A Message from the Heart: Our Journey to Light
By Andeisha Farid
From the moment I could open my eyes I saw my village turned to rubble by a Soviet airstrike. From the moment I could hear I listened to the screaming voices of helpless widows and orphaned children. I carried these tragedies as burning ashes in my heart throughout my life. One war bled into the next, and the next. As I grew older I learned that war is not the only disease embracing my ill-fated nation. A dominant medieval and decaying ideology is far more perilous than the legacy of war. Oppression blanketed my country, crushing women to the point they became less than mules, to the point they could only escape by suicide. One day, war will finally end, but this will not end the devastation. All that will be left are powerless women, boys who only know how to use a rifle, and girls whose lives are deemed useful in so much as they can be sold as child brides. These grim realities turned the ashes in my heart into fire and triggered me not to sit in a corner, but to stand up.
For me there is a practical remedy for the ignorance, oppression, hatred, and poverty so deeply imbedded in society; raise a new generation of boys and girls….if we could educate them, teach them to embrace equality, empower them with a sense of security, they might give back to their country what their country desperately needs: Afghan teachers, Afghan midwives, Afghan engineers and of course, Afghan leaders.
Visit one of our orphanages and you will experience an island of peace. Pashtun cares for Hazara. Tajik cares for Nooristani. Uzbek cares for Kabulese. Boys learn that the future of their country depends on walking side by side with their sisters as equals. All of them respect the gift of education; all understand the responsibility and the value of freedom. Only in this way will democracy come to Afghanistan, from within.
When asked what is the best thing about the orphanage, one of our older children, Farzana, contemplated this question for some time. Then, with a smile and a light in her eyes she uttered two words. “Working together?” she said almost as a question. Yes, Farzana, working together, because without the help of so many individuals, we would not be here.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Charity Help International and its founder, Paul Stevers, whose dedication has connected us with benevolent sponsors worldwide. To my Afghan colleagues, the resilient widows, diligent men, and the spirited children who stand with us—your unwavering support is the bedrock of our success. Together, we embody the Afghan proverb, “One flower does not make spring.” Thanks to your belief in our cause and your commitment to our children, we are nurturing a garden of hope for a new dawn in Afghanistan.
In this shared journey of hope and transformation, we are reminded that the future indeed rests in the hands of our children. With each day, as we nurture their potential, we step closer to a spring of renewal and peace for Afghanistan.
Kabul, March 24, 2010