<p>Ahmad was enrolled in the Back-to-School program and this was the first time he had any formal education. Five days a week, Ahmad came to Skateistan to learn reading, writing and maths. His favourite lesson is Dari because knowing how to read and write means he can express himself better.</p>

<p name="a224">As part of the Back-to-School program, students also learn about some extra topics to help them in their lives. This includes lessons on hygiene, safety and living healthily. They also did a lesson about peace which Ahmad found really useful. In this lesson, they talked about what peace meant to them. Their Educators helped them to express their hopes for the future of their country and also helped them to see how the idea of peace can be applied to their own lives, for example in solving conflicts with friends or between siblings. Before moving to Mazar, Ahmad had seen a lot of fighting and he found it helpful to imagine and talk about what peace in Afghanistan could look like. He also learned some skills for keeping things peaceful in his own life:</p>
