TIKA continues to be lifeblood with water wells drilled in Afghanistan   

Two water wells were drilled to Balkh Bastan and Ustad Vicdan High Schools in Mazar-i-Sharif of Balkh province by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). 

TIKA continues its supports in education in Afghanistan. 

With Balkh Bastan and Ustad Vicdan High Schools in Mazar-i-Sharif of Balkh province, almost 120.000 people have been getting benefit from totally 40 deep drilling water wells in Northern Afghanistan since 2005. TIKA made 120 meter deep drilling water wells, water tanks with 6.000 liter capacity and 10 faucets in Balkh Bastan High School and Ustad Vicdan High School respectively with 2400 and 3000 students having an education in Mazar-i-Sharif of Balkh province for children to get a better education in healthy conditions; and after a ceremony, services in these schools were presented to students to have drinking water.  

Consul General of Mazar-i-Sharif Mr. Mustafa Erdeviren, Director of Economy Department of Balkh Province Mr. Abdul Rahman Samadi, Minister of Education in Balkh Province Mr. Maulvi Abdul Aziz Azizi, TIKA Coordination in Mazar-i-Sharif Mr. Kemal Kadir Karadoğan, Deputy Coordinator Mr. Fuat Erdoğmuş, Manager of Balkh Bastan High School, teachers and students attended the ceremony.

Stating that they, as Turkey, attached great importance to development of education infrastructure in Afghanistan and water is vital importance in people’s life, Consul General Erdeviren said: “I believe that these contributions will lead to take brotherhood between our countries and nations much further.”
TIKA Coordinator in Mazar-i-Sharif Karadoğan told that one of the biggest problems in Afghanistan is education and TIKA put into practice a large number of projects to solve the problem. 

Noting that school manager told students drink salty water and requested TIKA to drill water well for students to drink clean drinking water before when TIKA donated tables-desks to the school and told they solved the clean drinking water problem with the water well opened today, he told that they also drilled another water well in Ustad Vicdan High School in Mazar-i-Sharif and they made 2 opening ceremonies there at the same time. Remarking people living around the school will also meet fresh water need, Karadoğan gave information about on-going TIKA projects in the province. 

Director of Economy Department of Balkh Province Abdul Rahman Samadi told in his speech at the ceremony that there are religious and cultural bonds between Turkish and Afghan community, friendship and relations between Turks and Afghans will last forever; and also stated that TIKA carries out useful services in numerous fields such as education, agriculture, culture and health and the drills will increase profitability of education in the schools. 
Wishing the water wells will give luck to all students and teachers, Minister of Education in Balkh Province Maulvi Abdul Aziz Azizi also said this support solved a big part of problems in the school. Expressing his gratitude to Republic of Turkey and they will never forget this help any more, he said friendship between two countries going back a long way has been getting stronger with these supports day by day.