Journey of FALL 2015 HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE

Girls’ Education We’ve come far, but there is a long way to go

by Greg Mortenson

Writing for change Afghan women pen a new destiny for Afghanistan Life by Lori Noack Lessons Play and innocence in time of war by Hannah White A walk in their shoes by N.H. Senzai

Journey of

HOPEANNUAL PUBLICATION OF CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE VOLUME IX | FALL 2015 | CENTRALASIAINSTITUTE.ORG

In this issue: 2 Life lessons: Play and innocence in time of war 7 Students, not brides 8 When disaster struck Gulmit 9 Writing for change: Afghan women pen a new destiny for Afghanistan 12 Getting a head start 15 Girls’ education: We’ve come far, but there is a long way to go 21 Message from Greg Mortenson 22 Letter from the chairman 23 Ask, don’t tell: The recipe for change 29 Literacy in a box: Educating a whole community 30 Hibbard Elementary School learns a little gesture Cover: A student smiles during class at the Central Asia Institute-sponsored Imamabad Primary School in Hunza, can have a big impact Pakistan. Opposite page: On the outskirts of Kabul, a young girl 32 Anyone can build a school, few build relationships. listens to her teacher. Part of the nomadic Kuchi tribe, her That makes all the difference. classes take place in CAI-provided tents. Inside back cover: A young girl plays outside the CAI- 37 Education and community action: An antidote for sponsored vocational center in Ishkashim, Afghanistan. terrorism Back cover: Atta Abad Lake in Pakistan, which was formed when a landslide blocked the flow of the Hunza River in 40 A field report from Pakistan 2010. 44 Construction complete: Rukut classes move inside ahead of winter 46 HER: Hope. Educate. Rise. Photos by Erik Petersen 48 A walk in their shoes ALSO INSIDE

KID’S SECTION: Games and activities for the whole family

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 1 LIFE LESSONS: PLAY AND INNOCENCE IN TIME OF WAR BY HANNAH WHITE

small group of girls huddle around TOYS AND TANKS the games played by boys, like cricket, or play a pile of pebbles on the ground. At home, legacies of former empires with boys at football and volleyball.” Their rubber shoes squeak as they serve as substitute playground equipment. That’s not usually the case these days. shiftA position, one girl’s hands poised over the Abandoned long ago, T62 tanks, rusting and You’ll frequently see girls spiking a volleyball stones. They are playingchakore , as the game gutted, become forts and hideouts for the over a tattered net or tossing the cricket ball is called in the local Burushaski language. children in the former Soviet Republics and from a makeshift pitch. And the girls hurry to With the tip of her tongue sticking out, reminders of the decade-long Soviet-Afghan school in the morning, just as quickly as the the epitome of concentration, the first play- war. Options for games are usually much bet- boys, hoping to squeeze in a little playtime er tosses a pebble into the air. Quickly she ter at school, though still sparse. before class. grabs a stone from the pile on the ground Few schools in the regions where Central While they don’t have recess, when school and catches the pebble she’s tossed before it Asia Institute (CAI) works have surplus in- lets out in the afternoon many children drag hits the dirt. come to purchase toys or playground equip- their feet; no one is in a rush to get home She exhales deeply. Her nimble fingers ment. Occasionally, if they are lucky, they can to chores and homework. Ignoring grum- flutter in excited expectation as she shifts her scrimp together enough money to buy a few bling stomachs — lunch is not usually eaten feet, inhales, and throws the stone again. This dolls for the young children and balls for the at school, except in the case of some young time she swipes two stones from the pile. older kids. children in Early Childhood Development The ritual is repeated again and again — Volleyball, badminton, cricket, and soccer programs — they will stay after class and play three pebbles, four pebbles, five pebbles — are favorites in all three countries served by trippa, a game where kids push a flat stone until eventually her small hands slip and she CAI. In some places girls enjoy card games with their feet, or hide and seek, a universal isn’t able to grab the flying pebble in time. with cards made out of old notebook paper, childhood favorite. Active games like these Her turn is over. and in Azad Kashmir students like to play the are important in this region where it is cold The little girl next to her moves into po- board game Ludo, known to us as Parcheesi. for much of the year. The activities help the sition, readying herself to beat the leader’s At one school in Tajikistan, there are two children burn excess energy and stay warm at score. old Soviet-era slides. On their breaks, the the same time. Sitting in the dust, scarves falling around 320 students jostle for their turn, coming up their shoulders, worries forgotten, the girls with creative ways to shoot down the worn NOT KIDDING AROUND could be anywhere — Europe, the U.S., or metal surfaces. The importance of a few moments set Africa — playing a friendly game of jacks, as In Hushe, Pakistan the colorfully painted aside for play every day is apparent when you we call it. primary school boasts some modest equip- see the smiles on these children’s faces. But This particular game is being played in the ment, and several CAI-supported schools arguments in support of playtime run much Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. have volleyball and badminton nets. deeper than those toothy grins. They do not use a rubber ball and metal “Most of the games are same as I played Play is crucial to child development. game pieces to play as children in the U.S. with my friends,” said Dilshad Baig, CAI Medical practitioners and psychologists tout might. Instead they use what is available to women’s development program director in the many benefits, saying it allows children them, stones. Pakistan. “But we were not allowed to play to develop “their imagination, dexterity, and

2 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE A group of girls jump rope at their home near the Vanqala School in rural Tajikistan. physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.” zones particularly, learning to share, negoti- and the Taliban, hundreds, if not thousands, Unstructured, child-directed play is espe- ate, and resolve issues peacefully can be the of landmines were buried in and around the cially important. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, for difference between life and death or a dark town. the American Academy of Pediatrics, writes: future and a bright one. Today, white Vs painted on rocks mark “Undirected play allows children to learn School playgrounds become refuges from the place where mines were buried and re- how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, the violence that surrounds children raised moved. From a distance, some hillsides to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advoca- amongst bombs and bullets. appear to be pieces of abstract art, a sort of cy skills. When play is allowed to be child- “The school is the only secure place grisly herringbone pattern etched in white driven, children practice decision-making for playing,” says Wakil Karimi, CAI- paint. skills, move at their own pace, discover their Afghanistan country director. “Kids are Posters meant to help children identify own areas of interest, and ultimately engage afraid of landmines or violence outside of and avoid mines are plastered on the local fully in the passions they wish to pursue.” school.” school’s walls and in 2006 a walkway was Play is an escape from social conditioning The people of Lalandar know this all too constructed from the town to the school. The and training. It allows children the unfettered well. Located on a thoroughfare used vari- concrete path is a memorial to Gul Marjan, a freedom to roam, invent, fail, and adapt, all ably by Soviets, Afghan guerrilla warriors, young boy who died when he was just 14 af- on their own terms and with no particular ter stepping on a landmine. In his excitement timeline. to attend the new village school, he herded Nowhere is this more important than con- “Play is often talked his goats to a vantage point on a nearby hill to flict zones. get a look at the school construction. Adults about as if it were a relief said they heard an explosion and rushed out- WAR GAMES from serious learning. side to find Gul Marjan very badly hurt. He When concerned with eking out a living, died of his wounds several hours later. scrounging enough food and money togeth- But for children, play In 2013 alone, landmines were respon- er to support a large family, and surviving in a is serious learning.” sible for 1,050 deaths in Afghanistan — country that is plagued by seemingly endless nearly half of them were children. Many violence, play hardly seems like a priority. – Mr. Rogers more deaths and injuries undoubtedly go Yet, for children in conflict areas and war unreported.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 3 Free of landmines and secure behind bar- would have gone about their daily routines rier walls, school playgrounds can be sanc- — saying their prayers, eating with family, tuaries for children looking to play without playing with siblings — never suspecting fear of death or injury. horror was about to invade their lives. Even so, children are still pulled into the Then, in a moment, everything would world of adults and exposed to things no change; their childhoods interrupted by gun- child should have to experience. shots. So delicate, innocence rarely survives such an experience, even if the child does. INNOCENCE ENDANGERED What should be a joyful, carefree time, On December 16, 2014, in the deadliest absent adult concerns, is for these children, terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history, seven condensed to a few fleeting moments of rel- gunmen stormed the walls of a Pakistan Army ative freedom between birth and premature Public School in the city of Peshawar. adulthood. Looking to inflict the maximum number Children raised in warzones grow up of casualties and bearing automatic weapons, Ludo, from the Latin “I play,” is a board quickly. They have to. the gunmen moved purposefully through game played with two to four people. Zainab, a CAI scholarship recipient, is in the school compound toward the auditori- Each player has four tokens and with the ninth grade and lives in Kabul with her um where students were gathered to begin each roll of the die, tokens are moved mother, grandfather, and three siblings. She first aid training. Many students were gunned clockwise around the board. After wants to be a doctor. down, while others reportedly were corralled going once around the board with a “[She] is very ambitious girl and want to and forced to watch brutal executions of token, the player can move that token be a doctor in future to serve the wounded teachers and administrators. up their colored path toward the people who have no hope for life,” her moth- An Army Special Forces unit responded in center. To enter the center, and thus er said. force to the incident. Over the next few hours win the game, a precise roll is required. But Zainab’s desire to serve is not reserved snipers and commandos systematically took The game is common around the world. solely for the wounded. She wants to help her control of the compound, but not before 145 Other names for it include Parcheesi, own family as well. people, 132 of them children, were killed. Sorry!, Aggravation, and Trouble. A few years ago, while working in one Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) — an Islamist mil- of Afghanistan’s most volatile provinces, itant group based out of the Pakistani tribal Zainab’s father was killed disarming land- areas bordering Afghanistan — later claimed mines. Up until that point, he had been the responsibility for the attack, explaining it was family’s sole provider, the only one with any in retaliation for a Pakistani military opera- real earning potential. Zainab told CAI that tion against the group in North Waziristan now she feels it is her duty to provide finan- earlier that year. cially for her family. “We targeted the school because the Army She is 14 years old. targets our families. We want them to feel The pressure placed on boys and girls, by our pain,” said TTP spokesman Muhammad themselves and their families, to become Omar Khorasani in a phone interview with breadwinners can be immense and shocking news agencies. to people unfamiliar with the situation. In war and conflict, children frequently get In a 2014 Journey of Hope article, “Lost caught in the crosshairs, paying the price — Childhood”, CAI reported: sometimes the ultimate price — for adult “An estimated 30 percent of Afghan chil- aggression. dren are forced to work every day to help Witnesses to extreme violence, civil chaos, support their families. Some are orphans, and personal tragedy, children learn modern or their families’ breadwinners were killed warfare spares no one. The devastating effects or disabled during the past 35 years of war. of this kind of exposure include physical inju- Others reflect the economic reality: In a ries, mental impairments, displacement, and country where roughly 70 percent of the death. But there are many other consequenc- population is illiterate and the average per- es, less apparent, but no less damaging. son earns only $570 a year, according to UNICEF, there is an unspoken expectation GROWING UP TOO SOON that children will pitch in to help feed their Before the Waziristan operation against the families. Child labor is a reality everywhere TTP and the Peshawar school attack, children Central Asia Institute works.”

4 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE edged the importance of play at the have the luxury of a four-star gym or a for- Convention on the Rights of the mal recess period at school. Those boys and Child. In a resolution of the 1989 girls living in remote mountain villages can- conference, the body recognized play not pop downtown and pick up the latest “it” as a critical and necessary compo- game at the toy store. nent of a child’s development, and Children in Central and South Asia do not declared it a fundamental right of ev- take play for granted. ery boy and girl. Play is an escape from violence, fear, and tragedy that pervades the lives of many of the children growing up in remote, impover- “If you want creative ished villages. It is a brief moment of respite workers, give them from the drudgery of daily chores or the backbreaking task of earning money to feed a enough time to play.” family of ten or more. Play helps them learn, – John Cleese develop, and make sense of the world around them. Though disguised as games and gaiety, While at first glance it may not play should not be discounted as an educa- seem like jumping rope and kicking a tional tool. After all, Albert Einstein once ball should receive the same level of said, “Play is the highest form of research.” Even if a child is lucky enough to avoid protection under the law as the right But perhaps TV personality Mr. Rogers such a fate, they are expected to contribute in to life, liberty, and security, there are many said it best: other ways, such as doing chores or looking worthwhile reasons for protecting it just as “Play is often talked about as if it were a after siblings. In either situation, the child is fiercely. relief from serious learning. But for children, left little time for leisure. play is serious learning.” LESSONS LEARNED OUTSIDE To the outside eye, the little girls playing PLAY IS A RIGHT, NOT A LUXURY THE CLASSROOM with pebbles in the schoolyard may have Children living in poverty, belonging to Education does not exclusively take place looked to be doing nothing important. the working class, or those exposed to vio- in a classroom. Perseverance can be learned But if we approach it in a different way, if lence face insurmountable obstacles growing more easily, some might argue, on the back of we tilt our heads just so, maybe we can see up. Benefiting fully from play is an obstacle a bike than it can from a textbook. that they were actually deeply engrossed in rarely discussed and almost never spotlight- Health gurus tell us to take time out of learning, acquiring in an enjoyable way, im- ed in the news. our busy schedules to work out, release portant knowledge and skills for tomorrow’s However, the United Nations High stress, and focus our minds. Children in challenges. Commissioner for Human Rights acknowl- Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan don’t As it turns out, play is no laughing matter. n9

Hannah White is the CAI communications FIRST DAUGHTER director. She came to by Shahida Bozeman by way of I am Shahida Sister to four smart kind brothers and a beautiful little sister Dubois, Wyo., where she worked for two seasons First daughter of parents proud all their children will be educated as a wrangler at the I hear how well my teacher speaks English I see how fast my friend Bitterroot Ranch. Before Maryam types and I wonder if I will succeed in my own life I am Shahida coming out West, she was communications I worry about being a good student I dream that I am a professor coordinator for The Constitution Project, a teaching mathematics I could be a cancer doctor I am Shahida bipartisan policy organization in Washington, I feel if my grandmother and grandfather are fine, I will be happy D.C., and communications and development associate at Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers I cried when my father was sick I try to understand and help my for Human Rights in Washington, D.C. friends when they are sad I am Shahida White holds a master’s degree in Middle I dream that I can touch the sky and fly like Harry Potter I hope Eastern studies from the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in to be a leader in the future I am Shahida anthropology, sociology, and archaeology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 5 STUDENTS, NOT BRIDES

6 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE STUDENTS, NOT BRIDES

BY HANNAH WHITE

alander Village is situated in the Char help them build one. While the school was access to much of the outside world. Asiab Valley, a rural area south of under construction, Saida would daydream The girl, who once bravely confronted a Kabul, on the road to Kandahar. The about her three brothers leaving for school foreign man to plead for an education, was Lvillage is surrounded by dusty hills, whose and working on their homework. She was summarily silenced and locked away, with lines and form please the eye. Rocky out- envious of their good fortune. no hope of continuing her education. crops lining the way to the village, beautiful But Saida would have no cause to be en- This is the reality for many girls. Married in their austerity, still bear the scars of bat- vious, as misfortune after misfortune struck at a young age, they are completely reliant tles fought some twenty years ago. The road her family. All three of Saida’s brothers died on the sentiments and goodwill of their new had been used by mujahedeen (guerilla-style unexpectedly — one boy was killed in a car family. All too often, their wedding day sig- combatants), fighting the Russians. accident; another contracted an infectious nals the death of their education. “When you get to Lalander you can see disease, likely typhoid, and passed away; and Early marriage is an epidemic in the it was bombed relentlessly by the Russians, her oldest brother, Gul Marjan, was just 14 region where CAI works. According to time and time again, even after there was years old when he stepped on a landmine UNICEF, 21 percent of Pakistani women nothing left to bomb,” Greg Mortenson while herding goats. are married by the time they turn 18. In remembers. The family’s world was turned upside Afghanistan, that number is even higher at Sun-faded posters designed to help chil- down. 40 percent. Sadly, some young women, like dren identify and avoid landmines are plas- And though the deaths were devastating, Saida, become child brides long before their tered on several of the buildings. White Vs some good did come from it. eighteenth birthday. Sometimes they are as — reminders of the unseen danger, dormant Committed to saving other families from young as 6 years old. but still deadly, all around the village — are experiencing such grief, Faizel sought out These girls and young women, barred painted on boulders in every direction, mark- training and began work as a de-miner. And from education, will never know their true ing the locations of now-neutralized mines. Saida, with her father’s blessing and a schol- potential. This is where Saida grew up. arship from CAI, was able to go to school. The only way to end the vicious cycle of Like that of the village itself, Saida’s story She took to her studies with the eagerness inequality is to change the sentiments sur- is one of adversity. As a little girl she wanted of a girl who realized the opportunity she rounding women’s education. Only when nothing more than to go to school. She told had been given. An avid student, she moved societies realize the great harm they do Greg Mortenson this when he visited the vil- to Kabul after fifth grade to live with relatives by restricting women’s access to knowl- lage in 2005, fearlessly tugging on his shalwar and attend middle school. edge, will there be meaningful, sustainable kameez (a traditional shirt and trouser out- Then, when she was just 15 years old, Saida change. fit) to get his attention. But her father Faizel caught the eye of a prominent police com- “It is our duty to make sure that other wouldn’t allow it and told her school was no mander. He demanded Saida marry his son. girls do not suffer the same fate as Saida,” place for girls. The man had money, a house, and influ- said Jim Thaden, CAI executive director. At the time, Lalander had no proper ence, so Faizel felt he could not refuse. Saida “She could have been a doctor, a judge, or school. But a jirga (community meeting) had was pulled out of school, sequestered in her a politician. She could have changed the been called and village elders asked CAI to new husband’s family compound, and denied world. Now we’ll never know.” n9

