Iranians trek up snowy mountains for access to online learning

BABKHALAWE, Iran  — A lack of internet access in some remote parts of Iran have left many without access to their school and university classes put online to combat the coronavirus pandemic. 

Nazdar Afshang, who lives in West Azerbaijan province’s village of Babkhalawe, has been giving online classes on her phone outside in the cold of winter. 

A lack of internet in her village has forced her to trek up a snowy mountain for better reception.

A video showing her commitment to her students has gone viral on Iranian social media.

“Due to quarantine and coronavirus restrictions, we are forced to teach online and on Shad TV channel. Because our village does not have internet service, I have to walk this snowy road every day to teach my lessons online,” Afshang told Rudaw on Tuesday.

Iran, a country hit hard by COVID-19, has moved classes at schools and universities online in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. However, students in parts of the country with less services are suffering from the decision.

“We don’t have any supplies. So far, I haven’t studied anything. We don’t have the internet needed to access the programs,” Awin Haidari, a student from Babkhalawe, told Rudaw on Tuesday.

Some students in this village have had to drop out of school due to their inability to participate in classes.

“I have been failing, because I did not attend the classes. Even if I want to attend the classes, I’d have to climb the mountain or travel to the town, which is very difficult for me,” university student Behnam Afshang said.

Hundreds of the Kurdish villages in Iran do not have internet access, making online learning just another systematic obstacle for the ethnic minority.

Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed