In 1974, 54% of boys and under 2% of girls had some schooling. After the Taliban rising post 1974, girls were forbiddened to go to schools and the entire education system was decimated. So now in 2002, when around 4.5 thousand schools were setup (some temporarily in tents) the excitement brewing amongs the locals was understandably enormous. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) provided help w.r.t security and construction of buildings/tents as schools.
Some 8 million text books and supplies to 52000 teachers all across Afghanistan even in the remotest regions were provided by the ISAF. Eric Laroche from UNICEF said "It is the largest educational program in UNICEF history and for the first time we have started nation wide primary education." Around 1.8 million were expected but 3.0 millinon tured out. 45% of the attendees in Kabul schools were girls. These included the Hazara children from the poverty-stricken areas of south-west Kabul. The numbers registered increased to 6500 from 2000 in a single school. So much that the headmaster was puzzled about how to handle things. They operated in shifts with a mere 118 teachers. By 2005 5.2 million children were attending school from grades 1 to 12. This became the new-age Afghan symbol. A symbol of a progressive nation.
This literacy program became the largest ever program in a Muslim country.
Another success story is that of the resurgence in Media..newspapers, television and magazines.
Within a matter of 2-3 years, there were 8 TV channels which operated, 350 publications and 42 radio stations operated in the country. Tolo TV, a popular channel aired everything from exposing corruption to warlordism to Afghan versions of Candid Camera and American Idol. Several media persons were killed but that did not stop the enthusiasm of the news hungry Afghanis.
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