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 7 WHEN DISASTER STRUCK GULMIT BY HANNAH WHITE

Villagers gather at Atta Abad Lake, which was formed when a landslide blocked the flow of the Hunza River in 2010. Photo by Ellen Jaskol

he water of Atta Abad Lake in livelihood, Naila, her parents, and her again. She describes her time in school: Pakistan, is chalky and an unnatural ten siblings became Internally Displaced “I was the student of commerce and it was shade of teal. It was formed when a Persons (IDPs). my desire to become a businesswoman,” she Tmassive landslide tore down the mountain- For the young woman interested in com- said. “I had a great time in college life with side, blocking the Hunza River in 2010. merce, this development was devastating. my friends [and] after completing my inter Steep slopes, hydrological conditions, and She had gone from a comfortable mid- F.A. [high school exam] with good marks I seismic activity all contributed to the natu- dle-class life to having no home, no income, came back to my home.” ral disaster that killed 20 people, destroyed and no hope for an education. Naila was able to finish 11th and 12th several villages, and blocked a huge swath of “It seems impossible for me to continue grades with the scholarship from CAI and the Karakorum highway, effectively cutting my studies because there was no[t] any other went on to get her bachelor’s degree. She off the valley from civilization. source of income,” she said. “Completing my now is teaching at a government-funded One of the villages affected by the slide studies was left like an incomplete dream.” primary school in the Ishkoman Valley of was Gulmit, home of Naila Hameed. Naila’s Understanding the seriousness of the sit- Gilgit-Baltistan. family had lived in the village for generations uation Naila didn’t have the heart to ask her Naila says she is extremely grateful for growing potatoes and fruit, which they sold parents to spend what little money they had the opportunities afforded to her, without to pay their children’s school fees. on her education. She still was attempting which she would not have been able to con- But, in a moment, everything Naila’s fam- to come to terms with the situation, when tinue her studies. She is a vocal advocate for ily owned was lost as their fields and crops her parents heard about CAI. The institute education. were buried or flooded. had learned of the disaster and was offering When asked why she felt that education Newspapers reported the landslide dis- scholarships to girls in the area. To Naila’s was a right every person should have access placed an estimated 6,000 people, and that great joy she was selected, along with fifteen to, she quoted philosopher John Dewey: an additional 25,000 were stranded when other girls, to receive financial aid. “Education is not preparation for life. the highway was destroyed. Suddenly Naila, who had been a happy girl Education is life itself.” With the destruction of their home and before the tragedy, was smiling and laughing At CAI, we couldn’t agree more. n9

8 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE e all have seen numerous newscasts of Afghan women victimized,W marginalized, violated, and stoned. And yet, after fourteen years of hearing these stories about Afghan women, flattened into one-dimensional, burqa-clad victims of violence, how often have we heard the voices of Afghan women themselves? What do we know of the complexities of their hearts and minds? When have we heard, first-hand, what they want? WRITING FOR CHANGE: AFGHAN WOMEN PEN A NEW DESTINY FOR AFGHANISTAN------BY LORI NOACK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AFGHAN WOMEN’S WRITING PROJECT

I want to speak from my future. many of them educated in “secret schools,” or foreigners leave. But myself is ready to fight I want to tell you how tired I used to be at home by their fathers during the Taliban with any kind of challenges…even if my life of the hardened earth and darkened sky, years. Some left Afghanistan to live as refu- is under threat. I never give up.” of watching a father sell his daughter for gees during one of the extended wars with That “never-give-up” spirit is prevalent in money… Russia, the muhajadeen (guerilla fighters), or the writers’ poems and essays, even when Let me talk, I said. Do not force my with the U.S. in 2001, and later returned to they write of their despair. AWWP provides silence… Afghanistan. AWWP writers are an eclectic them a vehicle to develop and share their I want to speak, speak and speak. group from different economic levels and voices, and they run with it, offering us their — Leeda tribal ethnicities who share one thing in com- inimitable model of perseverance, of finding 1 mon: They have come to believe in the power beauty in the most unlikely places, and can- Leeda is one of more than 300 Afghan of their voices and are committed to fighting did conversation about surreal situations that writers who are encouraged to speak for a revolution that starts from within, no mat- simply must be dealt with. themselves through the global platform ter the consequences. “We have threats. Yes, 1 of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project we do,” one author said in a casual tone, when I woke up one morning– (AWWP). Participants are girls and women asked about Taliban intimidation about their with a happy feeling. who grew up in villages across the country, writing. “And we will have more when the I woke up happy to go to school.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 9 I saw my Blue Burqa next to me, ready for me to wear to school. These girls and women t My happiness crumbled like dust under my feet. are fighting with their I said to myself… The day will come when I can go to school pens against entrenched hen the rule of law freely and repressive traditions functions properly, the Suddenly I saw a child that restrict womens’ ba- Wgovernment, individuals, wishing I could be a child again, and private entities are accountable that I would not get older. sic rights and freedoms... I wished for freedom. under the law. The laws are applied I said to myself … “And then I came to AWWP and you told evenly, justly, and without bias; they Freedom will come by education me I can write my pain. You explained how are well defined, publicly known, and I put on my Blue Burqa. to set my thoughts on the page,” she said, stable. In such a way, the law is able to I went to school. moving her hand as she spoke. “My pen effectively protect fundamental rights. — Tamana W. began to write my stories, and as I let them 1 go on the page, the pain, it moved from my The rule of law is the greatest defense These girls and women are fighting with head down through my arm, then my hand against tyranny, oppression, and their pens against entrenched and repressive and onto the page. I wrote and I wrote and violence. Who would not want to put a traditions that restrict women’s basic rights for the first time since I can remember, my stop to such things? and freedoms: The right to have a voice; the head it does not hurt.” freedom to practice self-expression and to That is the kind of change a woman takes feel its transformative power. They are silent home to her family and her friends, likely But if you are unable to read, you can feminists in a life and death battle where the changing her presence in the community. never know if your rights are secure. daily struggle is for survival and, by compari- Hers is the kind of story that keeps us forg- How could you? If I am illiterate, son, peripheral concerns fade. ing ahead despite the ongoing difficulties in- someone can tell me that I have the After a monthly writing workshop in herent with the situation in Afghanistan. In right to free bread every morning or Kabul, we asked several writers to share their our work, while we aim to validate the spirit that I do not have the right to vote, thoughts on the mind-mapping exercise used and voice of Afghan women one by one, we that day, or on AWWP in general. One wom- also empower our writers with the oppor- and I might believe them because an, her bright green scarf carefully framing tunity to share stories on behalf of illiterate I cannot read the law for myself. If her worn face, lit up when she was asked. She and disabled women who don’t enjoy the you cannot read, you cannot hope to began talking, in very broken English, about luxury of literacy. understand your rights, evaluate a the pain the she had carried in her head for With digital recorders in hand, Manizha, politician’s platform, or protect your as long as she could remember: physical pain Majabeen, Malalai, and several other writers family and property. You cannot rely on from emotional and psychological fatigue. have ventured out to new neighborhoods “Every morning I wake up and the pain fills and villages to record the voices of these others to defend you. You must take my head. I have seen too many people hurt or women as part of the AWWP quarterly Oral your education into your own hands. It killed. There is too much loss,” she said (my Stories Project. When Fatima visited recent- is the only way to ensure justice. paraphrase). ly with 35-year-old Goolsboshra, a widow in Kandahar, she asked her, “What are your hopes and wishes?” Goolsboshra told her, — Anisa Rasooli, former nominee for the (in Dari), Afghanistan Supreme Court, head of the I want to know if Afghan women have rights Afghan Women Judges Association or not. It is the story of our life. Our men say to us, ‘You are women. If you go out of the doors of the house, we will cut off your head from your body’… You came to us to give us this chance, to ask and answer and to find what is in our hearts. Our hearts are full of what? They are full of pain and labor. Our hope is you can collect our ideas and you can raise our voices.

10 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE Goolsboshra, like many of the women interviewed in the ten series published to date, talks about the limitations caused by illiteracy. They speak of the signs and med- icine bottles they cannot read, the jobs they cannot get, the forms they cannot fill out, AWWP MISSION: and the helplessness that keeps them de- The Afghan Women’s Writing Project pendent on others. Literacy is not our fo- was founded in 2009 in defense of the cus at AWWP, but we are daily reminded of human right to voice one’s story. The the importance of groups like Central Asia empowerment of Afghanistan’s women Institute that pour great effort into programs creates possibilities for economic that will empower people and, like AWWP independence and instills leadership writers, enable them to bring positive abilities as it reinforces freedom of change to Afghanistan. Because there are speech. The aim of the organization 1 so many illiterate women, our Kabul office is to nurture, educate, and carry the takes the recordings of the interviews and Peace will not come soon to Afghanistan. voices of Afghanistan’s women to the produces radio broadcasts centered on these But if we all can carry out the work that is world, while offering readers unique oral stories. They are part of our monthly right in front of us, change will come. In our insights into Afghan culture. broadcasts to tens of thousands of women in case, it will come one voice at a time. Pari of- Afghanistan, inspiring them with the possi- ten writes of her desperate pain in heart-rend- bilities of what a woman can do. ing poetry and she describes the power of Online writing workshops partner 1 writing with hope and strength for the future: international writers, educators, and Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Writing began for me as an escape from my journalists with English-speaking wom- by Masooma burqa… With my pen and notebook, I had a en in seven Afghan provinces. Poems secret place where I gave myself freedoms that and essays are published each week at Yesterday my sister was afraid of going were forbidden to me. I expressed my thoughts, awwproject.org. outside, a woman whispering on the page, and described Today my sisters are going to school, the needs I saw in Afghan society. I talked about And tomorrow they will work outside of taboos and I broke them with my pen, my sec- the home. ond Voice — I began to see myself as an Afghan Yesterday my sister was stoned. woman writer, a powerful being with enough te- Today she is studying to be a doctor, nacity and courage to meet life’s challenges. Follow the AWWP icon throughout And tomorrow she will save a life. [When reading pieces by my peers] I heard this publication to read poems by Yesterday my sister’s dream was to have a voices no longer hidden under burqas. I felt participants. book. power and bravery in the words and I was Now she is in the library, strengthened. I became proud and hopeful for And tomorrow she will write the book. the future of Afghan women and of the litera- Yesterday my sister looked at the world ture we will write. The views expressed in this article are exclusively those through a small window. We found the courage through the Afghan of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Today she sees the world through her Central Asia Institute. Women’s Writing Project to write what an camera, Afghan woman is not allowed to say… We And tomorrow the world will see every are the women of Afghanistan. thing through her documentaries. Lori Overgaard In their writing workshops, Afghan wom- Yesterday my country’s women had no Noack is a non-profit en speak up and write down what they have strategist specializing in rights. been told not to say, despite fears of reprisal. development of strong Now they are fighting for their rights, organizational vision and Without support and opportunity from orga- And tomorrow they will have the same structure, with a focus on nizations like AWWP and CAI, the women rights as men. connecting stakeholders. of Afghanistan are restricted severely in their She has more than 20 Yesterday my country was a desert. ability to influence and drive social change years experience in non- Now my brothers and sisters are planting in opposition to the violent extremism they profit leadership and arts management. She trees, is executive director at the Afghan Women’s live with every day. Their choices now may be And tomorrow, in this garden together, we Writing Project where she has worked for three limited, but there is no stopping the power of years defending the human right to voice one’s will live in peace. the pen. They are writing to change.n 9 story.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 11 GETTING A HEAD START BY HANNAH WHITE

ahbuba Qurbonalieva is in her it is the perfect time for them to learn. They NECESSARY AND 30s and wears her hair conser- are like sponges soaking up knowledge.” vatively, tied back in a ponytail As the country director for Central Asia CONSTRUCTIVE Mwith the shorter ends tucked behind her Institute-Tajikistan (CAIT), Mahbuba ears. She is not a big talker, but when she understands the importance of education The World Bank reports Tajikistan’s does say something her words are chosen in a child’s life, especially during the early population is close to 8 million. carefully and delivered with confidence. childhood period. Her gaze has power behind it, though you The years before children start school Additionally, several million people, will never hear her acknowledge it. Instead are crucial to their physical, cognitive, and mostly men, are estimated to work she’ll casually wave her hand, as if she were emotional development. Mahbuba has outside the country. Residents of brushing the comment aside. Any air of au- seen it firsthand in her many years working one of the poorest nations in the thority she might possess, she’ll tell you, with CAI to promote education. comes from her being the mother to two “Neurological research shows that the world, Tajiks frequently look for small children. early years play a key role in children’s brain employment in neighboring countries Her young boy, age 5, and little girl, age development,” Mahbuba said. “I believe such as Russia. With so many men 3, are a lot of work. Always on the move, that high-quality education and care of the gone, mothers sometimes are left it is difficult for their mother to contain or very young is crucial for development of focus their energy. But Mahbuba knows the whole child and the future adult.” to raise children alone. Childcare is that they will slow down and grow up soon Many experts extol the benefits of Head essential for many of these women. enough. Start programs and endorse a holistic ap- Consequently, early childhood “Children grow so quickly,” she says. proach to education, citing the potential development programs are popular “One day I will blink and they will be positive impact it can have on a person’s with mothers who have children adults. But now is such an important time physical, social, and emotional health in their lives. They notice everything, are throughout their life. between the ages of 2 and 5. curious about everything. It may not look The World Health Organization like it, because they never sit still — could (WHO), for example, reports healthy early never sit at a desk or read a big book — but childhood development (ECD) programs

12 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE w

“strongly influence well-being, obesity/ ers had mostly been trained many years ago had ever done this before. He promised his stunting, mental health, heart disease, without refresher courses, their resources support. competence in literacy and numeracy, and were outdated, and they had limited access Programs with better-trained caregivers criminality,” among other things. to any new developments in ECD curricula. and teachers inarguably are more effective. ECD programs have been available in This was no surprise to Mahbuba. With In 2014, in collaboration with the Institute Tajikistan for many years, dating back to its dire economic circumstance, nearly 80 of Professional Development, Mahbuba and the Soviet era. However, the programs more percent of Tajikistan schools are in need her colleagues implemented the Tajikistan often resembled daycare centers than edu- of repair, new textbooks must be devel- Early Childhood Development Vocational cational programs. More recently, the Aga oped and published, and teachers are in Program, geared toward training GBAO kin- Khan Development Network and Ministry high demand as complicated certification dergarten (kindergarten is interchangeable of Education in Tajikistan developed ECD requirements continue to cause prob- with ECD in Tajikistan) teachers the latest in curricula and early childhood development lems. Before Tajikistan became indepen- early childhood development methodology. centers, but the centers held classes only a dent, three years at a pedagogical school From November 2014 to August 2015, few times each week and had limited capac- counted as higher education, qualifying almost all 83 kindergarten teachers from ity for student enrollment. Consequently, individuals to work as teachers. That is GBAO attended the 12-day training course many children were denied access to ECD no longer the case. Individuals with this organized by CAIT and its partners. programs, and those who had access only educational background must now under- Confident that ECD teachers were re- participated in incomplete programs. take two additional years of schooling to ceiving better training, Mahbuba’s next task As a mother of two young children her- be certified instructors. was to ensure the training techniques were self, Mahbuba knew a change was needed. Mahbuba wanted to initiate a new program being implemented and that children were On behalf of CAIT, Mahbuba contacted that would give more children access to qual- benefiting. She decided to visit one of the the Educational Department of Gorno- ity early childhood development programs. largest kindergarten buildings in GBAO, Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), In order to do this, she needed permission Kindergarten #5. She was happy to see that in the region of Tajikistan where CAI works. from Gharibshoev. When approached with the teachers were in fact using the new meth- Gharibsho Gharibshoev, then head of the the idea, he was extremely happy with the ods of teaching, and the 320 children in the department, informed her that ECD teach- prospect of helping Mahbuba, saying no one program were happy and engaged in lessons.

Early education in Tajikistan

Grades levels differ from the U.S. system. Children do not typically start school until they are 6 years old, but can be enrolled in ECD programs, or kindergarten, as young as two.

