In their mother tongue, Afghans call orphanages «Ashyana» which means «Bird’s nest». Ashyanas offer a new and safe home to orphans and half-orphans. These children lost their mother or father in the war, due to poverty or illness and in addition they are also burdened with terrible experiences in their young lives.  Some half-orphans live with their remaining parent at an Ashyana. It is mostly the mother who is faced with stark poverty once the husband has died. In Ashyana mothers of these children support the orphanage by working with them.

Living together in an Ashyana is similar to living in a large family. The children consider each other as brothers and sisters and look after one another. In this way the older children look after the younger ones and the younger ones in turn look after the youngest amongst them. The day starts with a wake-up call in the morning, carries on with giving support with homework right up to sharing the meals.

The children attend the state school nearby, starting from the age of seven right up to university entrance qualification. The classrooms are often doubly occupied – with two year levels. One year attends classes in the morning, the other year in the afternoon. On the other half of the (none-attendance) day, children are taught by teachers at the orphanage in sports, theatre, anthropology, painting, cooking or even knitting. They attend computer courses and also have additional intensive English lessons.

The children actively help with house work such as cooking, washing or cleaning and thus prepare for a more or less independent life. In order to fulfil all these tasks, the children get up at half past five each morning. If there is spare time left at the end of the day, they do sports such as volley ball or football or they play instruments, sew and knot.