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The
Paradox of Kabul |
Posted:
10.18.06
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Nick Steiner, 18, spent part of the summer of 2003 teaching English
to street children in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Now a college freshman, Nick aims to dispel misconceptions about
the war-torn country.
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 By
simply watching the news, it is easy to see Afghanistan as a backwards
nation stricken by war; politically unstable and economically
fragile. Stories of suicide bombings flood the news, and images
of injured Afghans fill the television screens, giving an impression
of complete devastation.
But I've seen a country that the news does not show, rather,
it cannot show. I've seen a country whose people's hearts and
attitudes defy the country's situation; that one can only see
by experiencing firsthand, as I have.
During the summer of my sophomore year of high school, I traveled
to Afghanistan with my parents to teach at Aschiana, a school
for street children aged 7 to 16, that survived the Taliban regime
and continues to thrive with support from international charities.
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Meeting the
school children |
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As I taught English at Aschiana, my father taught Photography
and my mother filmed the classes and the happenings in the school
yard.
The head of the school, Engineer Mohammad Yousef, was kind enough
to allow the three of us to stay in a room in the school building.
Engineer Yousef explained that Aschiana students were fed one
meal each day by the same cook that made three for my family.
In most cases, that one meal was the student's only source of
food.
Despite the students' hardship, in the classrooms, I saw something
very foreign to me: enthusiasm for learning.
One young student, named Yawar, followed me wherever I went,
to practice his English, but he had other motives. At the end
of my term, Yawar asked if he could come to the United States
with my family -- he assured us that his parents were okay with
it.
Other students were captivated by the simplest of lessons: letters,
numbers, days of the week and some photography vocabulary to help
them in the class my father taught. The students participated
without instigation, and generally saw school as a privilege instead
of an obligation. I believe this was the case because the children
recognized that education could help bring them a job and help
them provide for their families.
The school building was very simply constructed without much
aesthetic value; however, it was surrounded by green plants and
flowers, giving the school the mood of a sanctuary.
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Afghan culture |
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The summer days were hot and dry, and the girls wore clothes
that covered most of their bodies, making the heat much worse
for them. But they played sports with the boys during gym class,
painted art, and did everything the boys had the privilege of
doing. This was in itself was great triumph, considering girls
were denied education under the Taliban.
Engineer Yousef explained that women did not have to wear burqas
-- as was required under the Taliban -- but they did anyhow as
protection from lascivious men. I saw the girls' dress code as
part of centuries-old Afghan tradition, not as an inconvenience
or as a means of oppression.
The students, girls and boys, showed nothing but optimism while
they were in my class despite the disagreeable environment outside.
Not far away from Aschiana is complete devastation.
In West Kabul, the once majestic road to Darulaman Palace is
now a long stretch of destruction. Buildings in the area, like
Darulaman Palace, are coated with bullet holes, and many areas
are off-limits because of land mines.
But downtown Kabul is as energetic a place as I have ever been.
The large number of cars -- most abundant of which were the taxis
-- reminded me of New York City. There was an abundance of farmers
as well, selling their goods to the citizens of Kabul. And lots
of shops, hotels and restaurants operated with brisk business.
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Seeing a
future for Afghanistan |
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I don't know what my students did once they left the classroom,
but the children I saw in Kabul were either sitting by the street
begging for money or selling cheap wares like dictionaries.
It is hard to understand what the citizens of Kabul have been
through, but it is clear how terribly everyone has had to live
because of war. And therein lies the paradox of Afghanistan, invisible
to a television viewer, but obvious to a visitor. Kabul is truly
a lively place, where optimism stretches from the streets to the
classroom.
If the young students I taught at Aschiana represent Afghanistan's
future -- hopeful, eager, proactive towards life -- then I have
hope that Afghanistan can flourish and develop into a stable nation.
--
Nick Steiner, 18, is a freshman at Georgetown University in Washington,
D.C., where he plans to focus on international studies.
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I think we've been witnessing violence for years, whether in reality through the media or through video games, and I don't think that's a first-hand effect.