Kindergarten/Early childhood development programs Ages 2 to 5

Primary: Class 0 – 4 Ages 6 - 11

Middle: Class 5 – 9 Ages 11 - 15

Secondary: Class 10– 11 Ages 15 - 17

Mahbuba Qurbonalieva, country director for CAI-Tajikistan.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 13 w

to go to school and would beg that their parents see their toilets,” she said. “Now, Kindergarten #5 has an education sys- tem with new methodology. The toilets, To My Teacher kitchen, and windows now meet building by Nelab standards. The children are happy to have toilets, basins, new kitchen sinks, and hot You are the star in my sky. Alone In the water.” blue sky However, Mahbuba isn’t going to stop You gave me courage to fly. When the there. She has requested funds for a bound- Taliban broke my wings And broke ary wall to provide a safe playground for my heart the boys and girls. She also is in the plan- You were there to guide me. You told ning stages of the second phase of the ECD me Try! If you try, you can fly! training for instructors that will begin in When they left me along the highways November 2015. You took my hand And changed my life. With Mahbuba’s passion, drive, and de- You showed me The meaning of being termination she will complete an entire a brave lady. model project for an early childhood de- You taught me How to work for velopment center that other partners and liberty, How to be human and support CAI grant recipients can easily duplicate in other humans. the future. Like a candle, you have freed me At CAI, we believe that all children have from darkness. the right to an education. That is our main focus. We also believe that all children However, during her visit to Kindergarten have the right to be raised in an environ- e e e #5 she noticed a terrible smell from the toi- ment that allows them to reach their full lets in the facility. potential in life. Why I Write “The smell was so bad that it was difficult The ECD teacher-training program and the by Hila for me to breathe,” she recalled. “On the work done to bring Kindergarten #5 up to the When I am unaccompanied When I feel way to my office, all I was thinking about latest standards align with this belief. The chil- weak Disappointed When I have been were the children who have to stay there all dren have access to modern, safe facilities; offended I write day and breathe that bad smell.” their teachers are versed in the latest early When I feel hurt Lost Tired of life I write It was cause for immediate concern with childhood development practices; and oth- Mahbuba. The conditions of the facility ers soon will be following in the footsteps of When I feel scorn Can’t find a shoulder to cry on Or feel lonely I write created an environment that was not con- this groundbreaking endeavor. Now it is up ducive for teaching or learning. How could to the children to grow and learn to the best When I can’t open the door to success this holistic ECD program truly be success- of their abilities. We hope this will give them When I get scared When I can’t find the ful if everyone — teachers and students a head start in life. n9 light I write alike — was distracted by the conditions of When I hear the stories of my sisters I the building? hear they’ve died Married too She submitted a grant request to CAI-US young When I hear the cries of children to repair the toilets, kitchen, and windows in the street When I know something is of the building. The grant was approved. wrong Subsequently, one block of the building was And I can’t help I write completely repaired. Repairs included the I write of my pain, my broken heart My removal of lead paint, installation of a new goals and my feelings Writing is my sewage system, fixing a leaking roof, and medicine I will lose my strength other structural improvements. A second block of the building is under construction. and the stunning world that I create for Mahbuba reports that the impact of CAI myself in my writing support is significant. If I fail to tell my stories of struggle I will “Before improvements were made, par- lose myself ents reported their children did not want

14 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a community.” African proverb GIRLS’ EDUCATION: WE’VE COME FAR, BUT THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO

BY GREG MORTENSON

n the late 1990s, Khalida Darwar, a girl in the ultimate ‘force multiplier,’ which yields Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal areas Hussaini — a farming village in Pakistan’s huge dividends in all categories: socio-eco- is determined to be a jet pilot. Hunza Valley — put on a freshly ironed nomics, health, population, sustainable food Iand spotless school uniform for the first time. production, delaying marriage and ‘child- THE THIRST FOR EDUCATION IS Then, in the shadow of snow-covered Shispar bride’ practices, political awareness, and PALPABLE Peak, the excited 5-year-old girl skipped and much more. “I was nothing, just the refugee daughter of ran down the steep trail for her first day of Most important, girls’ education gives a poor widow, in a country that did not want school. women a voice and moves them out of a me, and from an Afghan home where many Little did Khalida know that she was a subjugated world of illiteracy, isolation, and people were killed,” Farishta, a CAI scholar- pioneer, or that her enrollment in school ignorance to connect them with a global so- ship student in Kapisa province, Afghanistan made her one of the lucky ones. At the time, ciety. Educated women have the awareness told me this summer. “The only freedom I UNICEF estimated 131 million children in and power to make their own decisions and had was education, and my heart is happy ev- the world were unable to attend school due choices. ery time I study, and inshallah (God willing), to gender bias, exploitation, slavery, and The first wave of women educated in CAI- someday I will be a university professor of human trafficking, among other things. Yet supported schools went into teaching and English.” there she was, high in the fabled Hindu Kush nursing. More recently — thanks to great- Mountains, on her way to becoming the er exposure, awareness, and role models first-ever female agricultural scientist in her — CAI female scholarship students have remote and impoverished village. pursued a host of subjects including law, She unwittingly had become part of the medicine, computer technology, engineer- unstoppable revolution in girls’ education. ing, psychology, economics, accounting, As CAI celebrates nearly two decades of journalism, politics, Islamic studies, foreign service to the rural communities of Pakistan, languages, business, literature, art, music, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan through literacy and education specialties such as special ed- and education, I am convinced now more ucation, administration, and early childhood than ever that the most powerful force of development (ECD). Some have aspirations change in the world is girls’ education. to serve in the military, be police officers, Girls’ education is, in military parlance, and one young woman from Waziristan in

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 15 Pakistan, for example, never has al- located more than three percent of its gross domestic product to education in its 68-year history. By comparison, Nepal dedicated almost five percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to education last year, and Cuba about 13 percent. Unless the world heeds Malala’s call to invest in pencils and books rather than bullets and bombs, we will remain trapped in a vicious cycle, fighting the by-products of illiteracy, ignorance, and isolation.

“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai

The shortage of money means gov- ernment teachers are often underpaid The growing awareness that education, not to support her family that Khalida decided to (or in extreme cases never paid at all); build- war, is the ticket to a better future in these study agriculture and farming. ings are nonexistent, shoddily constructed, impoverished, conflict-ridden countries is or poorly maintained; and even the most embodied by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani WHERE WE’RE FAILING basic supplies —such as textbooks and chalk schoolgirl shot by the Taliban in 2012 in This year, we watched in awe as the NASA — never make it to the schools. retaliation for her work advocating for girls’ satellite ‘New Horizons’ flew by Pluto. It That’s not to say people haven’t tried to education. She now is 18 years old, received sent crystal-clear photos 4.67 billion miles change the odds for girls. the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, and is headed back to earth. At the same time as the Pluto At the turn of the 21st century, when for Stanford University. photos arrived on earth, UNESCO released Khalida was still in elementary school, sever- Her determination and articulation of the a report declaring that — tragically — 124 al dozen men (yes, only men) met in a base- dire need for girls’ access to education con- million children still are not in school. ment room at the United Nations (U.N.) in sistently inspires a global audience yearning Why is it that, in the 21st century, even New York City to create a 15-year strategy to for a better world. though we have nuclear bombs, can land on address the world’s most pressing problems. “Let us pick up our books and our pens,” Mars, and fly by Pluto, we still are unable to Their work led to the universally embraced she said. “They are our most powerful weap- provide every child with an education? Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), ons. One child, one teacher, one book, and It is hard to fathom that we live in a world which were approved in September 2000, one pen can change the world.” where, according to a 2012 World Literacy at the U.N., and the world’s largest gathering Khalida, like Malala, has faced many ob- Foundation report, nearly 800 million peo- of world leaders. The MDG goals includ- stacles. Her journey is especially remark- ple are unable to read and write. More than ed: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; able given the odds against her. Both her half, or 510 million, are female. achieve universal education; promote gen- parents were illiterate farmers. Her father, One major reason for this problem is that der equality; reduce child mortality; improve Ghulam, died when she was young and several countries choose to spend exorbitant maternal health; combat HIV, malaria and she worked hard, balancing her studies amounts on their militaries to the detriment other diseases; ensure environmental sus- with backbreaking chores to keep the fam- of their under-funded education budgets. tainability; and develop global partnerships. ily alive. But even in the most difficult of Although a global investment of an addi- By the MDGs completion date in 2015, times, her mother, Shah Bibi, insisted that tional $22 billion each year would allow ev- some of those goals were met — extreme she continue her education. Education ery child in the world to go to school, coun- poverty was reduced; child mortality rates kept the lamp of hope lit in Khalida. tries instead have opted to pour money into decreased dramatically; maternal mortality She persevered. And it was while she was arms with a global military budget that is dropped; and more people than ever have toiling in the fields to produce meager crops roughly $1.8 trillion. access to clean water and sanitation.

16 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE But the MDGs goal to achieve ‘education sanitation and toilets, good lighting, suffi- cabbage, carrots, mustard seed, cherries, for all’ faltered. A few countries, including cient boundary walls and security to ensure mulberries, apples, pears, and apricots. My Rwanda, Vietnam, and Bolivia, had success- the girls are safe, well-trained and caring brother, two sisters and I did almost every- fully improved access to education, but the teachers, and parents who believe in educat- thing — planting, weeding, fertilizing, irri- number of girls out of school in the world has ing their daughters and sons. gation, cutting grass, picking fruits, canning, increased since 2007. The dropout rate for And change is happening, albeit slowly. and making jams.” girls after puberty remains extremely high, “It is easy to get girls in school nowadays When Khalida first began school, her vil- and access to higher education is still just a from when I first started 15 years ago, but lage had no cellphones, Internet, electricity, dream for tens of millions of people still some problem to keep some girls in or television. Soldiers at the military post school,” said Mohammed Nazir, Central Asia down the hill could communicate with the Educational Trust (CAET) field director in outside world, but that was only for emer- MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT Baltistan, Pakistan. “Sometimes girls, when gencies, she said. GOAL SUCCESSES reach marriage age, their father wants to However, there was a school, thanks to the CHILD MORTALITY: Declined from marry them [off], or not allow them to go in laudable efforts of the Aga Khan Foundation school with boys. But slowly, inshallah, it is (AKF) starting in the 1980s. And the girls at- 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.9 million changing for better.” tended right alongside the boys. deaths in 2015, according to the Today, world leaders are again tackling the Khalida does not remember her first day of World Health Organization. issue of universal access to education, this school. Unlike many American children who time as part of the Sustainable Development have “first school-day” photos, there was no Goals (SDGs). That small group of men camera to document the occasion. After the India-Pakistan partition in 1947, meeting in the basement was replaced with What Khalida does remember are the joy the first Pakistan census in 1950 found the hundreds of people — including women and excitement she felt that day. She said she overall literacy rate in Pakistan was 14 per- — who surveyed government officials, strat- had a habit of waking up early, about 5 a.m., cent, according to UNESCO. Sixty years egists, and local communities to develop eagerly anticipating going to school. She did later, in 2014, the Pakistan Economic Survey a new set of 17 goals and 169 target areas. her morning chores of collecting firewood reported Pakistan’s literacy rate at just 58 per- Unlike the top-down MDGs, the SDGs are and water, and then ate a simple breakfast of cent, far short of the 88 percent MDG target. designed to embrace and enhance global chapatti (thin unleavened bread) and sweet And tragically, the literacy rates for women partnerships, community-level participation, milk tea before skipping off on her 30-minute and girls — especially in rural areas — is as and government involvement in pursuit of hike to school. low as 23 percent, according to UNICEF. practical, realistic, and sustainable goals. More alarming, girls’ education has been “Education is not the filling of a more targeted around the world recent- FARMER DOCTOR: ONE GIRL, ONE- pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ly. Recent tragedies include the murder of GENERATION REVOLUTION — William Butler Yates 12 children at Escola Municipal Tasso da Khalida still has a handful of years to go Silveira school, Rio De Janiero, Brazil in April until she is a “farmer doctor” (Ph.D.), but 2011; the Taliban’s 2012 attempted murder there is nothing that will stop her. She has the of Malala; the terrorist group Boko Haram’s support of her family, but also of her village, kidnapping of about 300 high school girls in which has consistently encouraged her quest northeast Nigeria in 2014; multiple incidents to achieve her noble goal. of poisoning and gassing Afghan school- Kahlida is well suited for agriculture stud- girls; hundreds of girls’ schools bombed in ies. “We grew up in a paradise farm, with Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the two buckwheat, barley, potatoes, spinach, herbs, bombings of CAI schools and murder of CAI school headmaster Ghulam Farooq in Kunar TEACHABLE MOMENT province; and the ongoing horrific rapes, ab- The Sustainable Development Goals ductions, and attacks on girls and women by ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq. are an excellent opportunity for The only way forward is to keep invest- students, teachers, and parents to ing in girls’ education. The colossal hurdles be aware of what is being planned posed by family, culture, government, eco- on vital issues that will affect nomics, and logistics seem daunting. Yet we generations to come. know what it will take to clear those hurdles: a steady supply of female teachers, adequate https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 17

“Both of my parents were illiterate and there was no functioning school building in time on my studies, and stay in a safe hostel poor farmers; we say ‘diqunish’,” she said in a her village, so she had to walk, regardless of with other motivated women, who inspire phone interview from Gilgit, Pakistan. “Even scorching heat, sandstorms, hail, rain, and me to work even harder with education.” though my father Ghulam was not educated, snow, to Al-Amyn Model School in Gulmit “Khalida is hard worker, which she he was wise and practiced sustainable, organ- village, 90 minutes away. She did this for sev- learned from farming, and (a) top student,” ic farming long before most other people. eral years. says Saidullah Baig, director of CAI-Gilgit. Both my parents were determined their chil- Through diligence and hard work — jug- “She also loves sports and playing cricket. dren get education. Later, my father became gling up to 12 hours of chores during the day But mostly she is a humanitarian who wants fauji [army soldier] so he could have money and studying in the dim light of a kerosene to make the world a better place.” to support us through school. lantern at night — Khalida scored high on “Khalida is an exceptional student and “The first year in school was one of the her high school matriculation exams. Some one of our more hard working stars,” says happiest years of my life. Then, when I was friends told her that a nongovernmental Najma Najam, former KIU vice chancellor. 7, some soldiers came to our village with my organization named Central Asia Institute “We are excited she is paving new grounds father in a coffin with a Pakistani flag, and was offering to help the brightest and most in a profession typically reserved for men.” we learned he had become shaheed [mar- deserving girls with university scholarships, Khalida will graduate from KIU in tyr] and died. For a week, I tried to be brave and subsidized room and board. She applied, December 2015, and finish her thesis in ag- as many people came to our house to offer was accepted and enrolled in the agricul- riculture by March 2016, but she says it is duas [prayers], but at night I could not stop ture and food technology degree program at only the beginning. weeping, as my father meant everything to Karakoram International University (KIU), “Next, I want to go to a number one ag- me. Then my mother, Shah Bibi, told me to in Gilgit, the Hunza provincial hub. riculture university, hopefully in America channel my sorrow into my studies, because “Allah blessed me much, because without or Europe, and learn about sustainable agri- that is what my father wanted most for me.” a scholarship I would have to stop my studies culture, organic farming, and soil science,” When Khalida reached secondary school, and go home,” she said. “Now I can focus full- she said. “But most of all, I want to help end

18 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE hunger and poverty, and give women more In the years after 9/11, while most of the alyzing the government and a new strategic independence and economic power through news focused on war, violence, al-Qaida, and plan. In the interim, anticipated foreign fund- agriculture.” the Taliban, a quiet and successful revolution ing fell woefully short, and tens of thousands was underway as the country saw the great- of foreign troops withdrew by December THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD est increase in school enrollment in modern 2014, causing national security to begin de- Global studies consistently prove that in- history. teriorating significantly. vesting in girls’ education yields huge returns However, a severe lack of funding, teach- In May 2015, John Sopko, the direc- across the board, from socio-economics, er shortage, ongoing violence, and access to tor of the Special Inspector General for health, and population control to delaying education present significant challenges for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the marriage age and decreasing violence. Afghanistan’s future. gave a speech entitled “Afghanistan Most important, education gives women Although a significant teacher shortage Reconstruction: Fact vs. Fantasy” at Weill a voice and the power to make their own exists in Afghanistan, there are few actual Cornell Medical College. In it, he remarked decisions. job openings for new teachers. New teachers that even for all the U.S. effort, education often need connections or an inside track to in Afghanistan is not a priority. He told the ‘’Men do not live only by fighting get a job. The government has limited or no audience that in Afghanistan since 2001, evils. They live by positive goals.” funds for the additional 28,200 teachers who the U.S. has spent $700 billion for military — Isaiah Berlin, historian and philosopher are needed to educate Afghanistan’s approxi- operations, $8.4 billion for counter-narcot- mately 8.2 million students. ics and opium eradication, but only $768 With help from countless international Education also has been impacted by poli- million for education. This is to say, approx- partners over the past 15 years, Afghanistan tics, ongoing corruption, and lack of foreign imately only one dollar out of each hundred has made huge strides in enrolling children in interest and funding. The Afghan elections dollars the U.S. put into Afghanistan went to school, from fewer than one million in 2000 last year unfortunately ended in a contested education. in school, to 8.2 million in 2014, including dispute between the two top vote-getters: more than three million girls, according to Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. In KEEP REACHING The World Bank. October, with the encouragement of the U.S. Fozia Naseer, who is the CAET (Central However, there remains a critical shortage and Secretary of State John Kerry, the leaders Asia Education Trust — Pakistan affiliate of of buildings, training, revenue, and access to opted to form a “unity government.” CAI) director in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), educational materials and support. Several Soon after, a power struggle ensued, and is the first locally educated female attorney of Afghanistan’s 200,000 teachers went on the appointment of ministers and a full cabi- out of several million people. She has degrees strike this past summer, protesting their low net took up to nine months to complete, par- in law, political science, and education. She pay — about $120-200 monthly — one of the lowest teacher salaries in the world, and that teachers’ pay is often delayed by months. “Although teacher pay and train- ing is our top priority, we simply don’t have the money,” Kabir Haqmal, a spokesperson from the Afghan Ministry of Education told me this summer.

