Building Dreams in Afghanistan
Najila was seven
when her family fled Istalef. The fighting between the Mujahidin and the
Taliban forced them from their home in the Shomali plains. After walking
across the treacherous mountains for a few days, they reached a refugee
camp near Kabul. For the next seven years Najila’s family lived there
in a tent. The Taliban forbade a girl from going into the public, in essence,
trapping Najila inside her tent. She was unable to go to school or play
with other girls.
“I remember peeping through
the tent watching boys my age going to school,” shared Najila. “I
was jealous and angry for not being able to join them. My parents would
not get me books in fear that if they were caught they would be severely
punished. Deep down in my heart I always had the desire to study and become
doctor one day.”
Studying Outside
Najila’s “far-fetched” dreams began to become a reality
after the Taliban was overthrown. Her family moved back to Istalef, only
to see that all of the area’s homes, school and clinics had been
destroyed. It would take years to rebuild everything! This did not stop
Najila from enthusiastically attending school under a tree. Even though
she and her friends didn’t have any text books, they had a lot of
catching up to do! “I am fourteen but attending second grade. Although
a number of girls are younger, I am not ashamed. The joy of getting an
education and pursuing my goals is all I need.”
Operation Blessings Fills the Need
To fit in with the culture, a girl’s school needed to be built in
a private place. Kumar Periasamy, Operation Blessing’s representative,
had already been helping Istalef’s people rebuild their lives by
coordinating medical clinics, food distributions and agricultural projects.
Recognizing there was great potential in these young students, Operation
Blessing and its partners from around the world broke ground for a girl’s
school in August 2002.
Najila and her friends couldn’t wait to be in the new building.
School would be free and they would receive education through high school!
The Istalef girl’s school was inaugurated in August 2003. Filled
with brand new desks, chairs, tables and blackboards, the school’s
eight classrooms became rooms of new beginnings for its 250 female students.
Each girl also received school supplies! The principal said, “Operation
Blessing has done a wonderful work in our village, you have given hope
for our girl’s, what you have started continue till we are able
to stand on our feet.”
Your gifts give entire communities hope for the future.
Whether war-torn or impoverished, there are countless children and their
families living in the world’s rural communities that need our help.
Your gift of $25 or more can begin to build the dreams of those shattered
by hardship. Please give generously today!
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