We always set aside a morning to meet with street children sponsored through TIE. We pay their monthly stipends, personally assess their progress and needs, and reinforce our commitment to their futures. They were extremely well behaved, until they discovered we were handing out candy. All 80 began inching forward until someone broke for the front. At that point they were psychologically back on the streets of Kabul, where being first to the mark is critical. A few minutes of shoving and jockeying for position ensued until they were confident we had plenty for everyone.
We joined Aschiana's sponsorship program last April and started with 15 children. There are now 80. We thought the $20 per month stipend would take them off the streets permanently. It did for some children, but not all. Several sponsors asked if they could provide additional support. We decided to establish a support amount large enough that it would be reasonable to require that a sponsored child not work on the streets.
TIE 's sponsored Aschiana Children
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A very complicated and involved survey and margin analysis was necessary to arrive at the optimal sponsorship support level that would be fair to the families and not prohibitively expensive for sponsors. Economists from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were flown in to calculate the optimal number. Five days later they still couldn't agree on who should chair the group, the shape of the conference table or what economic model to apply. We sent them home.
The question was presented to Qudsia and Basir. They both agreed that $40 a month would be fair and not too burdensome on the families. In the future we will have two levels of support. $20 a month enables a child to attend school. $40 a month also ends their careers as street children so long as they receive this support.
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Now, the children:
We're zeroing in on the needs and capabilities of most of the children. Here's information about five Nabi and I interviewed a few days ago:
Mir Hussain is blind, in the 11th grade, and attends a "regular school", a school that's not geared toward handicapped children. He was and is no longer selling chewing gum on the streets. Afghan children are given class rankings as part of their school record. Mir ranked first in his class. As fate would have it, Mir is sponsored by Adeeb Sahar, an Afghan high school senior living in Lafayette. Adeeb visited me just before I left to let me know he had been accepted by Stanford, Brown and several other prestigious schools. Two Afghan super stars living thousands of miles apart have been TIE'd together. Creating bonds between families, communities, and individuals is exactly what we strive and have increasingly been able to achieve.
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Ghezal -
Ghezal is absolutely adorable. She has boundless energy and an infectious smile. She is very small and often needs to be carried. She is 17 years old and completes high school this year. Nabi asked if she would be going to college. Ghe zal said she wants to go but her father won't let her. He told her they will make fun of her at the University. From what we've been able to observe, Ghezal is perfectly capable of handling any teasing she may be subjected to. It's also difficult to believe that she will be teased. The children at Aschiana look after Ghezal and are quick to volunteer to carry her when needed. We'll find out what the problems are directly from her father, and try to solve them.
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Jamshid -
Jamshid failed his mid terms, worked hard and passed his finals. He's in the 7th grade. He works in an auto shop when he is not in sch ool. He likes both. He doesn't appear to see himself as college material. He is, however, taking TIE's computer class. Whatever path he elects to pursue, he recognizes he has choices he never imagined he would have. When asked what he would like us to tell his sponsor, Jamshid said, "Bless you".
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Roya -
I met Roya in November. She was very frail and obviouly sick. During our conversation in November, she admitted she was sick, couldn't afford medical help, and was having psychological problems. We shared this information with Zorah, Nabi's wife and Roya's sponsor. Zorha immediately increased Roya's support. Roya told Nabi on Tuesday that she is feeling much better and didn't mention anything about psychological problems Her physical condition was significantly better than what I observed in November. Academically Roya is "a very good student".
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Leeda -
Last but certainly not least, Leeda is also blind, in the sixth grade and number one in her class. Her father is no longer alive. She l ives with her mother and uncle. Qudsia thinks her mother cleans floors for a living. Leeda hopes one day to teach in the special education school she is currently attending. Her mother asked if we could help them find someone who could determine whether she was a candidate for corrective surgery. Are there any doctors without borders out there traveling to Kabul in the next few months?
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That's 5 of the 80, each special in his/her own way. Between Qudsia and Ashiana's social workers we will be able to identify and address many of the challenges these children and their families face.
There's a small cadre of mothers who accompany the children. Some of you should join Nabi and I on one of our visits and experience the gratitude of these women. Not a word is spoken. The body language and eye contact are overpowering and humbling.
Yes, I know I haven't written about Zora's school for girls in Farza. It merits a newsletter on its own. Four hours ago we were advised that the governor and malik (village leader) of Farza wanted to meet us before we leave on Saturday. A governor from another district asked if he could join them.
I think we're about to be subjected to some questioning by local leaders and government officials. They'll soon learn I'm just a meddling foreigner concerned about the future of Afghanistan, human rights in general, and women's rights in particular. Nabi's here for his childhood memories and the kabob. On the subject of women's rights I'm planning to let then know that I come not to bury Caesar, but to change him.
As an aside, it is "customary" that hosts provide guests with a meal. We provided what we consider to be good soup, bread, and trimmings for a group of villagers from Farza on Monday. We were admonished for providing soup and they refused to eat it.
A man who attended Monday's let us know that the two governors and malik will probably expect more than soup. I trust this story is reassuring to you donors. TIE, in the eye of villagers, living in the fifth poorest country in the world, thinks we're not spending enough on entertainment. We're probably the only foreign organization working in the country with that reputation. We'll upgrade our act tomorrow and cut back on the soup allowance for next week.
Wish us luck,
Budd
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