AFGHANISTAN A SUCCESS STORY, BUT STILL A LONG WAY TO GO Afghanistan has been at war or in conflict since the Russian invasion in 1979, and al- most two generations do not know what it is like to live in peace. The country is land- locked, arid, and isolated; it is frequently wracked by natural disasters, ethnic, sectar- ian, and political strife; and is at the cross- roads where civilizations and more than a dozen empires have waxed and waned. “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” — Allan Bloom Hussaini village, Upper Gojal, Pakistan

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 19 spent an additional two years at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., to fur- ther her training. After 2010, she returned to her home in AJK to help support two dozen CAI schools in the region, and be a leader and role model for the next generation of hundreds of girls continuing on with secondary and uni- versity education. “My education was long and difficult, and for many years I did not have a father to help support me, but I never gave up. I was very lucky to realize my dream to be a leader and lawyer,” Fozia said by phone.

Beggar of Education by Shogofa

I am beggar of education. Khalida Rahim and fellow Hunza Student Federation classmates visit Naltar Valley, in northern Pakistan (2015). My hands strain to reach a book and pen. My eyes look for peace, “Now I want to share and give back what plan to land on Mars in 2030, which is the My feet wait for a way to school. I have received in education, and want ev- same time the U.N. SDGs aspire to have I don’t want money or a comfortable life ery girl to have the gift of education, so achieved universal education. I don’t want to give up, don’t want they have a voice. It will make her family, Both are incredible goals. Yet, what good is to cry from disappointment and sorrow. community, and country stronger. It will it if a man or woman can step on Mars if mil- I am beggar of education. Help me. make them better. When girls know about lions of children here on earth still can’t read I will fight against poverty and illiteracy the importance of education, it will be or write their own names, much less spell Mars or find it on a chart of the planets? My gun will be a pen and book passed down from generation to genera- tion, and it is happening now.” As a civilization, we have accomplished a Stop telling me, “No.” Like Fozia who also lost her father, lot in the realm of education over the past two Stop ignoring me, saying I can’t do it. Khalida is fiercely dedicated to helping decades. But, there is still a long way to go. With an education I could build my her family and village. She took a short Resolutions and declarations are meaningless identity in this society. break from school this fall. She took time without action. We must resolve to act now, Don’t tell me to turn back now. to harvest the fields, till and prepare the and work hard until the day that all children I am halfway to my goal. Don’t make it soil ahead of winter; and care for her around the world can join hands and shout pointless. family. “Zero,” meaning that there is not one child on With an education I could be more. Khalida and Fozia represent millions of earth deprived of education. Don’t hate me, don’t beat me individuals who became the first literate, We can’t stop now. We need to keep reach- Teach me a new word, teach me another educated members of their communities. ing for the stars. n9 way. Their success is a huge leap forward and Education is my one treasure, they are blazing the trail for generations of my only power. Don’t take it from me. women to come. But as the U.N. Sustainable Development With an education, I can have my life. Goals are launched in 2015, we cannot forget “A jewel cannot remain in the ashes.” Help me. the 124 million children left behind. Their Laal pah eero ki na pataigey fate and access to education could largely de- — Pashto proverb termine the future of global society. Humans

20 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE MESSAGE FROM GREG MORTENSON

Dear Friends,

Asalaam-o-Alaikum (peace be with you). This letter is to share with I also will continue in graduate school with social impact studies. At you that I will no longer be a Central Asia Institute employee or board home, I will cherish more time writing, working in the garden, and director after January 21, 2016. sharing long-overdue, precious time with my family, relatives, and friends. To all the CAI team (past and present), board directors, overseas affiliates, and, most of all, our loyal supporters and the dear The organization is now in a good place, with the assets, resources, communities we serve, thank you for the journey of a lifetime. And and good people at home and abroad to move strongly into the future. thank you for all your incredible support to make the dreams of hundreds of thousands of eager children and people come true. But Thanks to all of you, the thousands of generous and caring people the journey does not end here. who helped CAI along the way, on this incredible journey of hope, education, and peace. Please continue to support CAI as it provides My transition to new beginnings next year is with happiness, renewed those we serve with the gift of a lifetime, the gift of education and strength, and a now healthy heart. With CAI, I will independently literacy. support the organization as a strategist, statesman, and relationship builder, and spend more time in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, With my profound respect, thanks, and love, to write about and share the inspiring stories of CAI’s important work. Greg Mortenson CAI co-founder Personally, I plan to simply remain a humble servant of humanity, continuing to search for solutions to child slavery, girls dropping out of school at puberty, female illiteracy, violence against women, Ko ar qadr ke beland basha, baz am sar-e khud ra dara and early marriage — especially in areas of conflict or in cases of However tall the mountain is, there’s a road to the top of it. displacement, as with refugees. — Pashto proverb

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 21 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear Friends, It is with great respect and our heartfelt wishes for his continued success, that we announce that CAI co-founder Greg oMortenson, o will retire ino January 2016o after nearly o 20 years of inspirationalo service.o o o o More than two decades ago, Greg pioneered the “books not bombs” global movement. Since then he courageously has implemented community-based programs related to literacy, education, health, and vocational training in some of the most impoverished,o remoteo regions oof the world. oThis work haso inspired manyo others ando he ardently continueso this owork today. Many thousands of girls and boys have been able to attend schools because of his lifetime of humanitarian efforts. We all are very grateful for his tireless perseverance in the pursuit of his belief, and ours, that education is the shortest and surest path to peace. oAlthough o Greg will beo retiring as botho an ex-officio o member o of the CAI boardo of directors o and a CAIo employee, heo will continue his active relationship with CAI. We look forward to his wise counsel on issues where his insight, experience, relationships, and unique skills in international project development can be brought to bear. Greg’so numerous o accomplishments o will beo acknowledged o and celebrated o throughout o 2016, as CAIo looks backo on its accomplishments and outlines plans for the future. A tribute to him will be included in next year’s Journey of Hope. We also hope to host a gala this coming summer in recognition of Greg’s many years of service. I know I speak on behalf of the board and all of the friends of CAI when I wish Greg all the best in the next 20 years as ohe continues o to champion o essential humano rights, o especially ofo girls and women,o in Central o Asia and aroundo the world.o Sincerely, Steve Barrett Chairman,o Boardo of Directors o o o o o o o

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Students take notes in the CAI-sponsored Sykomal Girls’ Middle School in Ishkashim, Afghanistan. ASK, DON’T TELL: THE RECIPE FOR CHANGE BY JIM THADEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE

early 20 years ago, Greg There often was little or no central or pro- PEACE LEADERS: FRONT-LINE PART- Mortenson and a handful of vincial government presence in those early NERS MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS like-minded partners were days. Nearly all governance emanated from Working — as CAI often does — in re- working to promote peace the village elders or district officials. Among stricted, prohibited, or semi-autonomous Nand education in the isolated and un- the contrast of the beautiful, snow-capped border areas presents certain challenges. derserved mountain regions of Pakistan. mountains and abject poverty at their bases, We have the honor to serve these areas, Though Greg already had worked in the these were the days of our passionate CAI and the governments of all three countries area for several years prior, 1996 marked leaders forming valuable relationships and — Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan — the first time he was doing so on behalf of listening rather than telling: usually over a graciously have allowed CAI to function in the nonprofit organization Central Asia cup of tea. these often-remote areas. However, recent Institute. But over the last two decades since geo-political events have made ongoing As is the hallmark of our work to this day, CAI’s inception, the voices of the central operations more sensitive. Consequently, Greg and his partners carefully listened to and provincial governments in Pakistan, locally sourced, on-the-ground resources the people whom they sought to serve, and Afghanistan, and Tajikistan steadily have have become that much more essential to worked alongside them to bring literacy grown in the rural regions. And while dif- the success of our mission. and education to individual villages. This ficulty in effecting change in the regions Having grown up and lived most of their approach of listening to the people’s needs we serve by no means has disappeared, our lives not far from the villages they now and responding in ways that invited col- work continues to be carried out through serve, our project managers have their fin- laboration, rather than telling them what thoughtful listening, intentional collabora- gers on the pulse of regional life, and re- CAI thought they needed, was the “secret tion, and supporting our local CAI partners spond quickly and efficiently in the case of sauce” of our success. on the ground. an emergency.

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Recently Janagha Jaheed, manager of CAI MSSRO is just one of many organizations typically are called for decision-making partner organization Marcopolo Social that CAI partners with to provide services purposes. In Pakistan these communi- Services and Reconstruction Organization overseas. Like MSSRO, Star of Knowledge, ty-based committees are known astanzeem ; Central Asia Institute-Afghanistan, Central in Afghanistan the meetings are referred to as Asia Educational Trust, Central Asia jirgas. If an important business matter needs Trust and relationships Institute-Gilgit, and Central Asia Institute- to be discussed — such as the building of a are key aspects in Tajikistan, all deliver customized, propor- school — everyone gathers together, and the tionate programs and resources to the peo- issue is decided. doing business anywhere, ple who need them most. Trust and relationships are key aspects but they especially are Today, our small but growing interna- in doing business anywhere, but they es- tional workforce of dedicated partners pecially are important in Central Asian important in Central are identifying and distributing improved cultures. A friendly face goes a long way in Asian cultures. teaching tools and more flexible and adap- situations such as this. tive early childhood development, literacy, Empowering local decision-makers does education, and vocational training pro- not mean CAI cedes control of the finan- (MSSRO), did just that. Placing himself in grams. These tools and programs help CAI cial purse strings, program caliber, or the harm’s way, Janagha delivered supplies and deliver hand-tailored solutions to local quality of construction projects. On the ensured the safety of staff in Badakhshan, communities based on the residents telling contrary: it allows CAI to pinpoint where Afghanistan as the Taliban moved in and us what they need. And it is all about build- money should be spent; tailor programs took control of the region. ing relationships. to specific needs; and encourage local en- Thirty hours, three flights, and a three- Staff in the U.S. can’t simply send an gagement, which typically translates into a day drive on rough roads stood between email to village elders whenever we need to sense of ownership. CAI-US staff and those projects. Even if coordinate on a project. Few elders in these Our core methodology always has been we hopped on a plane as news broke that far-flung villages are literate, and even few- to listen to the community, work with its militants were heading that direction, we er have computers or Internet access. Thus leaders, and gain the support of the entire never would have made it in time to help. we have to build relationships in person. community before building a school and We were grateful for Janagha’s quick action. In tribal societies, community meetings implementing health, literacy, education,

I HAVE BEEN IN THEIR SHOES BY DILSHAD BAIG, CAI-GILGIT WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

I am a CAI beneficiary, same as those of the teachers I train today. were very tough. I gave birth to my first son but in a different sense. While in the village, I also took teacher’s in the back seat of a jeep en route to the Working as women’s de- training and did not struggle after that. Later health facility; there was no medical facility velopment director at CAI- I was employed formally as a teacher and in our village. The closest one was 10 miles Gilgit has been a source continued with a career in teaching wherev- away. I nearly died of post-partum bleeding. of personal fulfillment for er I went. I am pleasantly surprised that the Motherhood didn’t prevent me from car- me, and a means for me students I taught remember me as a compe- rying on with my education and I went on to to help my people and tent teacher. complete my graduate studies. In 1999, Greg community. After work, I spent time training women Mortenson visited the vocational center that Like most girls from my village, I was mar- in the village how to sew and embroider at I had set up. He got George McCown, now ried after high school at the age of 17. At a community center. We used its kitchen. I a CAI board member, to donate generous- that time I moved to my husband’s village. managed to acquire six sewing machines ly, and the center is now in his wife’s name. It was very remote, approachable only by a from the district government and the lo- This is how I got involved with the CAI and rutted jeep track. cal council for our training program. In the continued working with it as a volunteer. In There was only one teacher at the village’s summer, there were still daylight hours left 2012, CAI offered me a position to mobilize only school. When he went away for train- to work in the fields after teaching sewing women, which I felt was my calling. ing, the village elders insisted that I take his lessons, so I harvested potatoes and wheat, CAI has given me the opportunity to help place. I volunteered at the school from noon and took care of livestock. improve my people’s condition, for which I until 4 p.m. most days, and taught whatever There is a hard time in every woman’s life, did not have the resources myself. I can em- little I knew. I never had taught before and memories of which can make her break into pathize with those I work with because I have my capacity and capabilities were much the tears. My 10 years in my husband’s village been in their shoes.

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cation despite external forces requires per- severant, empowered people with the right supplies and financial support to complete their jobs. This approach to education al- ways has been CAI’s greatest strength. “It is difficult to work in these villag- es, yes. On any given day, men or na- ture can impact how we get people and resources to these communities,” says Dilshad Baig of CAI-Gilgit. “But I have been these girls; I have been these wom- en. I know what it is to be in their situa- tion. They want to learn. We cannot af- ford to let this work slip, to let challenges set back our progress. CAI has worked too hard; the mission is too important.”

DRAMATIC CHANGES FOR NGO MANAGEMENT After months of strife over international nongovernmental organizations’ (INGOs) operations in Pakistan, the government announced a new policy to regulate them. The management of these matters has been transferred from the economic affairs di- vision to the interior ministry. Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is charged with and vocational training. The best decisions dangerous to travel. Recent fighting in overseeing the registration of INGOs via a are made by capable, local CAI leaders the northern provinces of Kunduz and streamlined, electronic system. Registration equipped with the necessary education and Badakhshan has hindered our partners’ of visas, passports, and identity cards also information to help their communities. abilities to move around. Yet, it is not only will be done through this system. It is be- man-made complications that threaten lieved that the policies will be instituted in FINGER ON THE PULSE IN UNCERTAIN CAI-supported projects. late 2015. TIMES Earlier this year, northern Pakistan The environment in which CAI strives was hit by a series of devastating floods. to provide education to all — especially Villages down long, narrow valleys like The United States girls — today is just as hazardous, if not Ghizer, Charpusan, and Broghil were cut more hazardous, than it has been in the off from the rest of the world as torrents of Geological Survey reported past 10 to 20 years. All of the brave stu- water barreled down mountainsides, tak- there were a little more dents, teachers, and administrators who ing bridges and roads with them. Children choose to follow the path of peace through couldn’t access their schools without walk- than 130 earthquakes in education today truly are inspirational and ing miles down- or upstream to another at the forefront of an ongoing movement crossing. Sometimes even then, conditions Afghanistan this year alone. to create a better world. They are “peace were too dangerous. leaders” opening their countrymen and The United States Geological Survey women’s minds to the possibility of sus- reported there were more than 130 earth- Implementation of these new rules and tainable peace and economic prosperity quakes in Afghanistan this year alone. regulations will significantly impact INGOs, that only can grow in the fertile soil of lit- Seismic activity is a constant threat to like CAI and many others, working directly eracy and education. structures and people located alongside with local organizations or individuals. They Tensions in Afghanistan are, sadly, in- these major mountain ranges. will change the way we operate, but we ex- creasing. Formerly picturesque mountain In these ever-changing, volatile envi- pect the establishment of the Central Asia roads that once allowed our CAI staff access ronments, being flexible and nimble is Educational Trust (CAET), a local entity, to to bring about change in an impoverished essential. Staying focused on sustaining improve our ability to function and comply mountain village now are sometimes too or accelerating the pace of progress in edu- with shifting demands.

