gallery:
women working on the books

gallery:
examples of completed books

• Shakila: I am a mother of two children, a girl and a boy. My husband left us alone and went to Russia and there he married a Russian lady. My children and I were left alone at home. I was the only one to take care of my children. After some years I heard that my husband got divorced from the Russian wife. Now he feels too embarrassed and shy to come home. But he sends money from there for us.
• Fatima: I am a girl living with my brother. My brother is very poor. He can’t go to a foreign, developed country. He went to Iran some time ago to work. Unfortunately a big rock fell on his leg and now he is unable to work. As a woman I also can’t do anything. All I can do is to study and when I finish, start work and help my brother.
• Sajia: We in Afghanistan hope that our country will be free. We have to work together for this freedom. It is important that we rid our country of its enemies. Afghanistan needs to get back its good reputation and build its wealth. When we work with each other, there will not be any person without an education. We are thankful for the people who organize these courses.
• Tamana: I am a girl who likes to play volleyball but unfortunately my country is not safe. I would like to learn football but I don’t have a playground. I also want to learn music but here girls are warned not to.
• Samira: The use of drugs is very dangerous. There can be no promotion in society when there is drug use. Women need to work like men in society.
• Amena: I have a funny and embarrassing memory. One day I went to a shop to buy something. I asked the price from the shopkeeper. He said, "It’s 30 rupees." I said, "Oh, if you give it to me for 40 rupees I will buy it otherwise I won’t." The shopkeeper laughed and said, "40 rupees is more than 30 rupees." Afterwards I felt embarrassed and tried to go to school and learn some things. My father was not happy about me going but I forced him.
• Agila: During the Taliban reign we fled to Iran. In Iran we had lots of trauma, and horrible situations, especially in the Iranian camp. After five years we came back to Afghanistan, now I’m studying here. I would like to give many thanks to my teachers.
• Basira: We won’t allow Afghanistan to be destroyed while we have one drop of blood left in our body.
• Hamida: Women are the half of society but in my country, men have all the power. Women are just at home all the time and they do not know about their rights. Women do not have the rights for freedom of speech and education, especially women who live in villages, because men think that women are their servants. When the United Nations came here they worked for women; we asked them to help us get our rights. Please help us for education and facilities especially for women. We need their help and our other friends, for those people who are in jail. Thanks for OPAWC’s schools and handcrafts. We hope women have freedom and a good life with no more cruelty.
• Nafsi Jan: I am a widow. I have six children. My life is in a bad situation. I am working in other people’s houses and they are rich people. When I am at home I am crying a lot. I am learning sewing and doing some literary learning. I am very thankful for OPAWC who are working for us.
• Mariam: This is about my life in Kabul. I’m studying and learning sewing. My mother is a teacher. I hope that every person in Afghanistan has peace. I’m very happy with my teachers who have helped us so much.
• Amena: When Afghanistan was a peaceful country it was very green with grasses and trees. But after so much war everything is destroyed. The only way to improve ourselves and this country too is to become educated, and we can only do this with the help of foreign countries.
• Mah Gul: Many Afghan people are involved in drugs because of no education and no work in our country. This is a very important issue. All women and girls want peace for the freedom of our people.
• Mansora: We need electricity in our country because it is good for everything. We are very thankful to you who supplied these facilities for us.
• Zohteh: This represents Afghanistan as a peaceful, successful country with education for women. With freedom, democracy, women’s rights, justice in society, a good economy and peace.
• Nadia: We want peace, freedom, justice, education and women’s freedom.
• Mariam: Afghanistan is a country of war. We need freedom and peace here. We need rights, justice, equality, education for the future generation.
• name withheld: (full translation) There was a girl whose father was gambling and he didn’t have any money so he gave his daughter to an old man. The girl was with the old man for some years and during this time she had two children. As her husband was also poor, he wanted to sell his wife so he could get some money but his wife did not accept this. She escaped to her father’s home but her father didn’t accept her. She was compelled to go and find a place to sleep. She ended up sleeping in public bathrooms. When people would ask her what she was doing in these public bathrooms she would say that she was the owner. After a while she began doing bad works to make some money so she could feed herself. When the police realized what she was doing they arrested her and sent her to prison. She was released after one year. She went back to her father’s home but he told her to go back as she had made his name bad. She went to her husband who also told her to go back. Finally she started a sewing course to learn things. After a while she got married and now she is happy.
• Nadia: I am 20 years old. I lost my father during the Taliban time. I have had many difficulties in my life. Now I am studying at OPAWC and am thankful for their assistance.
• Mursal: Everything, such as peace, equality, improvement can happen if we want it. Working hard is good, it makes us healthy. Work is really good.
• Hamida: I’m 45 years old with eight children. I was married when I was a little girl. Now my children are grown and I’m studying. I can now read and write. I would like to thank very much OPAWC and the staff of the Vocational Training Centre.
• Majabeen: I had a dream of education in my life but my father wouldn’t allow me to go to school. When I married I just told my children to study and now they have finished university. I am studying at the moment. I want to thank all my teachers.
• Anita:
      School is my mother
      The pen is my sword
      Knowledge is my power
      The book is my friend
  In Afghanistan, many people kill themselves, but most are killed by other groups; Hazara, Pashtun, Tajik and so on. They kill each other because of these names.
• Sara: I am a girl who doesn’t have parents. I’m living with my brother, he hits me all the time. I need your help. Please help me. I love you.
• Mahjan: Our country is like a flower, we have to take care of it. The flowers too. I am a woman who is awake now.
• Nazia: We have to work hard to continue our life. All Afghan people work hard.
• Jamila: I’m studying at OPAWC Vocational Training Centre. Women in Afghanistan do not have any rights. They are just at home doing housework. I hope we can have rights like men.
• Zahida: When the Russians were attacking my country they were throwing bombs to my country. My brother was scared and hid under a rock where there was also a wolf. The funny thing is that the wolf didn’t bite my brother. Many thanks to the people who provide for us the school, books and everything.
• Nazifa: Knowledge is everything. We have to study hard. (Also a poem)
• Anis Gul: We used to have a good, peaceful life in Afghanistan. During the Taliban years we went to Iran. When we returned to Afghanistan it was very horrible, nothing was in a good situation, everything was destroyed. Now I’m studying at the moment.
• Lida: We are fed up with all the fighting and war in our country. There has been war for so many years in my country. We have the right to be in peace.
• Marma: Sports are very important to improve our ability. We need to teach our children the importance of sports and education.
• Habiba: I come to school to learn. The teacher helps me to study and succeed and help to serve my country.
• Laila: I want to have a life the same as other women. I want my children to have a peaceful life. Please take these fighting politicians to the international court. Please assist Afghanistan to be free from this wild jungle.