These days, Afghanistan makes international headlines more and more rarely, and when it does, it is always accompanied by a new tragedy. Humanitarian crises, earthquakes, deadly attacks, droughts, displaced and suffering refugees.
I previously worked at Daily Outlook Afghanistan, the country's first English-language media outlet. In our small newsroom, we have found that the constant flow of bad news has a negative psychological impact. So we sought out positive stories to run alongside our regular coverage, trying to counter this decades-old trend of painting Afghanistan in black.
Daily Outlook Afghanistan is no more. The newspaper, like many other media outlets, was forced to close shortly after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021. Most of his colleagues fled to neighboring Iran and Pakistan. One of them, Alireza Ahmadi, tragically died in the Kabul airport bombing on August 26 of the same year. As a result, there are now even fewer journalists around the world looking for positive reporting on Afghanistan.
I myself have fallen into the dark trap of fatalism. In the midst of 20 years of war and violence, I went from being a writer who always analyzed political issues from a positive perspective and trying to give hope to my readers to a man filled with regret. Life became very difficult overnight. I was unemployed and struggling to support my family. Everything seemed pointless to me.
I often heard complaints from female relatives about the struggle and ban on secondary and university education under the Taliban regime. This made me sad and added to my pain.
As the months passed, I gradually began to realize that I could offer more than just words of comfort. As the Chinese proverb goes, “It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
So I decided to light the candle of literacy and education. I have many years of experience as an English teacher and have worked with various educational institutions and initiatives across Afghanistan. It's time to use it.
We have found like-minded people who are determined to start playing an active role for the young generation during this difficult time. Together we founded a private academy teaching English in Dasht-e-Barchi, a district in western Kabul.
None of us had extra money, so we had to borrow money from friends to rent a space and equip it with chairs, desks, whiteboards, solar panels, MP3 players, and screens. We created the syllabus ourselves and went through the registration process with the Ministry of Education.
Despite a ban on secondary and university education, girls are still allowed to study in private education centers. So we, along with the boys, welcomed them as students.
We comply with legal requirements and keep girls and boys in separate rooms. We also ensure that all female students wear the Islamic hijab during classes in accordance with the regulations of the authorities.
We have relatively affordable tuition fees, and we also have an exemption system. Of the 200 students currently studying with us, 15 have not paid their tuition fees and 40 have paid half their tuition fees. The payments we collect are just enough to cover the rent.
We teach for free, but you still get paid. It is inspiring to meet so many young boys and girls every day who want to study and achieve something.
For example, there is a male student who was recently involved in a traffic accident. A rickshaw collided with a motorbike, seriously injuring his finger. He sent us a message saying, “I had an accident and had to undergo surgery.'' Please pray that my fingers will not be cut off. ” To my surprise, he showed up to class immediately after the surgery.
Another student who has inspired us with her determination is a 16-year-old girl who works in a tailor's shop and earns very little to support her family. She is very keen on learning English, but since she cannot afford to study, we gave her the opportunity to join our academy for free. To cover the cost of her books and stationery, she sets aside 10 her afghanistan ($0.14) each day from her salary.
As I reflect on the past few months that the Academy has been open, I regret that I lost the previous two years to depression and hopelessness. If we had started earlier, we could have helped many boys and girls pursue their educational dreams.
Some of the students I taught several years ago are currently studying abroad in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, France, and the United States.
But I'm also happy to have left the paralysis of despair and embraced hope. I strive to help my students fight depression and hopelessness. I strive to inspire enthusiasm and optimism and motivate them to be active in their communities and create the positive stories Afghanistan so desperately needs.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.