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“Of course CAI, CAET, and our local the peaceful revolution of girls’ education workers, social workers, and personal cham- partners, are abiding by all the rules and in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan? pions of basic human rights within their local regulations of Pakistan,” explains Shakir Ali, communities. This remarkable change took director of CAET. “We are cooperating at SUSTAINABILITY: THE ULTIMATE GOAL place in fewer than 20 years. every level of government as this situation Passion lights many fires, but it alone can- Since 1996, in the regions we serve, the continues to unfold. But the establishment not sustain them. That is why, over the course spark of an unstoppable revolution of edu- of a local trust ahead of these regulations of the next few months, CAI will begin ex- cation — especially of girls — was kindled made the transition to the new way of doing ploring partnerships with charitable foun- with passion. Thanks to the brave hearts of things much easier for CAI.” dations — our ultimate goal being to secure committed people in many local and inter- With any new system there is the potential funding that would allow our in-country national organizations, that spark now burns for delays. If there are holdups in processing partners to move toward self-sustainability. as a bright, shining light today. And it is our permissions for visas or travel, it could im- In the rural areas where we work today, the local partners who are fanning the flames. pact our work and that of our partners. first-generation beneficiaries of the educa- When we come together, build relation- As often is the case with international tion revolution now carry the torch that CAI, ships, and foster trust, this is a true recipe for efforts such as ours, CAI is not immune to and a handful of other organizations and in- change. n9 occasional hiccup on the path to progress. dividuals, once carried alone. Each of the countries — and villages — These young, passionate, and educated Jim Thaden where we operate presents its own unique peace leaders need, and want, the support of is the executive director of set of challenges on a daily basis. This is international nonprofit organizations such as Central Asia Institute. He why having CAI physical presence in each CAI. Why? Because their governments do was Born and raised in of these areas is crucial. By listening and not always have the internal resources to pro- Washington, but spent building relationships, CAI is able to bypass vide education to children in these isolated much of his adult life in Philadelphia, New York, many potential obstacles without so much regions. and Tennessee. Prior as a pause. During the tumultuous years since CAI to joining Central Asia We are ensuring the revolution in edu- started its work, many boys and girls from Institute, he worked as development director cation — especially for girls’ education — these regions became the first generation in for the Discovery Place, where he played a key role in that organization’s turnaround into a is not impacted by changes like those in their families to go to school. Many finished sustainable social enterprise. Prior to his social Pakistan. In the face of continued challeng- high school, some went to college, and a few enterprise work, which he calls his “second es, we ask ourselves how CAI will sustain returned home to become teachers, health career,” Thaden was a successful entrepreneur.

Student at Raheshet Primary School in Panjshir, Afghanistan.

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OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN Central Asia Institute-Afghanistan Central Asia Educational Trust Director: Abdul Wakil Karimi Director: Shakir Ali Locations supported: Ghazni, Kabul Locations supported: Islamabad, Azad Jammu www.cai.org.af Kashmir, Baltistan, Punjab Star of Knowledge www.caet.org.pk

Director: Muhammad Nadir Hanifi(not pictured) Azad Jammu Kashmir Program Manager: Locations supported: Badakshan, Baghlan, Fozia Naseer Ghazni, Kabul, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Panjshir, Parwan, Urozgan, Wardak www.sko.org.af

Marcopolo Social Services and Reconstruction Baltistan Program Manager: Organization Mohammad Nazir Director: Janagha Jaheed Locations supported: Badakhshan, Takhar www.marcopolo.org.af

TAJIKISTAN Central Asia Institute-Gilgit Central Asia Institute-Tajikistan Director: Saidullah Baig Director: Mahbuba Qurbonalieva Locations supported: Gilgit, Hunza, Ghizer Locations supported: GBAO

IS STUDYING ASTRONOMY AN IMPOSSIBLE WISH? BY ZAINAB

fter talking time and again about the problems in our post-conflict society, I feel that I have missed something.A I want to take a deep breath and untwist my wings for a flight to my dreams. I want to take some time to think about my wish to become an astronomer. Maybe this wish is not just a dream for people in other parts of the world. But here, where there is neither an astronomy major nor an instructor, it seems like a dream. We believe that dreams are possible and if we be- lieve in the beauty of our dreams, they can become true one day. But unfortunately, we are living in a society where even dreaming is restricted for women. Even in dreams we cannot bravely soar.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 27 I have seen many girls in my country and shine for the anguished hearts of peo- alone and during some surprising moments who think men can read their minds, so ple during the night. Bulbs are in the con- while watching the sky, I have a warm con- they never dare to dream for something trol of the government and shine to provide versation with this scientist who is the hero they want. I am different, but the situation occasional power, without attention to the of my life. in Afghanistan is difficult. I grew up in Iran needs of people. Between the city view and I remember the night that I saw a com- where there were no limits on dreams. I am mountains, the azure dome of the mosque et and he asked me to wish something; I like a hawk always flying in the sky. But once in our neighborhood provokes the sense of wished one day I would become an astron- I open my eyes to reality, I find myself in a a peace in me, like the doves that fly around omer. I would reconstruct his observato- cage. Every night I watch the sky lit by shin- the domes of holy Islamic shrines. These are ries in Ghazni and resuscitate his memories ing stars. As much as I sink into the beauty only my surroundings. and dedications. of it, I am awed by its darkness. I still have not looked above. I wish to become so capable in this field Our house is located in the hills around When I look above, I see a different that I would contribute to the develop- Kabul city. The roof of our house is the world. In this saintly place, I feel that I am ment of it in my country once again. I want most fantastic place at night. One side of Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī, a famous astrono - to show that I am a woman who can dream the roof is surrounded by the mountains, mer from centuries ago in my hometown freely about whatever I want. In my world which are like the guards of our city. On of Ghazni. I don’t know what he could have today, the ceiling is shorter than my stat- the front side I see a snapshot of the whole watched centuries ago, but I know that he ure. However, I will not bend, but will con- city lit by bulbs. When I see the bulbs I wish loved and felt the sky, and he contributed to tinue dreaming and believing in the beauty they were stars, because stars are generous the science of astronomy. I feel that I am not of my dreams. n9 DRAWN TO u u u AFGHANISTAN BY CHRISTEL CHVILICEK

oon after the fall ing and volunteering in the educational of the Taliban sector in Afghanistan. She has served as in late 2001, Dr. vice president of the American University SSandra Cook’s dream of Afghanistan and served as co-chair of of visiting Afghanistan the board of directors of the Louis and became a reality. When Nancy Hatch Dupree Foundation for the Dr. Sandra Cook the regime was top- Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University. pled, finally she had During her time in Afghanistan, she has the opportunity to go to Afghanistan and traveled extensively in the areas served by travel throughout it on local buses and CAI, recently crossing the remote and fa- Christel Chvilicek is CAI in taxis. In this way, she observed first- bled Wakhan Corridor on horseback, visit- grants and sponsorship hand what three decades of war had left ing several CAI schools along the way. manager. She was born behind: buildings reduced to rubble and Prior to her involvement in Afghanistan, and raised in Bozeman, people’s lives shattered. By the end of her Cook had 30 years of professional experi- Mont. and has spent the third trip to Afghanistan, she had fallen in ence as a senior corporate executive, man- last eight years working in the nonprofit sector, love with this fascinating country and de- agement consultant, and university teacher, focusing on education cided she had to do something to help re- much of her work being done internation- initiatives through the local Human Resource build it. One of the most glaring issues she ally. She holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Development Council and YMCA. Education is a noted was the lack of functioning schools philosophy and mathematical logic, and passion of hers and she wants to do her part to and very few children being educated. an M.S. in economics. She has been on the ensure everyone gets the opportunity to learn She now has spent the past 13 years work- CAI board of directors since 2014. n9 and grow.

28 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE LITERACY IN A BOX EDUCATING A WHOLE COMMUNITY BY CHRISTEL CHVILICEK

ne and a half billion people es, which open to reveal shelves of books,” and her newly committed role at CAI, she visited public libraries in the says Dr. Sandra Cook, CAI board member jumped at the opportunity to bring these United States in 2014, accord- and former co-chair of the foundation that miniature libraries to more people. CAI will ing to the National Library helped fund and build ACKU. “The books start by introducing them in several high OAssociation. It’s easy to take our access to are written to the level of a person who is schools throughout the country. If the pro- libraries for granted. For most, it takes only newly literate. Once people have learned gram goes well, it will be expanded. a quick trip by car or bus to get there; some to read, they then need something to “These libraries will become a center people can walk. read.” around which people are proud of learning, But imagine that you are living in the Each mobile library contains 500 books, implementing new ideas and thoughts, and remote, rugged, and barren wilderness of focused on subjects that affect people’s changing the capacity of each community,” Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. In this thin daily lives. The books are custom-selected said Jim Thaden, executive director of CAI. panhandle, bordered by Tajikistan in the to help readers teach themselves about Successful implementation of the proj- north, China in the east, and Pakistan to topics such as agriculture, health, and ect heavily depends on donor funding. the south, learning to read and write can Afghan history. Some basic short novels are Earmarked donations from committed be a struggle. With limited resources and also included. Each book is no more than library benefactors have given us a good families to feed, schooling and literacy of- 100 pages long, and written in the local start, but we will need more help if we are ten take a back seat to the everyday strug- languages of Afghanistan. The libraries are to expand this program beyond a handful gle for survival. managed by the local community to ensure of initial test sites. While Central Asia Institute (CAI) cannot everyone has access to the books. Ideally, CAI hopes to raise enough mon- put food on the tables of everyone in the While working with ACKU, Cook had the ey to purchase mobile libraries for the 27 region, we can do something about the lim- opportunity to deliver mobile libraries to a schools that were constructed by CAI in ited resources for literacy and education. In few villages. She reflected on the situation the Wakhan Corridor. People in these re- an effort to help newly literate individuals, as a very gratifying project. mote communities are excited by the pros- CAI plans to purchase “mobile libraries” “When you brought a box into a com- pect of having a mobile library. They say from the Box Library Extension program of munity or school where they’d never they will transport the books by whatever the Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University had a library before, the enthusiasm was means necessary — donkey, yak, or their (ACKU). unbounded.” own backs. “These are libraries in a box, the books Because of Sandra’s passion for the peo- For them, a library never will be taken being housed in purpose-built metal box- ple of Afghanistan, her belief in education, for granted. n9

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 29 HIBBARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEARNS A LITTLE GESTURE CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT BY ALANNA BROWN

s we, a group of strangers with video cameras and lots of equip- ment, walked into Ms. Karrel’s fifth-gradeA classroom the normally ram- bunctious students suddenly were shy. The videographer told them “act normal” and “ignore the camera,” but of course the stu- dents continued to look at the camera and giggle as it moved around the room. It was May and Pennies for Peace (P4P) was visiting Hibbard Elementary School in Chicago. The school kindly had agreed to let us film the students as they completed their latest P4P campaign. Ms. Karrel’s class had been researching and learning about Central Asia for several weeks already. When we arrived, and they had adjusted to our cameras, the students were eager to tell us what they had learned. “Did you know just one penny can help many students in Pakistan, Afghanistan, fifth graders gathered in the auditorium. “P4P created an opportunity for the stu- and Tajikistan?” one girl asked me. Students expectantly took their seats at the dents to rally together to put all their efforts But the students weren’t the only ones tables. The teachers brought in the pennies into a shared goal,” Ms. Karrel continued. having fun. The teachers were feeding off — boxes and plastic containers full of them “Upon completion of the fundraising the the kids’ energy, happy to see them learning — and placed them next to a big box at the students were able to celebrate together in about small gestures of kindness that could front of the room. their success. It was truly a time that bonded in turn have a big impact. Excitement was on the students’ faces as our class and a memory they will cherish.” “Service learning is important to our the teacher called up two students at a time Ms. Karrel said she would highly recom- work in the classroom because it shows the to dump the full penny containers into the mend the program to any educator who students that the skills that we develop in box. When the first container was dumped, wants to bring service learning to their class have a real world purpose,” said Ms. a cheer went up, echoing off the auditorium classroom. Karrel. “Service learning empowers the stu- walls. In the end, it was announced that the “I think this program is one that is easy to dents. It shows them that their voices can be school had raised more than $1,000. implement into the classroom, it aligns with heard and that they can make a difference A few months later we checked in with Common Core [curricula], and it shows even at a young age.” Ms. Karrel. She was happy to report the our students that they have the power to For two weeks, four fifth-grade classes children “felt proud and excited to continue make a change in their own communities had been collecting pennies, searching their service work. The students were more and beyond,” she said. under couch cushions for spare change, observant when it came to issues they heard It seems that the school-wide event al- and asking family and friends for contribu- about in the news, and they began question- ready has the younger students talking tions. The hard work behind them, it was ing and discussing ways they could help.” about Pennies for Peace. finally time to celebrate. After lunch, the P4P brought the school together. “My new group of students remembered

30 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE that last year’s fifth graders came to their the complex issues surrounding education in In Central Asian villages, even small room to make a speech about Pennies for Central Asia. amounts of money can make a profound dif- Peace. They remembered raising money in The lessons cover themes such as: ference in the lives of children: their classroom as fourth graders. The stu- • Power of education dents eagerly asked if they would be able to • Effects of extreme poverty 12 = 1 pencil participate in Pennies for Peace again this • Cultural understanding pennies year.” • Geography We look forward to this next class of stu- • Politics = pennies70 1 notebook dents participating in the program. See you • Humanitarian efforts guys next year! • Our responsibilities as global citizens $ = Watch the Pennies for Peace video featur- In line with the U.S. Common Core state 30 1 chalkboard ing the students from Hibbard Elementary standards, the toolkit includes: School, and learn how to bring the program • A sample timeline $35 = 1 desk to your school at www.penniesforpeace.org • Fact sheets about the countries in which we work $ = supplies for CURRICULUM AND TOOLKIT • Template letters to parents and local 50 1 student To help make Pennies for Peace more businesses meaningful for your students, we’ve created a • Videos, printable photographs, additional $ = salary for 1000 1 teacher free curriculum for grades K-12. Our lesson references, and more. plans and activities help students understand

Pennies for Peace IMPACT We make it easy. To get started, visit penniesforpeace.org, register, and begin All 50 states and collecting pennies 31 different countries today! have participated

When you donate, 100 percent of your Over 7,000 donation goes to programs overseas — Pennies for Peace building new schools, repairing and improving campaigns with over existing schools, and purchasing equipment $7 million raised such as uniforms, furniture, and school supplies. The program has supported over 100,000 students in Afghanistan, Pakistan Alanna Brown is the CAI Pennies for Peace manager. Brown joined CAI after serving and Tajikistan as an alumni relations for the Montana State University Alumni Association. Prior to that, she was outreach coordinator for MSU’s Caring for Our Own program, CAI has built 190 schools a Native American nursing support SCHOOL in these countries program, and an admissions evaluator at MSU. As an AmeriCorps Vista worker, SCHOOL she coordinated volunteers for Greater Gallatin United Way

SCHOOL SCHOOL and did crisis counseling at the Help Center in Bozeman, Mont.

SCHOOL SCHOOL Brown has a master’s degree in adult and higher education/public administration and a bachelor’s degree in family counseling from Montana State University.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 31 Ludo, from the Latin “I play,” is a board game played with two to four people. Each player has four tokens and with each roll of the die tokens are moved clockwise around the board. Having gone once around the board with a token, the player can move that token up their colored path toward the center. LUDO To enter the center, and thus win the game, a precise roll is required. Make or find playing pieces, call your friends over, and have fun!

Find these, and other activities for kids, in the Pennies for Peace curriculum at www.penniesforpeace.org Do some of your friends practice a different religion or have different family traditions? These are some of the things that make up Culture a person’s culture. Quilt Explore your own culture with the quilt below.

List the elements of your culture in each square and use crayons, pencils, or markers to illustrate them. Or make a collage in each small square using magazine photos.

MY FAVORITE CLOTHES: MY FAVORITE FOODS:

SOMETHING I DO FOR FUN: A FAMILY TRADITION: One penny. A world of change.

In the U.S. a penny doesn’t buy much, but in Class Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan a few room pennies buy a pencil, or a notebook. Color the items below and learn about the value of a few pennies.

$30 = 1 CHALKBOARD

70 PENNIES = $35 = 1 DESK 1 NOTEBOOK 12 PENNIES = 1 PENCIL

ANYONE CAN BUILD A SCHOOL FEW BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. BY CHRIS KOLENDA

n early 2007, my unit — roughly 800 Most recently, in late August 2007, Pfc. I picked up Greg’s book expecting a feel- men and women of 1-91 Cavalry, 173rd Chris Pfeifer was mortally wounded. He good story. I hardly could put it down. Airborne Brigade — was scheduled to fought valiantly for his life, but would die Ideploy to Iraq. We were busy with pre-de- of wounds a month later, the day before his A NOVEL APPROACH ployment training that focused on the daughter Peyton was born. Saw Village was one of several hundred in history and culture of Iraq as well as the The insurgents suffered far worse in the our area of operations. It also was one of the basics of the Arabic language. Some of the fighting, but that was not good enough for more troublesome. For several years, mili- paratroopers with an exceptional aptitude me. I was not satisfied just winning individ- tants from the Saw Valley in Afghanistan had for languages even received special Arabic ual firefights. I wanted us to win absolutely: been firing rockets at our sprawling base on language training. All of us were doing our to defeat the insurgency and stabilize the the banks of the Kunar River. We had been best to learn as much as possible in a short area. To do that, we first had to understand. in Afghanistan only a few weeks and we were amount of time. I nearly had exhausted my books and arti- being bombarded by these attacks regularly. Then, unexpectedly, orders changed. We cles, and waited for more to arrive. The rockets they launched largely were were instead headed to Afghanistan. All of I had one book left: Greg Mortenson’s, inaccurate. Most landed outside the base. our research about Iraqi culture and our “Three Cups of Tea.” Frankly, I wanted Sadly, a few had harmed and killed local ci- Arabic language training suddenly became something a bit more academic; something vilians. Some landed inside the base, and two useless. that would help me gain a bet- In a crunch for time — deployment was ter understanding of this dy- only a few weeks away — I frantically read namic and war-torn country. everything about Afghanistan that I could I figured I could plow through get my hands on. Despite it all, my unit and it before other books arrived. I were not prepared fully for the complexity I always appreciated the of Afghanistan. importance of education. Then we were deployed to one of the People across the globe want most violent areas of Afghanistan. what is best for their chil- The firefights in the complex mountain- dren. I believed supporting ous terrain were intense and deadly. We children was something that won every time, but four of my paratroopers could bring people of diverse had been killed and scores were wounded in cultures, languages, and reli- an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. gions together. CAI-Afghanistan Director, Wakil Karimi, and Chris Kolenda.

