In Western society, education is often taken for granted. School is part of growing up. Kids look forward to socializing with friends, and taking advantage of a myriad of educational opportunities and extracurricular activities. Buildings are spacious, have running water, windows, heating, and safety features. Classrooms are equipped with the latest technology. Girls and boys have the equal right to learn. After elementary and high school, a college education or trade schools are viable options. It’s something that most parents in the West don’t think about as they wave goodbye to their children riding that yellow school bus in the mornings. But in Afghanistan, this is another matter entirely. Infrastructure to support schools is severely lacking, especially in remote parts of the country. Some schools have been heavily damaged by the ongoing conflict in the country or terrorist attacks. There aren’t enough resources to refurbish damaged schools. Children attend classes in …
Girls Education
An Inspiring Lunch with Malala Yousufzai
Last week, I had the honor and pleasure of attending a small luncheon where the special guests were Malala Yousufzai and her father Ziauddin Yousufzai. I have admired them both ever since the attack Malala suffered at the hands of the Taliban, and it is my great fortune that I met them not at a huge event but at an intimate luncheon where I could speak with them at leisure. This encounter with Malala and Ziauddin confirmed something that I had always suspected -- that the struggles of Afghans and Pakistanis are very closely connected, if not one and the same. …
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