Today was a good day.
Better than I expected from the bad news I awoke to.
I woke up today to my neighbor’s kids screaming bloody murder for one and a half hour…the walls here are terribly thin…
once the ear splitting melo-drama subsided my phone rang.
The landlord of the house we rented for phase one of the Amin Institute called me to inform me the house would not be ready today as I had been promised before.
Actually it had been written in our contract that our rental term would begin today.
He asked me to have some compassion for the people vacating it, as they have not yet found a new place to live.
I asked him to have compassion for kids who have never had a place to live.
I was speaking on deaf ears.
I know the most efficient language spoken across the globe is money.
I told him I would not pay until I have the key, he plead for me to pay half and I said we might have half when we get the key.
I figured if they have already breached the agreement a day prior to its commencement, why should I hold up my end.
Then I realized that this is the same vicious cycle that has led to such inefficiency and lack luster reliability.
I wouldn’t let myself be defeated in such a short time…it’s become a challenge!
At any rate it was a good day.
I visited a school that teaches and feeds orphans and impoverished kids in the
“Chil-Setoon” district:
I visited the classrooms and spoke with the directors who offered much wisdom and even volunteered to assist in training our staff.
Sitting in their office listening to all they have done, and all we have yet to do I was overwhelmed…it must have been written all over my face.
They told me, “look sister don’t loose hope, you will do it.”
“This is not a business, there is no loss, you have nothing to loose, and you will make it inshallah.” “ You are doing God’s work, you can not go wrong…everything will fall into its place, just give it time.”
They told me the fact that we had come this far meant we would make it
I trust that they are correct.
After an hour or so they took me to visit their classrooms and one in particular ripped my heart apart.
It was a class of older girls (teen-aged) whose families didn’t want them to attend school.
The school directors are very close to the community and nearly by force brought these young ladies to learn.
They asked me to address the class and give them a message from the US…
I started to speak and tell them what an honor it was for me to be there with them.
I told them I was proud to see the future of my Watan (land/country) in that room and that our country would not move forward in the hands of our men alone, that we need them and before I could go on, I broke down.
I was overcome with grief, pride, sadness and hope all in one.
I had never lost my composure like this in my life.
I have seen bad things, and felt worse things, but never fell apart like that ever before.
I apologized and thanked them for being so strong.
Every day here I learn new lessons in life.
I feel like in the past 2 weeks I have aged 10 years.
I can’t imagine how old these kids feel after all they have been through.
Still, it was a good day.
After visiting the school we were off to the Fabricayii Milli or the “peoples factory” to purchase beds for our children.
We were fortunate enough in our first few days of work to meet an engineer whose brother works with the Red Cross and had awesome connections as a result.
Not only did this engineer give me free Internet…a valuable and expensive luxury here; (without which this blog wouldn’t be possible)…but in addition he also gave us several good leads.
Out of sheer kindness, he left several days of work to help us hunt for homes.
He told us it was his duty to help us.
He said it was rare for Afghan’s who have spent their whole entire lives in comfortable exile to come to one of the most dangerous places in the world to help.
Since we were here to help move Afghanistan forward it was his duty to help us.
It was with his help that we found the house we rented for phase one of the Amin Institute, as well as the bed factory where we got an amazing deal on bunk beds, mattresses and linens today. (Thanks Engineer Habib!!)
That’s just the way things go isn’t it…you meet one “bad” person and it could be the end of your life as you know it…you meet one kind-hearted person and things all fall into place.
The school directors were right...