32 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE paratroopers were wounded. A lucky shot in a village or on the base had the potential to kill others. We needed to put an end to these attacks before anyone else was hurt. Simply killing or capturing insurgents was unlikely to turn the tide and stop the bombings. They could replenish their ranks easily as long as the people supported them. Something needed to change. We needed to explore other options. Lt. Col. Sher Ahmad was from Herat, a city in western Afghanistan. His unit had been in the area only a few weeks longer than mine and he was working with U.S. forces in the region. His short black hair, hooknose, and deep brown eyes revealed his Pashtun eth- nicity. He had little formal military training, but was highly skilled at engaging with local leaders. So I asked him what he thought we should do. He suggested taking a patrol of his soldiers to the village. He wanted to talk to the people. Saw Valley was nearly inaccessible on the opposite side of the Kunar River, tucked against the Pakistan border. But Sher Ahmad’s smaller vehicles could cross the tiny, ramshackle bridge spanning the river. He planned to send word of his intentions ahead and his party would be large enough to discourage any attack. Our forces covered his movements from positions on the west bank. Sher Ahmad toured the village and met with the elders for several hours. Finally, he came back to base and what he reported was fascinating. Rather than professing ideological- ly-based, anti-American sentiments, the elders said the attacks were the results of of- fended pride. A few years earlier, the villag- ers had been subjected to, and outraged by, nighttime searches of their homes by U.S. and Afghan forces. Soldiers, they said, had kicked in their doors, rummaged through their belongings, searched their women, stole their jewelry, and placed bags over the heads of elders before hauling them off for

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 33 from our children,” my inter- preter translated from Pashtu as he handed me the package. The first time you share Not knowing what to expect, tea … you are a stranger. I thanked him and unfolded the top sheet of lined notebook The second time you paper revealing a neat and pre- take tea, you are an cise Arabic script. “They are thank you notes,” honored guest. The third he explained, “written with the time you share a cup of pens and paper you sent.” I was stunned. “There would tea, you become family, have been more,” he continued, and for our family, we are questioning. Such actions were deeply hu- “but many children did not be- miliating. The rockets we had been dealing lieve their handwriting was good enough to prepared to do anything, with were retaliation. show you.” even die. I too would be pretty upset if someone had The humility and kindness of this simple done that to me in front of my family. gesture was touching. We spoke for hours “What else did you learn?” I asked. over tea. The elders told Sher Ahmad and would plummet. Who would want to con- “They want their kids to go to school,” he me about their village, the recent history tinue getting hammered for a cause no one replied. “They only have one tiny building for and negative interactions with earlier U.S. else supported? 500 children. It has three walls and no roof.” and Afghan forces, and their hopes for the Many thought this approach was prepos- We saw this as an opportunity to build a future. They asked nothing for themselves: terous, but Greg’s book validated it. bridge with the community. no money, no humanitarian assistance, and LETTERS FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES Working together with local leaders and no projects. parents for Afghan children was a key part When I asked about their top priorities, Building relationships and working to- of our game plan for building relationships. they said they needed a school the most. gether for common goals was our first step When families and friends asked what our They explained the three-walled, roofless toward understanding the people of Saw unit wanted in care packages, we encouraged building. Several hundred girls crammed Village. them to send school supplies such as note- into the building each morning. The boys Greg’s experiences reinforced the impor- books, pens, and pencils. They responded came in the afternoon. They had one chalk- tance of relationships, mutual understand- generously and within a few weeks we had board. Everyone wrote numbers and letters ing, and community ownership. Anyone can collected truckloads. in the dirt; that is, until the notebooks and build a school. But it takes patience, perse- I asked Sher Ahmad if he was willing to pens arrived. verance, and partnership to make a lasting return to Saw Village to bring the supplies Several hours later, after tea and lunch, the impact. He writes: we had collected to the school. He agreed elders walked the fifteen miles back across The first time you share tea … you are eagerly. the river to their homes. We all had the sense a stranger. The second time you take tea, The very next day, the Saw Village elders that something important had taken place you are an honored guest. The third time walked 15 miles to our Forward Operating that day. And we were right. you share a cup of tea, you become family, Base. They wanted to meet. Soon thereafter, the rockets stopped. This and for our family, we are prepared to do The large, rectangular meeting room was experience was yet another example among anything, even die. adorned with carpets and pillows and pic- many across our area of operations that tures of Americans and Afghans working our approach was working. together. The elders stood to greet us. They It was simple: understand, build rela- each wore the pakol, the famous round, flat tionships, work together with commu- headgear of eastern Afghanistan, and the nities on their priorities, and clobber traditional shalwar kameez, a long shirt and the militants. Once the people viewed trouser outfit. Many gray beards were pres- those perpetrating the violence, rather ent, as well as a few younger representatives. than us, as the obstacle to community The chiefmullah , or religious cleric, and the goals and aspirations, we would have school headmaster were there, too. the upper hand. With no support from The shura (council) leader handed me a the community the militants could stack of papers. “Commandant, these are not replenish their ranks. Their morale

34 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE Greg captured elegantly what we were ex- own the problems and solutions, they make periencing in many communities. sustainable changes for the better. By the Girls and Inspired by his story and seeing so many time a school is completed, the community parallels with our experiences, I wrote an feels a sense of ownership, achievement, and Education email on September 15, 2007, to the address shared sacrifice. BY FARIBA at the back of the book: In mid-2008, Pakistani militants began Dear Central Asia Institute, operating in the area near Saw Village. The Every time girls go to school … I am convinced that the long-term villagers defended the school and children solution to terrorism in general and from harm for years, even receiving support I feel totally changed Afghanistan specifically is education. The from local Afghan Taliban. Afghans have a Disappointment and anguish appear conflict here will not be won with bombs wonderful saying: “If you sweat for it, you My thinking goes down but with books and ideas that excite the protect it.” imagination toward peace, tolerance, and This is the critical difference in CAI’s ap- Even the environment changes prosperity. The thirst for education here is proach. For many non-profit organizations, As I think of all their barriers palpable. People are tired of war after 30 constructing a building is their goal. For oth- Their fathers and brothers years and want a better future. Education ers, graduation rates are how they measure Their safety will make the difference whether the next success. For CAI, the building is a symbol of generation grows up to be educated patri- the community’s commitment to education I want to tell them about my father ots or illiterate fighters. The stakes could and their children. They sweat for it, protect Who tells me to always continue not be higher…. it, keep their children in school, support studying Sincerely, Christopher Kolenda learning, and demand teacher performance. A week later, an email from Greg Why does this difference matter? Building Who tells me what I want, what I like Mortenson arrived. I never expected a re- schools and having children graduate both Who never keeps me from school sponse to my letter and doubted it would are worthy goals. But that which is measured It worries me a lot actually get to Greg, figuring it was one of often drives approaches and incentives. You thousands of supportive letters. It was, but can build a school, but will that building still Thinking about if I were those girls Greg took the time to write back. That kind be in use a year later? Many children may Killing me to think about who stops of thoughtfulness, I have come to know, is graduate from school, but if they learn noth- them from school part of Greg’s DNA. ing because teachers are absent or parents Greg let me know that he was looking to are unsupportive, then the piece of paper To think who stops them from bringing expand CAI operations in Afghanistan — stating they graduated means little. change did I know of any place that might be inter- CAI’s focus on relationships and un- Killing me when I see their brothers ested in a school? derstanding of ownership aligns incen- going to school I knew of the perfect village. tives toward sustainable education in the community. When I see them where I cannot do IF YOU SWEAT FOR IT, YOU PROTECT IT anything Central Asia Institute-Afghanistan part- DOES IT MATTER? ners Sarfraz Khan and Wakil Karimi met Sadly, in December 2014, after six years I want to be their role model with the elders of the village on several oc- of relative safety, the Saw Village School I want to bring change in their life casions, eventually completing the school in sustained major bomb damage. CAI fea- I have to work for them 2008. tured the school in its 2015 Spring Capital CAI’s patient approach focused on build- Campaign, hoping to raise enough funds to ing relationships first. Once the mutual trust underwrite the repairs. was established, the community needed Meanwhile, the community continues to demonstrate commitment. Sweat equi- to educate some children in homes while ty was one of the key signs of seriousness. working to rebuild the facility. And it’s all Communities working with CAI were asked because CAI built the relationship first and to donate land, materials, and unskilled la- got the community invested. bor to support the school, teachers, and I am asked often: what is the point of sup- students. porting education if militants attack schools? This method made so much sense. Part There is no quick fix to problems like the of the reason no one washes a rental car or ones facing the Afghan people; no silver bul- takes it for an oil change after driving it is let solution. Think about how long our coun- their lack of ownership. But when people try has been trying to sort out issues such

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 35 as equal rights, racism, and discrimination. Change is even harder in a country wracked by nearly 40 years of war and violence. The Afghan people are experiencing sig- nificant social and political trauma. The forc- es of intolerance and repression are dashing the hopes and aspirations of Afghans seeking peaceful and prosperous lives. Sustainable education will make a lasting impact. The process will be slow, but inexorable: the peo- ple want education. When I visit a school or vocational train- ing center, I am inspired by the dreams and aspirations of Afghan boys, girls, women, and men. The women in particular tend to focus on careers that address the social ills seen in their communities. They want to be lawyers to address injustice, engineers to re- build their country, social workers to help people in need, doctors to care for the sick, Christopher D. Kolenda recently worked as the senior adviser and teachers to educate the next generation. Kolenda is the on Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Department The right organizations make a difference president and of Defense senior leadership, and has served CEO of Kolenda four tours of duty in Afghanistan. to real people in places such as Afghanistan, Strategic Leadership. He has written numerous articles on Pakistan, and Tajikistan. I have seen first- Kolenda consults leadership and national security issues for hand how they work with communities and with nonprofit professional journals. His new book “The why their impact is sustainable and that is organizations, Counterinsurgency Challenge” serves as an including Central experiential tutorial on adaptive leadership in why I am an enduring supporter of Central Asia Institute, on leadership, strategy, complex and dangerous combat environments. Asia Institute. n9 and human security. In that capacity, he Kolenda is a long-term friend of CAI. He first is supporting CAI efforts to improve its contacted Greg Mortenson in 2007 while domestic governance, fundraise, and manage deployed to Afghanistan. The story of their The views expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Afghanistan operations. He also is the senior interactions appears in Mortenson’s book Central Asia Institute. military fellow at King’s College London. “Stones into Schools.” ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT MAKE EDUCATION POSSIBLE

BY NAZIRA BEGUM

am from Shamsabad, Ishkomen and am 18, and I was married when I was 20. Out of 20 years old. My initial schooling was 13 girls in my cohort, five were married like Ifrom my own village in Shamsabad. In myself. They also are still studying like me 2010, I joined grade nine in the CAI high- in Gahkoch and Chator Kand. I am in the er secondary school in Immit. I stayed with bachelor’s degree program in education in my grandmother’s cousin in Immit, only a Gilgit and CAI is funding the cost of my tu- 20-minute walk to school. ition, stay, meals, and transportation. It was hard being away from home and My sister-in-law takes care of household living with relatives, but somehow I man- chores so I can have time for homework. aged it for four years. It is better to be in Marriage should not deter girls from going school than home. The environment was to college. My husband is a teacher himself great and I really liked Teacher Zahid who and encourages me to get an education. I taught English in such an interesting way. wouldn’t be here talking to you otherwise. I became engaged in 2012, when I was I am lucky to have his and CAI’s support.

36 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE Students leave school under a poster showing pictures of landmines at Gumran Girls’ Middle School in Afghanistan’s Logar Province. EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ACTION: AN ANTIDOTE FOR TERRORISM BY FARID SENZAI

he work of Central Asia Institute struggles to make sense of the perpetrators’ role of identity in violent conflicts, the links (CAI) to educate girls in some of true motives. But understanding the circum- between religion and politics, and the ideo- the most remote parts of the globe stances and motivations that lead up to such logical motivations that support extremism. Tremains vitally important, and yet is a daunt- viciousness is key if the work of CAI is to A logical first step in creating an effective ing task when done in the midst of violence. continue in the future. counter-radicalization program requires This especially is true as we witness ongo- What motivates an individual to join a ter- one first to understand the motivations that ing attacks against teachers, and students rorist organization or a group? Is it ideology, often lead to radicalization. Yet few issues wanting nothing more than to promote and politics, poverty, or something else? What have proven more divisive and controver- pursue education. The attack against Malala might be done to de-radicalize an individual sial among experts, both within and outside Yousafzai in Pakistan perhaps is the most who has joined such a group or prevent radi- of government, than trying to identify the well-known incident in a series of ongoing calization in the first place? The reality is that reasons that would drive an individual to acts of violence. These attacks epitomize the there is no single pathway. embrace radical views and then to act upon seemingly senseless carnage that so often Over the decades, scholars have had much them in violent ways. Martha Crenshaw’s results from the political radicalization of to say about the dynamic processes that seminal article, “The Causes of Terrorism” individuals. As the world hears more about, lead to violence, the relationship between on the subject remains one of the most im- and zeroes in on, such incidents, one often the individual and the terrorist group, the portant in the field. In it, she highlights the

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 37 difficulty of finding general explanations for have-nots have been postulated to provoke a RADICAL JIHADISTS terrorism and contends that it is possible to new era of political violence that will acceler- What do we know and what could be said distinguish different types of variables as a ate as globalization not only creates new foci about radical jihadists? A striking similarity starting point for further research on causal of poverty, but facilitates communication among many radicalized jihadists is how lit- relations. Her work differentiates between among those who perceive themselves to be tle they actually know about Islam and the three groups of variables: strategic, structur- the victims of globalization. Qur’an. al, and psychological. A second theory proposed, also within the Those who join violent extremist groups In an effort to increase understanding, let’s sociological camp, focuses on the issue of op- rarely have formal training or disciplined look more closely at the possible motivations pression, which in their view provokes politi- religious teaching. In fact, in most cases of terrorists. cal violence. they have no more than a rudimentary un- A brief review of the academic literature A final theory from the sociological per- derstanding often shaped by online sources suggests a wide range of theories articulated spective includes what scholars have referred or talking to extremists online. Akil Awan, a by scholars in hopes of explaining the moti- to as the national and cultural motivations of lecturer in political violence and terrorism at vations leading to radicalization and terrorist terrorism. Royal Holloway, University of London, sug- activity. These can be categorized broadly as gests that those drawn to jihadism usually are PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS sociological motivations and psychological raised in largely secular households or pos- In contrast to sociological theories that motivations. sess only a rudimentary grasp of Islam that emphasize factors influencing the behavior rarely extends to religious practice. Research SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS of an entire group, psychological theories of shows in many cases these would-be jihadists ccording to Jeff Victoroff, the so- terrorist behavior primarily emphasize indi- were hardly strict adherents to Islam’s major ciological factors might include vidual factors. tenets before turning to violence. relative deprivation (i.e., poverty), The first of these psychological theories Awan points out this crisis of identity of- oppression,A and/or national culture factors. focuses on identity. It has been proposed ten leads minority individuals to a dislocated The first of these sociological theories is what that candidates for terrorism are young peo- sense of self, one characterized by alienation scholars refer to as deprivation theory, which ple lacking self-esteem who have a strong from the mainstream and parental cultures. suggests that economic disparities and pov- or even desperate need to consolidate their These susceptible youth who succumb to erty causes terrorism. identities. emotional and psychological schizophrenia More recently, increasing differences be- A second psychological approach places soon begin to feel a sense of increased isola- tween the material welfare of the haves and its attention on what Harvard psychiatrist Robert J. Lifton referred to asabsolutist or tion, of not belonging to either camp. Their apocalyptic theory. In it, he suggests that precarious predicament makes the ideas cults and apocalyptic groups envision mass pitched by radical recruiters and preachers destruction as a path toward replacing the of violent extremism – being part of an um- corrupt world with a pure new social order. mah (community) that does not worry about The third psychological theory deals with one’s race, ethnicity, or place of birth – per- humiliation — and the consequent internal suasive and attractive. The prospect of mem- pressure for revenge — and has been hypoth- bership, expressed as an opportunity to be esized to drive terrorist violence. Revenge on the side of like-minded believers besieged for humiliation by an oppressor is, in fact, an by evil forces, and of being part of a cosmic ancient cultural tradition with direct links to struggle against the military onslaught of the current violence in the Middle East. “Western Crusaders” attempting to impose A fourth theory on terrorism focuses on their will on Muslim societies, appeals to group psychology within idiosyncratic sub- many vulnerable youth. And why not, for its cultures that coalesce in reaction to circum- worldview and sense of purpose are clear and stances they perceive as intolerable. For easy-to-understand. Such perceptions also these scholars, membership in a terrorist allow them to respond to the political and organization offers disciples a heady liquor economic grievances held by other Muslim of a well-defined personal role, a righteous groups. purpose, the opportunity for revenge for This does not exonerate religion, but as perceived humiliations, and the lifting of Awan correctly suggests, religious interpreta- constraints on the expression of otherwise tion also is a product of social, economic, and prohibited behaviors, all of which free the political factors that become translated into member from personal responsibility for at- solutions for these individuals. In most cas- tacks on out-groups. es, terrorist actions are motivated by political

