They had been married only a year and expected their first child when fleeing for their lives. In 1983 Barialey and Simani left their homeland of Afghanistan seeking a place of shelter and security in Pakistan. Russian shells hit the outskirts of Kabul and there were no vehicles on the road. The couple traveled for two days by foot and donkey over the mountain pass to Pakistan. “The ride was hard especially for my wife. We thought we were going to lose our child, but Allah has been kind and protected our lives,” said Barialey. Read the rest of their amazing story as told to OBI's relief worker Kumar while he was in Afghanistan in May.

Thousands waiting to cross the Afghan border into Pakistan. “We were cold and had not much to eat for a few days,” Barialey shared. “Seeing the massive crowd, we lost hope of survival. Again Allah was kind and through the help of international organizations, we received temporary shelter and food to keep ourselves warm. In a few days we were transported to Pakistan and placed in a refugee camp. We had no friends or relatives. Tents surrounded us. I felt as though my wife and I were put in a prison. The only thought in my mind was to take care of my wife and the baby. We did not have blankets, beds or mattresses, and for the first few nights slept on hard ground.

“Allah was again kind to us, as an international organization saw our condition. They provided us the mattresses for my wife as well as some food items. Together with hundreds of other refugees I sat near the roadside daily hoping that someone would hire me for a job, but nothing was available. With no money in hand, our daily meal was rice and soup. Soon the time came for my wife to give birth. We had no resources to see a doctor. The older women from the neighboring tents came to help my wife. I waited for hours and finally Aisha, our beautiful daughter was born.

“But I had lost my wife. For many Afghans it is not a big deal to loose a wife in childbirth, but mine was precious. We had gone through hard times together and she stuck by me. Bringing up our daughter Aisha alone was tough. She was sick all of the time. As a refugee I had to accept my fate and let nature keep us safe. As I watched Aisha grow up she looked more like her mother, beautiful and soft natured. I loved her so much and wanted to give the best but being a refugee there was only so much I could offer. I found some odd jobs and used the little money to educate Aisha in the refugee school.

“By the time Aisha was eight she was able to read and write. I was so excited because I couldn’t read. My desire was to see my daughter be somebody one day. I had no money to send her for further education. Pakistan schools were expensive but through the help of some neighbors I was able to send her for two years to get a decent education. She did very well in her classes but my culture did not permit my daughter to continue school when she came to age. From then on she had to stay home and take care of the house. Many families came and asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage, but Aisha felt that it was her responsibility to take care of me and refused to be married.

“Two months ago we returned to Afghanistan and were shocked at the destruction of our village and home. Again we did not know where to turn. As we were walking past a school under a tree, Aisha noticed that all the students were young girls. She turned to me and asked if she could join the class. Normally it is not permitted for girls of Aisha’s age to be in public, but since it was a girl’s school I said okay. When I realized the school met under a tree I did not feel comfortable as this was in public and my people would ridicule me. I said no to Aisha and tears rolled from her cheek.”

This is just one of the countless stories of the many families OBI's relief worker had the privilege of meeting during his last mission. There are many young girls in Istalif like Aisha who want to attend classes, but without a school building it is not culturally possible. Kumar commented, "My heart went out for these children. They are longing for an education but it is not available."

He continued, "During my recent travels I came across an article which said, 'If you want to change a nation build a school.' Those words were powerful. The Taliban came to power by first starting a religious school in Pakistan. Slowly they took over Afghanistan and implemented their view and ideas. Wow! What an opportunity for us as Christians to make such an impact; to change a nation by investing in their lives."

In just a few days Kumar will again be in Afghanistan accessing how OBI can help assist in rebuilding a girl's school as well as overseeing the reconstruction of a destroyed medical clinic in Istalif. With the continued faithful support of OBI partners, girls including Aisha can one day lift the veil of depression from the women of Afghanistan and work for freedom in their nation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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