out of city life.

I live in Lal, Sarjangal, Ghor Province, Afghanistan. Central province of the country, neighbour to Bamyan – a place famous for the world’s biggest Buddhas (now it’s the empty space in the place of Buddhas). A province with not a single paved road, high altitude (Lal is located 2800 meters above the sea level) and high Taliban activity (not where I live, though). In Lal there is no running water and electricity is provided by solar energy. In the center of the area there are shops and restaurants locally called “bazaar”, around the place smaller settlements are located. Most of the buildings are made of mud, in winters the main fuel to heat and cook is animals dung made into round “cakes”.

                And there is the school. Rahnaward-e-Noor Private High School. The only private school in the whole province. The school in which I agreed to volunteer as an English teacher, starting from August 2019. The school is supported by ROYA organization which sponsors some of the students here along with 3 other provinces of Afghanistan. Having around 500 students, Rahnaward is by far the biggest school in the region and the best equipped as well. 15 teachers teach 16 different subjects, including IT and English.

 It is the only co-educative high school in the province, teaching in the spirit of humanity instead of religion or nationalism. From time to time the school is participating in different development projects sponsored by NGOs and/or embassies and other programs, for example celebrations of Independence (100^th anniversary in 2019) or poetry nights.

The school was established in 2011. The founder of the school, Azizullah Mahdi, for 6 years was donating his own savings (more than $30000) to keep the school running. The last 3 years student fees started to give profit to the school, however, Azizullah and some other people from the school board of directors still work here voluntarily not receiving a salary. The idea to establish the school was born while Mahdi was working for a NGO and noticed the hunger for education among local people. As governmental schools were lacking most of the facilities and professionalism, he decided to dedicate himself to creating an opportunity for those who wanted to change their lives by the means of education.

                I could say I got to this place almost by a chance. By randomly posting a question about any volunteer/work opportunities in Afghanistan, not really hoping to get an answer. Almost instantly I got a contact to the school founder and the whole machine has started. As being located in China at that time, all the agreements where made via Internet, mostly by trust and belief. Then I went to Dubai, UAE to apply for the visa and got stuck there for 3 weeks (it could be another topic form a story “from hate to love” time in Dubai). Many people and offices had to be involved in the process of issuing a visa but finally I got it. What’s more, just recently, I also got the visa extension for (unexpected) 6 months.

                Long, long time ago it has all started. Unexplained need to go to Afghanistan, to discover the unknown and untold. To see the other side of the stories, not just blood, bombs and tears. I knew there have always been more to that. And now I am finding it.

                Last year, during my trip in Tajikistan I went to the magnificent land of Pamir. I was standing on the river bank barely 50 meters across from Afghanistan. I told myself “next year I’ll be on the other side”, believing in it just a little bit more than if I had said “I’ll go to the Moon next year”.  

                A few months ago, in China, in a dimly lit bar filled with cigarette smoke, I was asked by Ben – an English guy also living and working in the city – what would my prefect day be like. After a few minutes of thinking I said I would love to wake up in the early morning in an Afghan village, eat some freshly baked bread and stay with the locals. Again, it was this kind of thoughts/things that sound so impossible that you never believe could happen. But then again, here I am. And again, I remind myself to be careful what I wish for…

More about the school:

http://bamyanfoundation.org/rahnawardenoor-high-school-ghor-province

https://royamentorshipprogram.wordpress.com/partner-schools/rahnaward-e-noor-high-school/