38 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE concerns that are, perhaps, couched in reli- and equipped with ways to allow their voic- to be initiated to counter the misperceptions gious terms to validate their heinous crimes. es maximal reach. For example, unstable many have about Muslims. Government of- Religion might provide the motif or stamp Yemen’s de-radicalization program, based ficials need to be far more assertive in their of approval for their action, but not for the on the Committee for Religious Dialogue effort to organize public forums that ad- original motive. program, features well-established, authentic dress the threat of domestic radicalization Muslim scholars who engage with suspect- along with the differences between radical MOVING FORWARD - EDUCATION, ed al-Qaida members and sympathizers to and mainstream religious tenets of Islam. TRAINING, INTERVENTIONS, AND discuss basic Islamic concepts. Participating One major problem associated with such COMMUNITY ACTION religious figures pay special attention to the attempts, however, is how to convince the his perversion of Islam into an ide- concept of jihad to address the misconcep- general public that such undertakings are not ology that allows the wanton killing tions held by radicalized individuals. This Muslim propaganda. of innocent people in pursuit of a particular program needs a great deal of help Similarly, public and private foundations Tutopian society needs to be confronted di- in terms of their institutional capacity build- should provide resources for intra-Muslim rectly. Yet — contrary to what many believe ing and messaging capabilities. Government discussions and the subsequent implemen- — what is needed is more Islam, not less. It outreach initiatives need to develop partner- tation of organic, bottom-up counter-rad- must be the normative, traditional Islam: the ships with the Muslim community that will icalization efforts. Also needed are public Islam that exemplifies centuries of scholarly enable the latter’s leaders to be the first line awareness campaigns against radicalization, and theological consensus that neutralizes of defense via community-led interventions. such as issuing statements against radical such perversions. Any other version of Islam Many Muslim scholars and community lead- ideologies that breed violence and hatred, is not likely to have credibility among ex- ers can provide professional counseling, and publishing pamphlets and booklets that tremists. The consensus is clear: the murder counter-radicalization programming, and highlight the Islamic values of religious tol- of innocent people under any circumstances religious retraining within an authentic reli- erance, pluralism, gender equality, and social is prohibited. This message must be con- gious paradigm. cohesion. veyed forcefully and instilled into the minds Community-led interventions should ad- In short, the fight against radicalization of vulnerable youth who have fallen for mis- dress social alienation. Public and private must address both the supply and demand interpretations of Islamic scripture. foundations should fund community cen- side of the equation. Both the West and Muslims are engaging and leading an ideo- ters that foster a sense of belonging through Muslim communities need to adopt a more logical and theological battle that only rep- sports and creative arts programs. Mentors comprehensive and inclusive approach that utable and legitimate Muslim scholars can who can talk realistically about shared values takes account of all these issues in order to win. And yet this approach cannot unfold if and non-violent approaches to conflict and address the problems we face. Only then, will the broader society continues to stigmatize, disagreements instead of just repeating plat- we be able to provide an adequate and more modernize, and/or secularize these individ- itudes should be located and made available. realistic response to radicalization. A world uals, for such reactions often do more harm The Internet remains a problem due to without radicalization has more space for than good and usually play right into the the number of radical websites. A way to peace and education. n9 jihadi narrative that “outsiders” are attempt- debunk these online arguments must be The views expressed in this article are exclusively those ing to malign and misguide Muslims from found through engaging local Muslim lead- of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of “true” Islam. Various types of de-radicaliza- ers, imams, and scholars who can produce Central Asia Institute. tion education programs are in place around moderate, counter-radical websites firmly the globe, including Egypt, Iraq, Libya, grounded in mainstream Islam. Local com- Farid Senzai is an associate professor of Yemen, Jordan, Malaysia, Great Britain, the munity centers and mosques should inform political science at Santa Netherlands, and Indonesia. parents of what they can do to prevent their Clara University where Governments that are serious about im- children from falling for the online indoctri- he teaches courses on U.S. foreign policy and proving public safety by mitigating radical- nation produced by ISIS and other terrorist Middle East politics. Dr. ization and terrorism must encourage this groups. U.S. leaders also could work with Senzai was previously kind of work. This cannot be done if the state their allies and partners abroad to find ways the director of research at the Institute for Social continues to alienate Islam, in sociopolitical to shut down those sites that attract suscepti- Policy and Understanding where he conducted terms, as a belief system that naturally urges ble recruits living in the West. extensive research projects on American its adherents toward violence and, therefore, More broadly, the general public needs to Muslims. He was also a research associate at the Brookings Institution and a research somehow must be curbed. Such an antago- be educated about Muslims and Islam. Given analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. nistic approach will only backfire. the media’s increased attention to home- Senzai is on the board of advisers at The Pew Appropriately-trained Muslim scholars grown terrorism and the misunderstand- Forum on Religion and Public Life and a board member at the Central Asia Institute. His most who represent the authentic Islamic tradi- ings between Muslims and non-Muslims in recent book is “Political Islam in the Age of tion must be empowered to lead this effort America, a public, national dialogue needs Democratization” (Palgrave, 2013).

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 39 1

Haniya Tirmizi travelled to several CAI-supported projects in Northern Pakistan this September. The vignettes below are her account of what she saw, heard, and experienced.

A FIELD REPORT FROM PAKISTAN BY HANIYA TIRMIZI

THE WINDS OF CHANGE Timeless, arid, and with gigantic moun- cational centers was somewhat surreal; the tains surrounding us, the valley we landed wide river with its grey, river-rock frame is nvolved in the educational field for more in was magnificent. It was a glorious day and never far away from the road. On day one, we than 20 years — from teaching English the scorching sun did not bother me, even managed to visit two centers in the villages of as a second language to development of after a long Illinois winter. There was some- Gitch and Singul in Ghizer District, located Iinstructional materials — I was excited by thing vaguely familiar about this place. The on the main road to the capital, Gahkoch. the prospect of taking on a writing assign- weather-beaten faces with mongoloid fea- Interestingly, the center in Singul had a ment for Central Asia Institute (CAI). Yet, as tures, green tea, grapevines, climate, rugged sign outside with its rather English-sounding my departure for the northern provinces of terrain, and the pace of life were reminiscent name, Hill Bush Quilting House, written Pakistan grew closer, I hesitated. There were of years I had spent in Turkmenistan in my phonetically in Urdu. so many unknowns: the projects I would visit 20s. Both centers were local initiatives, con- were a long way off in the mountains, flights Hard pressed for time, CAI-Gilgit Manager ceived by the community and supported were uncertain, patches of road were buried Saidullah Baig and his wife Dilshad Baig who by CAI. Several years ago, word had spread under landslides, and the languages spoken is the women’s development program direc- through the villages that CAI’s co-founder, were unfamiliar. tor for CAI-Gilgit, decided we must get to Greg Mortenson, was helping nearby com- When I stepped out of the plane all my ap- work right away. munities. When the villagers heard that prehensions and misgivings vanished. The drive along the Ghizer River to the vo- someone from the organization would be

40 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE 1

“Education, integrity, and hard work are the three things that can change a woman’s life.”

over a period of six months in 2012 in cut- ting, sewing, embroidery, and duvet mak- ing. One year later, 20 master trainers were selected out of the original group that had been trained, and they were elected to teach another group of sixty women. The CO secretary, Jehan, spoke of how CAI continued to help and guide the wom- en, showing them how to expand their clientele beyond the limited local mar- ket. Women from the CO were taken to Islamabad and shown how to expand their sales by setting up stalls at several exposi- tions and festivals. in the area, they decided to make contact. A one aimed at providing vocational train- “We knew nothing at that time, but this group of local women ambushed the manag- ing to women, enabling them to be skilled year we had no trouble in managing our er’s vehicle on its way to another project and entrepreneurs. sales in cities further south. You know, we demanded he support their vocational train- Once the building was complete, the CO went all by ourselves,” Jehan said, beaming. ing program. was in need of trainers to teach the local She is a petite girl from the mountains in the This was not part of CAI’s mandate at the women various crafts: CAI underwrote the north, thrilled to be experiencing the grind time; the organization focused primarily on cost of two expert trainers from Hunza. CAI of city life on her own. But her biggest thrill girls’ education. However, they convinced lent further support later by providing ma- comes from being able to help provide for the manager to consider the project, arguing terials, machines, and some furniture from her family. education was important for people of all its sustainability fund. With all of these ele- Even if some women choose not to sell ages. ments in place, 60 CO members were trained their crafts at market, they save money by The driving force behind this endeavor was Paritaoos, a dynamic local lady. With Paritaoos at the helm, the local women had organized themselves to form a community organization (CO), complete with an annual membership fee. It had approximately 120 members and they had been meeting in rent- ed space since 2008. The rented space was expensive and cramped; they needed some- where better suited that could accommodate all their members. CAI could not refuse the proposition; it funded the construction of a vocational center building for $20,000 on land that the CO had acquired already. With the monies promised, CO members got their menfolk to contribute five days of labor each to help construct the building. This was the beginning of CAI-Gilgit’s work with a different kind of education,

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 41 1 stitching clothes at home for their families, and keeping them warm with their hand- made duvets during the brutal winter. “We cannot thank CAI enough for erad- icating poverty that the whole village was trapped in,” said Jehan. “Education, integrity, and hard work are the three things that can change a woman’s life.” BEAUTY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES opened the door to one of the rooms in the second vocational training center and found myself in a small beauty salon. IBasic, with only a mirror, one chair, and a long table covered in beauty products bought in Gilgit, the space was still one where wom- job. When she returned home, finding a that creaked with the weight of the vehicle en would want to spend time gossiping and safe, public space for her trade wasn’t easy. and swayed with the wind. On this trip, we being pampered. However, the vocational center opened, and were to visit five schools supported at vari- Adorning the walls were two bridal out- suddenly she had an ideal location. ous levels by CAI: all located off the beaten fits — one red and one gold — displayed for I had the pleasure of visiting only two of 21 track. the purpose of renting. Pictures of elaborate such vocational centers supported by CAI in In the village of Chator Khand, we drove henna patterns were pasted on the walls. For the districts of Ghizar and Hunza. past a construction site of a government weddings or special occasions, women of- The centers serve as public spaces for fami- school that had started in 2009, the same ten will stain their skin — typically hands, lies and women to meet. They are safe havens time that the first CAI school we were visit- arms, and feet — with the dye. Squeezed out where advice is sought and given, gossip ex- ing was built. While the CAI school was fully of bags or little tubes like cake frosting, the changed, and many happy and productive functional, the government school construc- brownish plant purée is then left to dry on hours are spent. They add value to hundreds tion was still incomplete. It was a reminder the skin. The longer it is left on the darker the of lives. to me of just how difficult it can be to build design. It is in these spaces that women emulate in these remote areas, with weather, funding, A price list tacked to the wall revealed progressive changes they see in other wom- and labor all factors that can delay even the an impressive range of services including en’s lives, such as sending girls to school best of projects. pedicures, facials, makeup application, and and practicing better hygiene. According to The ethnic diversity of this federally-ad- haircuts. rough estimates from project managers, bare- ministrated area is striking. Four main lan- The salon belongs to Rasheela, a vocation- ly five percent of people over age 40 in these guages are spoken, none of which have a al center trainee who had taken beautician villages are literate, compared to a 95 percent script. The official language is Urdu, which courses in the provincial capital of Gilgit, literacy rates for members under the age of can be seen in the graffiti written on the and was renting the space for her business. 21. Communities today are cognizant of the boulders and rocks by the road. The lan- She is a 22-year-old high school graduate value of education and don’t want poverty guage changes from one village to the next who chose to open the first-ever salon in to hold them back. The winds of change are and there are numerous multi-ethnic villages her village. Since her father’s death, she has sweeping these remote communities. as well. been helping support her family with what little money she brought in from the salon. She said she mostly was satisfied with what CAI BEGINS WHERE THE GOING TO SCHOOL IN she made during the wedding season, which ROAD ENDS HEART’S LOVE VALLEY usually picks up right after the summer har- As our jeep moved on shifting dirt tracks The collection of our identification cards vest. Without this extra income, her brother up the mountainside, the gravel and stones at an army checkpost before the village of would have been the sole breadwinner for a beneath gave way. Where bridges disap- Tashnaluk was a reminder of our close prox- family of seven. peared, we drove over rocky streambeds imity to the Afghan border. We were allowed Rasheela received her training through to reach the villages where CAI had set up to continue on our way without any trouble. an apprenticeship at a beauty salon in the schools. Tashnaluk is situated in a beautiful valley. provincial capital, Gilgit. She lived there for We drove over old suspension bridges However, the romantic name of the valley, a year, taking courses and learning on the

42 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE 1

low when the school first reopened. to teach social studies and English,” she ex- In response, CAI asked a local reli- plained. “It’s with the latter that I feel un- gious cleric to encourage families to comfortable. I went for a ten-day training in send their children to school. The plan Gilgit organized by CAI. There were 61 oth- was a success. Now the school has two er teachers and I got a chance to meet new full-time teachers, enrollment is up, people.” and classes go up to the third grade. “I learned new methodologies for lis- The teachers have been given training tening, speaking skills, and activity-based in early childhood development tech- learning,” she went on to say. “It was all new. niques, and students struggling with Before, I found the duration of the lessons language courses learn basic phonics too long and hard to fill. There was always to improve their proficiency. A com- spare time left, but now I finish on time. mittee has even been formed in the Earlier, I did most of the talking myself, but village to run the school in order to now I give the students a chance to practice engage parents as stakeholders. speaking.” Ishkomen (which translates to “heart’s It was heart-warming to see that all It is not just the teachers who are happy love”), contrasted with the poverty of its 50 households in the village now are willing with the way things have progressed. Juldush people. Still, despite their poverty, there to send their girls to school. The CAI-Gilgit Khan, chairman of the school committee, were two primary schools in the valley. manager, Saidullah Baig, is hopeful that these spoke emotionally: “We wish CAI success. The first school, Tameer-e-Millet primary local schools will generate the next gener- Thank you for thinking about our future. We school, got its name from a nongovernmen- ation of local teachers, thus ensuring the had no school system before. Our students tal organization (NGO) that supported the school’s future. take interest in studies now. We thank first school after a visiting engineer constructed it Allah and then CAI for changing our lives several years earlier. MAJAWEER LEADS THE and caring for our well-being.” By 2010, the school closed down; WAY The students are thriving. Nowadays, girls CAI intervened and adopted it in 2011. out-number and out-perform boys at the Renovations included adding washrooms, a he next stop on our expedition middle school. But one did not need statistics boundary wall, and an office for the teachers. was to the CAI Middle School in to see how the school was doing: the glow- The finishing touch was the gift of uniforms Majaweer. This school was built ing faces of the girls and boys tell the whole and school supplies. Tfrom the ground up by men from the 60 story. It was clear to anyone who looked that In trying to explain the past failure of the households in the village, as are all CAI- the community was completely invested in school, a village elder named Mayoon Khan, constructed schools. Today, they own it with the education of their children and they were pointed to poverty as the primary reason pride. doing everything in their power to further it was abandoned. It was difficult to lure This school had a small fee of 350 rupees improve the quality of education in the vil- teachers from more developed places to stay (US $3.50) per month. For some of the re- lage. Apparently, they had already bought in the village of Tashnaluk. Additionally, luctant parents, the fee initially was waived land and were planning an expansion for the some parents had misgivings about an out- to encourage them to send their children to school. Communities like this should be an side organization educating their children. class. Over time the situation has changed. example to us all. If only everyone cared this Consequently, enrollment had been very With children spending productive and much about their children’s future, the world happy hours in school, even would be a better place. n9 these financially hard-pressed The views expressed in this article are exclusively those parents are now willing to of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of keep the children in school Central Asia Institute. without the subsidy. This past summer, staff re- Haniya Tirmizi has ceived training in Gilgit from more than 20 years qualified trainers associated of experience as an educator, involved in with Aga Khan Education ESL instruction, English Services. Ayesha Bibi, one language testing, and of the teachers, felt it made a material development. huge difference in her teaching She has undertaken freelance consultancies style. with the U.N. Development Programme, and “I am basically a math and national and international nongovernmental science teacher who also has organizations.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 43 CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE:

ukut is a small village on the RYarkhun River. Approximately A featured project of CAI’s 20 families call it home. Located 2015 Spring Capital Campaign, a short distance from the funds were collected to build a permanent school in the village. Afghanistan border in Pakistan’s Construction began in May on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the land donated by the community. village is remote to say the least.

