time. The teachers are only interested to get their salaries.”
 
Muhammad Saboor, hailing from Bakhshak village of Diamer Dad district complained of health care centers’ shortage who said that it is happened a number of times to shift their patients to Kabul after travelling for extra miles on bumpy roads.
 
He said earlier the district hospital was offering excellent health services while the hospital of Chak district was also functioning, adding that a German female was providing the hospital with advanced facilities. He said doctors used to visit the hospital for patients check up, saying but due to insecurity neither foreigners nor local doctors visit the hospital.
 
The hospitals have no experienced medical practitioner now. Resident of Sadmardi of Narkh district, Muhammad Alam Samadi said the greatest matter of concern is insecurity, which is hampering development of other sectors. He said there are continuous fighting not only between the Afghan forces and Taliban but fighting rages between Hizb-e-Islami men and Taliban fighters, which pushed the area into further chaos. “Like me, most of our villagers left their houses because of growing insecurity. We visit our villages when it is extremely necessary,” he added.
 
Some direly needed projects and construction of roads are approved for different districts but insecurity is hampering development work. In addition, different kinds of expensive construction machinery remain useless when stuck in for-flung insecure districts. The rent of the machinery becomes another financial loss for the project holder.   
 
Zabihullah Haidari, a student of Nangarhar University said most of the people of his province are interested to get education. The province sees a large number of those who complete their 12th class education every year but the province still faces lack of public and private universities for higher education. He told Pajhwok Afghan News “one cannot find job in the government-run universities without nepotism and personal contacts. They keep the vacant posts unadvertised with them, which level ground for officials to recruit their own relatives.”
 
Maulvi Shafiqullah, a religious leader in Chak district said unilateral raids and actions by foreign forces force many families to leave their village or to spend sleepless nights. He told Pajhwok Afghan News “we have doomsday every night here. Three or four kinds of helicopters hover over the area and our children start crying out of fear.”
 
Sultan Ahmad, a farmer of Yadi locality told the entire province produces bumper crops including fruits and vegetables but due to absence of cold storage facilities and market access, his community could not get the benefit that they are deserved for.
 
Maidan Wardak is closest to the capital Kabul. If measures are taken to improve security, create job opportunities and resolve the problems being faced by the farmers’ community then it would not only improve the overall economy but would leave positive impact on the security situation of Kabul.