What We Do

Charmaghz is the largest chain of Mobile Libraries for children in Afghanistan. We operate 17 Mobile Libraries, including 7 Bus Libraries and 10 Van Libraries, to welcome children into a safe, supportive, and creative environment. While visiting our Libraries, children are supported to build basic literacy and numeracy skills, but also to engage in art activities, have an open-mind, think critically, and to develop a love of reading. Across all of our activities, we utilize trauma-informed approaches that support children to process the distress and grief that nearly every Afghan has experienced. Since 2018, Charmaghz’s Libraries have been visited over a million times over half of visitors are girls.

We work in some of Kabul’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, where many children are facing extreme poverty, discrimination, and the fear of attacks on schools. Despite these barriers, families value and recognize the critical importance of education, and we are committed to supporting their children. Our mobile libraries are staffed by trained Librarians (100% of whom are women), who also conduct community-outreach activities to reach local leaders and families with key messages on the importance of literacy and education.

The Book Lending Program allows children, especially girls, to borrow books and enjoy reading at their own pace from home, fostering a lifelong love for learning. Our collection includes a diverse range of books in Dari and Pashto, along with other carefully selected learning materials that help children explore new stories, ideas, and perspectives. Since its launch, the program has seen great success, with over 6000 borrowers,  majority of them girls. This initiative ensures continued access to education and encourages a deeper engagement with reading beyond our Mobile Library visits, providing a valuable resource for children to explore new stories and ideas in their own time.