As I look over the 2nd
grade classroom I’m teaching today, I am reminded how lucky we are to be in
America for the simple fact if the girls in class lived in Taliban controlled
areas of Afghanistan they would not be allowed to attend school.
In America, COVID 19 has kept
children out of school in certain areas as we are risking everyone’s health. In Afghanistan, because of their beliefs, the
Taliban will not hesitate to kill or maim girls being educated and the teachers
who are teaching them. Both situations require
parents to weigh the risks involved in sending their girls and children to
school.
Under Taliban rule girls are not
allowed to be educated over the age of 8. The Taliban have attacked girls going
to school by throwing hand grenades into the schools or throwing acid in girl’s
faces and even poisoning the water wells at the schools. In the eyes of the
Taliban, a woman is an object they can control, and should girls get an education
they will want rights as women and as human beings. This results in girls seeking an education by
attending hidden underground schools, where they and their teachers know they
risk EXECUTION if caught.
I spent 4 years as a contractor in
Afghanistan helping to build separate girl and boy schools, living, eating and
sleeping in remote areas under the constant threat of Taliban attacks, to make
the school construction happen. Since many Afghan adults cannot read or write,
they wanted the schools. As they explained to me, they understood
the opportunities education opened up for their children. Working hand in hand
with the workers gave me a whole new appreciation to the dedication of the
Afghan people to complete these schools for their girls.
Afghan Teachers often find it
difficult to provide quality education with the lack of supplies and resources, because they are hired with inadequate levels of training and education, and it pays
very little. There are many complex factors making it more difficult for girls to get an education than one would think. Besides the obvious
of Taliban attacks, I found there to be a lack of female teachers, especially
in rural areas where women from one tribe do not want to teach a different
tribe. Also, there’s a huge language
barrier between the different tribes with two main languages of Dari and Pashto
in Afghanistan. And even within the same
language Afghans who speak Pashtun in Kabul told me they have difficulty
understanding the Southern Pashtun language from the south of Kabul.
Since Afghanistan is a tribal
society, there are also cultural differences. I like to compare these tribal
conflicts similar to the tribal and cultural conflicts between the different American
Indian tribes.
One huge problem is that many
children have to work. Some boys I knew were the sole provider for their
family’s income, working in the Bazaar or picking up garbage on bases. Girls typically make money by weaving or
tailoring, or some sell items on the street. Also, many girls marry before the age of 15
and then discontinue their own education.
Another problem I discovered is that
Afghan Schools have a lack of sanitation for girls, such as, no indoor running
water or access to clean and safe restrooms. The schools have a separate brick
Latrine building with no water and no toilets, just a hole in the floor. Some schools I built had no heat and none had
indoor plumbing. Only the main school
building would have minimal electricity for a few lights. There was generally a
water well at the school, some only with a manual hand pump and a few with an
electric well pump.
I was asked on an interview for a
magazine about my thoughts on the Afghanistan War. My reply was and still is
today, “The only way Afghanistan will survive is through education. We’re
making a difference here by ensuring women in Afghanistan can get an education
without worrying about interference from the Taliban”. Thankfully, in the
larger cities like Kabul and Herat, girls are able to continue their education.
One of my favorite projects in
Afghanistan was the Herat University Women’s dorm. There had to be a way that
parents outside the city would feel comfortable in sending their daughters to
college and know they would be safe. This
newly constructed dormitory would be the solution to allow educational
opportunities for women. Surrounded by a 15 foot rock wall with security guards
at the entrance, the dormitory provided a secure refuge for female students to
pursue college without fear of punishment from the Taliban. As with most
projects of this type there were continuous hurdles to completing the project.
Such as even the local police trying to shut down the construction for one
reason or another, materials stolen, workers threatened, (therefore not showing
up for work), and even armed attacks.
I felt fortunate being able to help out with the building of Girls and Boys schools in Afghanistan all the while
amidst danger. The goal was to help
create an educated population that can build better lives for the children of
Afghanistan. My biggest challenge now is being able to relate these stories to
American students in the hope they realize how lucky they are to live in
America and welcomed to get an education.
Just like I worked amidst Afghan danger to get the job done, now during COVID
19, I’m proud to stand alongside our teachers and staff to make sure education
happens.
My hope is that my book opens eyes to the reality in Afghanistan. “ONE BRICK at a TIME” by Rich Walton, available at https://www.onebrickatatimepress.com
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