CAI purchased and delivered materials, such as wood and concrete, while villagers collected gravel and stone from the nearby river. The community came together to provide unskilled labor to assist the skilled laborers brought in by CAI.

The building was completed in September, ahead of the cold weather. The school boasts four classrooms, one office, two toilets, and a boundary wall.

Previously there had been only one teacher, Mr. Essa Khan. After teaching in two other CAI-supported schools north of Rukut, Khan is happy now to be working in his home village.

44 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE RUKUT CLASSES MOVE INSIDE AHEAD OF WINTER

This year the school will get an additional teacher and add class two – the school already offers class one and an early childhood development program. Thirty- eight students are currently enrolled, up from the 27 students last year.

Students and parents are excited about the new school. They have a celebration planned for the spring when the weather is nice, a delayed grand opening.

Saidullah Baig, the regional project manager, says the community’s next step is to secure teacher training for the instructors. An additional teacher would be welcome, as well. They are keen to increase the number of classes offered at the school.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 45 HER: HOPE. EDUCATE. RISE. Inspire Change

BY LAURA BRIN

e are proud to announce the HER program–100 percent of what The more people who know how im- a new Central Asia supporters like you raise–will go toward portant women’s and girls’ education in Institute initiative: an in- CAI education programs overseas. Your Central Asia is, the more women and girls novative, engaging way generous support will build schools, sub- can be educated in the remote areas of Wfor you to get involved and help us fulfill sidize scholarships, train and pay good Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. our mission, promoting peace through teachers, create and sustain women’s vo- Education can change their lives for- education. cational and literacy centers, and support ever. The more women and girls who are HER participants raise awareness and other vital community programs. able to earn an education and improve funds by doing creative, personalized This is much more than a program — their communities, the closer we are to fundraisers. Every cent donated through this is a movement. achieving peace.

46 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE By hosting a dinner party, asking for This holiday season, consider adding passed down through the generations in donations instead of birthday gifts, or HER to your gift list and Celebrate for Afghanistan — but they’re still true today. running a marathon, you’ll let your family HER! It’s not a trendy trinket or a big- Every action you take, every little bit and friends know about the importance screen TV; it’s a gift that will matter and you do to help, every time you choose to of women’s and girls’ education, espe- make a lasting difference. All donations do something for HER, you’ll be making cially in these often overlooked areas. made by December 31 are fully tax-de- an impact in the real lives of women and You will be the voice for those women ductible for 2015. girls in Central Asia. You’ll be adding and girls overseas who can’t be here to As a token of our appreciation, if you one drop, and together, just like in the represent themselves. Even though they become a founding member, we are of- proverb explains, we can build a mighty are thousands of miles away, you and fering you an exclusive HER journal. river that will transform and enrich life your loved ones can transform their lives Drop by drop, a river is formed. across Central Asia. for the better. Those words are ancient — a proverb

If you’re interested in starting something for HER to make an impact within your community and in Central Asia, please visit www.forHER.org or send an email to [email protected].

Laura Brin development manager for CAI, has been dedicated to the organization and its mission of peace through education for more than three years. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Brin earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pitzer College, a member of the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA. Prior to joining the CAI team she worked for a Montana non-profit called Aware, Inc. and now serves on the board of directors for another local organization, BridgerCare.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 47 1 A WALK IN

THEIR SHOES BY N.H. SENZAI “You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

his quote is from one of my favor- Reading allows children to look into a future success in life. For a child living in the ite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, by window of another world — it sparks their United States, education, for the most part, Harper Lee. In this passage, Atticus imagination and expands their horizons. A is easily accessible. There is no question that TFinch, a southern lawyer, is giving his daugh- tale that brings them into the life of someone a child will not go to school, either public or ter, Scout, a crucial piece of advice that else provokes curiosity and allows them to private. As of 2001 there were 92,858 ele- guides her development through the novel experience an unknown culture, time, and mentary schools (68,173 public, 24,685 pri- — to live with sympathy and understanding land. Literature triggers questions, the op- vate) and according to the National Center toward others. The lines have always struck a portunity to research and discuss findings. for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2009 chord with me and are a variation of a prov- It is especially useful to use stories when almost 3.5 million students attended public erb from the Cherokee Nation, “Don’t judge a talking to children about challenging and primary schools man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” difficult issues. Thus, reading about charac- So how would a child living in Chicago, It beautifully evokes the sentiment of how ters that may be different from themselves, Atlanta, or San Francisco be aware of the fact you cannot truly empathize with the plight of but who they can empathize with and find that children in developing countries are not others without experiencing the life they live. commonalities, is priceless. Teachers, librar- so privileged? They probably have not read As a writer I know that a way to walk in ians, and educators are using a wide variety the 2012 UNESCO Education for All Global someone else’s shoes, so to speak, and expe- of books to promote mutual understanding Monitoring Report that shows 61 million rience the trials and tribulations of another’s across racial, cultural, religious, political, and children, the majority girls, are out of school. life, is through literature. Through the pages geographical divides. As young people learn Worldwide, girls constitute over half of the of a book a reader can crawl in to the skin of more about the challenges faced by children children out of school and only 30 percent of an orphan in mid-century London wanting around the world, they become sympathetic all girls are enrolled in secondary school. In more porridge, a refugee fleeing Afghanistan, and, in turn, become agents of change. many countries, less than one third of univer- or a professor on the track of an elusive code A critical, global issue that many writers sity students are women. The average sub-Sa- through Paris. Through the pages of a book a are addressing is the access to education. For haran African girl from a low-income, rural reader journeys in the footsteps of the char- kids in the United States it’s a concept that’s household gets less than two years of school- acters, vicariously experiencing their plight a bit foreign to them since they’ve never ing and never learns to read and write, to add and emotions. Nowhere is this truer than in questioned the possibility of not attending and subtract. Many are not aware that the the literature for children, since stories play school. Many would love to play hooky, but path out of poverty is education – it literally a huge part in a child’s social and emotional it’s not an option. And many don’t connect transforms lives for generations. How do we development. the necessity of attaining an education for bring awareness about these children? Have

48 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE 1 them walk in their shoes through the pages of “Yasmin’s Hammer”, The poems give us glimpses of her life, their books. The books below offer a glimpse into by Ann Malaspina traditions, her chores, and a dust storm that 2010. (Grades 1-5) the lives of children striving to fulfill their passes through. One day the Janjaweed, “evil dreams of attaining an education. Walking men on horseback,” attack and her family has in their footsteps other children can learn a to flee, ultimately living in a refugee camp. great deal, and provide a helping hand. The second part of the book describes her new life in the refugee camp and her journey toward healing. A relief worker gives Amira “Nasreen’s Yasmin and her sister spend their days a red pencil, which helps her work towards Secret School: A working hard in the brickyards to help make recovery and keeps her dream alive that one Nasreen’s True Story from money for their family. Yasmin dreams of day she’ll be able to go to school. Secret Afghanistan”, by going to school so that she can have a better Jeanette Winter (Ages 8+) life (“… I don’t want to sweep a rich lady’s floor”), and decides to take action herself to help her dream come true. “I Am Malala”, by I Am Malala Yousafzai Malala with Patricia When Nasreen’s parents are removed from “Ruby’s Wish”, by McCormick, Little, their home by the Taliban soldiers, her life Shirin Yim Bridges Ruby’s Brown Books for is turned upside down. Because they forbid (Ages 4-8) Young Readers girls to get an education, a neighbor opens Wish (Ages 10 and up) a secret school for girls. Based on a true sto- ry, and set in contemporary times, this story highlights the struggle for freedom that some Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old children face today. when the Taliban took control of her region. Set at the turn of the century in China, little They said music was a crime. They said wom- Ruby has an unthinkable dream: she is deter- en weren’t allowed to go to the market. They “Beatrice’s Goat”, mined to attend university when she grows said girls couldn’t go to school. Raised in a by Page McBrier Beatrice’s up, just like the boys in her family. The last once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed Goat (Ages 4-9) page of the book reveals that it is based on by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up the true story of the author’s grandmother, for what she believes. So she fought for her with a photograph of her at university. I was right to be educated. And on October 9, incredibly moved by this story, and believe 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: the age level should be age 4 through adult! She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school. Now In a small Ugandan village, a little girl des- Malala is an international symbol of peaceful “The Red Pencil”, perately wants to go to school. When a fat, by Andrea Davis protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace new goat is given to their family, they have THE Pinkney Prize winner. In this Young Readers Edition milk to drink and sell, and later sell one of RED (Ages 9 and up) of her bestselling memoir, which has been re- the goat’s kids. Soon the family has enough PENCIL imagined specifically for a younger audience money to send the children to school and and includes exclusive photos and material, build a stronger house. Based on a true story we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a of a family who received a goat from Heifer girl who knew from a young age that she International, this story is a heart-warming wanted to change the world — and did. n9 reminder that not everyone has equal access Twelve-year-old Amira has a wonderful life to education. in a small farming village in Darfur, Sudan.

The views expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Central Asia Institute.

N.H. Senzai is the author of “Shooting Kabul”, book, “Saving Kabul Corner”, was nominated which was critically acclaimed and on numerous for an Edgar Award. Her third novel, “Ticket To award lists. Publishers Weekly called it “hard India”, a contemporary novel about the Great hitting, emotionally wrenching.” Her second Partition, will be released in November 2015.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 49 Ways you can help:

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Start a Pennies for Peace campaign: Phone: 877.585.7841 penniesforpeace.org Email: [email protected]

Fundraise for HER: CAI is a registered nonprofit organization forHER.org U.S. IRS § 501(c)(3) | EIN: 51-0376237

ANNUAL SPENDING (FY 2014)

Global outreach program ...... $521,940 ...... 5.6%

Overseas education ...... $7,422,084 ...... 79.2%

Total Programs ...... $7,944,024 ...... 84.8%

General and administrative expense ...... $1,137,072 ...... 12.1%

Fundraising expense ...... $286,025 ...... 3.1%

Total Expenses ...... $9,367,121 ...... 100%

DONORS

Individuals ...... 91%

Organizations ...... 6%

Corporate ...... 2% Foundations/grants 1%

Why it matters Until children, especially girls, are educated, societies won’t change. Education is the antidote for ignorance, poverty, and war. • More than 569 million women and girls worldwide are illiterate. • A woman’s earnings will be 10-20% higher for every year of school she completes. • The child of a literate mother has a 50% greater chance of surviving past age 5. • Children with educated mothers are 50% more likely to go to school. • Of 57 million children of primary school age who aren’t in school, 31 million are girls.

50 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE KIND WORDS Where we work FROM FRIENDS: Many of the villages of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan where we work have been plagued by poverty, illiteracy, and violence for centuries. Because of this, other organizations don’t—or can’t—work here. But Centra9l Asia Institute is at home in these places, often high in the mountains, o the beaten path.

Afghanistan It Paiski ast greatan joy to contribute my small amount to help Central Asia Institute Afghanistan withCentral the Asia valuable Educational work Trust we are doing together. You SHARINGDirector: Abdul IS Wakil CARING Karimi Director: Shakir Ali Program locations: Kabul haveAzad my Jammu thanks Kashmir for Program all that manager: you do! Fozia Naseer www.cai.org.af ou have probably heard the age-old adage, sharing is car- Baltistan Program Manager: Mohammad Nazir Program locations: — Priscilla Islamabad, Mustin, monthly donor (2009-present) Staring. of This Knowledge saying is very true for many of the communities Azad Jammu Kashmir, Baltistan, Punjab Director:we serve Muhammad in Pakistan, Nadir Afghanistan, Hani and Tajikistan where www.caet.org.pk Program locations: Badakshan, Baghlan, Ghazni, Kabul, storytellingYKapisa, is anKhost, essential Kunar, part Laghman, of the Logar,culture. Nangrahar, When stories Pakita, are Central Asia Institute Gilgit shared acquaintancesPanjshir, Parwan, become Urozgan, friends, Wardak friends become family, and Director: Saidulah Baig 9 familieswww.sko.org.af become stronger. Program Manager: Fazil Baig In this Marcopolopublication Social we have Services shared and the Reconstruction stories of the Organization people we I amProgram [an] locations: 18 year old teenager [from] Swabi, Director: Jan Agha Jaheed serve with you. By reading them you, advertently or inadvertent- Gilgit, Hunza, Program locations: Badakhshan, Tarkhar Pakistan.Ghizer The roots of education are bitter, but ly, have www.marcopolo.org.afbecome part of our extended family. We have shared, you have cared. the fruit are sweet. I want to help too. I want to be Tajikistan useful to my country. I want to do something for the If you findCentral joy Asiain these Institute stories Tajikistan and value in the work that we do, please considerDirector: supportingMahbuba Qurbonalieva CAI with a one-time gift or a recur- development of my beautiful homeland. Thanks for Program locations: Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast ring monthly donation. Even the smallest gesture of kindness can showing me the right path. have a big impact. From our family to yours, thank you. — Khaula, supporter (2014-present)

CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE PROJECTS INITIATED

CAI PROJECTS BY COUNTRY AfghanistanPakistanTajikistanTOTAL Schools built * 93 92 4 189 Schools supported ** 64 55 1 120 Vocational and literacy programs 30 35 065 Community programs 5100 14 Public health programs 7282 37 Scholarship programs 5 5 1 11 Teacher support programs 2102 14 Total 205 235 10 451

Note: This information is current as of October 2015. Please visit our website centralasiainstitute.org for the most up-to-date information. Schools built* – CAI provided funds to build new schools or improve existing structures with a partial expansion. In most cases, CAI also provides additional ongoing support to these schools. Schools supported** – CAI did not provide funds to build the school, but provided funds for school supplies, uniforms, equipment, repairs, maintenance, boundary walls, or other support.

FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 51 20th Anniversary Special Edition Calendar

I would like to thank everyone who made this year’s Journey of Hope possible — our consultants, advisors, contributors, staff, international partners, and volunteers. – Jim Thaden, Executive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS Central Asia Institute has a AFGHANISTAN limited number of 2016 calendars Steve Barrett – Chair available for sale at $12 each. Sandra Cook – Member Central Asia Institute-Afghanistan Asif Chaudhry – Member Director: Abdul Wakil Karimi Proceeds help CAI carry out its Locations supported: Ghazni, Kabul mission. Talat Khan – Member George E. McCown – Member Star of Knowledge Greg Mortenson – Ex-officio Director: Muhammad Nadir Hanifi ORDER YOURS TODAY. Farid Senzai – Member Locations supported: Badakshan, Baghlan, Iram Shah – Vice Chair Ghazni, Kabul, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Visit centralasiainstitute.org Howard T. Slayen – Member Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktia, and click on the calendar link. Peter Thatcher – Treasurer Panjshir, Parwan, Urozgan, Wardak John E. (Jed) Williamson – Secretary Marcopolo Social Services and CAI STAFF Reconstruction Organization Director: Janagha Jaheed Laura Brin – Development Manager Locations supported: Badakhshan, Takhar Alanna Brown – Pennies for Peace Program Manager PAKISTAN PHOTOS BY Christel Chvilicek – Grants and Central Asia Educational Trust Erik Petersen Sponsorship Manager Director: Shakir Ali Some photos by Ellen Jaskol Greg Mortenson – Co-founder Azad Jammu Kashmir Program and Teru Kuwayama Jennifer Pearson – Donor Relations Manager: Fozia Naseer Erik Petersen, has been a Montana-based Manager Baltistan Program photojournalist for over 15 years and made Jennifer Sipes – Operations Director Manager: Mohammad Nazir Locations supported: Islamabad, Azad his first trip on behalf of Central Asia Lillian Stirling – Administrative Assistant Institute during the summer of 2012. He Jammu Kashmir, Baltistan, Punjab Jim Thaden – Executive Director can be reached at erikpetersenphotography@ Dustin Thompson – Communications gmail.com and erikpetersen.photoshelter. com. Central Asia Institute-Gilgit Manager Director: Saidullah Baig GRAPHIC DESIGN BY Hannah White – Communications Director Locations supported: Gilgit, Hunza, Ghizer Anya McManis Creative Studio. Graphic design and web development services. TAJIKISTAN anyamcmanis.com. Journey of Hope is published yearly by Central Asia Institute-Tajikistan COPYEDITING BY Central Asia Institute, PO Box 7209, Director: Mahbuba Qurbonalieva Jill Santuccio. The Word Lady. You can Bozeman, MT 59771-7209. © 2015 by Locations supported: GBAO contact Jill at [email protected]. Central Asia Institute. All rights reserved.

52 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE FALL 2015 JOURNEY OF HOPE | 53 Central Asia Institute empowers communities of Central Asia through literacy and education, especially for girls; promotes peace through education; and conveys the importance of these activities globally.

Peace through education centralasiainstitute.org