In Badghis Province, Afghanistan, childhood is being shaped by hunger, loss, and impossible choices.
We had nothing before. My grandmother wanted to marry me off to a man who already had two wives. He was the same age as my father.Khatera, 15.
Empowering young people through vocational training in Badghis, Afghanistan
With support from the UK government through UK Aid Match, young people are gaining skills that help prevent child labour and early marriage.
For young people like Khatera, poverty is not just about lacking food or money. It puts their safety, education and future at risk. Across Afghanistan, economic collapse, climate shocks and the return of displaced families have pushed millions to the brink. In 2026, an estimated 21.9 million people, including 11.6 million children will require humanitarian support.
As household incomes disappear, children and young people are increasingly exposed to harm. Families with no safety net are forced into desperate decisions. Reports of child marriage have risen sharply, with adolescent girls married to adult men as a last resort.
“I was not happy or willing to accept that marriage,” Khatera says.
Child labour has also become widespread. Boys like Mohammad, 17, are pushed into dangerous work to support elderly parents and younger siblings, often across borders.
We had many economic problems. I didn’t have a job, and my father and mother were elderly. So I was compelled to go to Iran. I went there, but was later deported.Mohammad, 17.
To respond to these growing risks, War Child and our partners run vocational training programmes for young people in Badghis. Apprentices learn trades such as tailoring, embroidery, carpentry, leatherwork, motorcycle repair and hairdressing. Young people are learning practical skills that allow them to earn an income, stay safe, and build hope for the future.
This project was made possible through UK Aid Match, where every pound donated was matched by the UK government.
From October 2024 to September 2025, 150 apprentices took part, and they were taught by skilled professionals from their own communities.
One of those mentors is Hajera, who opened her tailoring centre 12 years ago. Before teaching, she attended training on child protection, effective teaching and business skills, alongside other mentors.
The seminar covered professional skills, marketing and related techniques, how to support children, and how to teach them effectively. Some of the topics were related to child protection.Hajera, mentor.
“The seminar covered professional skills, marketing and related techniques, how to support children, and how to teach them effectively. Some of the topics were related to child protection.” Hajera, mentor.
Across Afghanistan, an ongoing ban on secondary education for girls has left 2.2 million teenage girls out of school. The impact on girls’ mental health, safety and future opportunities is devastating.
War Child Project Manager Gulshan Suhrabi explains that vocational training offers one of the few remaining pathways for young people, especially girls, to keep learning and earning.
Across Afghanistan, an ongoing ban on secondary education for girls has left 2.2 million teenage girls out of school. The impact on girls’ mental health, safety and future opportunities is devastating.
War Child Project Manager Gulshan Suhrabi explains that vocational training offers one of the few remaining pathways for young people, especially girls, to keep learning and earning.
Right now, in Afghanistan, one of the few effective opportunities for young people is vocational training, because schools are mostly closed, and students, especially girls, cannot attend classes. This helped prevent child marriages in some families. It also prevented children from engaging in hard labour.Gulshan Suhrabi, War Child Project Manager.
Families also became more aware of the dangers of illegal migration.
“Importantly, families stopped sending their children to work in Iran or Pakistan illegally,” Gulshan adds.
For Mohammad, this change has been life altering. He is now a trainee barber in Badghis. “I’m not planning to go back to Iran anymore,” he says.
Vocational training does more than provide short term income. With skills and confidence, young people can open small businesses, support others and strengthen their communities.
“A trained individual can start a production unit, a small workshop, and support other girls in the village who were unable to attend school,” Gulshan explains.
Khatera has learned traditional Charma Dozi embroidery, tailoring, leather sewing, and beadwork. She now earns an income sewing and selling clothes, helping to cover household costs and buy school supplies for her brothers.
Her dream is to open her own tailor shop and teach others.
“Tailoring has become everything for me,” she says. “I want to become a well known tailor in my community. And I would like to teach students as well.”
War Child has worked in Afghanistan since 2002, but the need remains immense.
“If these projects do not exist, we must consider that there may no longer be a future for children,” Gulshan says.
Right now, millions of children in Afghanistan are fighting to survive without education, safety or opportunity. But with the right support, more young people like Khatera and Mohammad can build skills, earn an income and choose their own futures.
“We hope that they will grow up in a peaceful environment, with brilliant futures, and have access to their basic humanitarian needs,” adds Shafiullah Shahab, War Child Project Manager.
