Name Finish Javed's story.
Name An Afghan Girl Goes to School By Colleen Messina Saida ran over to the man who stood by her brother's grave. Her dark hair whipped through the wind even though her head was covered with a bright red and white scarf. Her sky-blue eyes brimmed over with tears. She boldly pulled on the man's shirt sleeve because she had something important to say. Saida said, "I don't have any more brothers. I want to go to school." The man looked down at the 12-year-old girl. He was building a school close by. He knew that education was the key to rebuilding Afghanistan. And right in front of him, Saida's hopeful face showed her intense desire for an education. Saida got her wish and was able to go to school. It helped her forget the sadness of her past. Today, her country is dotted with red, green, and yellow flags flying over grave sites. Saida's brother's grave is marked only with a small stone. Saida still cries when she thinks about him. He was killed by a land mine while he was herding the family's goats. Saida also lost two other brothers who died of typhoid. Saida's desire to go to school was greater than her fear of talking to the American man who visited her brother's grave, and now she is happy that she did. A school might not seem like a big deal. But in Afghanistan, it is a major achievement. Afghanistan's history was full of conflict. In 1996, a group called the Taliban took over Afghanistan. They were in power until 2001. During that time, life was difficult for people in Afghanistan, especially the women. Women were not allowed to work, and they couldn't leave their homes without a male escort. They had to cover themselves from head to toe. The Taliban did not want girls to receive an education. People who allowed girls to go to school faced severe consequences or even death. Many girls like Saida want to learn. They want to become doctors, engineers, and teachers. While the Taliban was in power, only 800,000 children went to school. Today, almost 5 million children, including Saida, have this opportunity. Other countries including the United States are helping Afghanistan's villages build schools in order to educate their children. Saida's school is in a village called Lalander. The small school building is painted bright blue. It has six classrooms and one office. The children can play on the small playground, which has a swing set. It even has a well for drinking water. When Saida plays on the swings, she sees jagged mountains in all directions. She also sees bullet holes in the walls from past attacks of the Taliban. Saida feels safe now because police always guard the school. Afghanistan is a little smaller than the state of Texas. It has an area of 251,737 square miles. Afghanistan has rugged mountains as well as vast, flat plains. The land seems barren, but Afghanistan has many natural resources. The country has natural gas, petroleum, copper, coal, talc, lead, zinc, and salt. Its hills contain precious and semiprecious stones. The people of Afghanistan do not have an easy life. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world because of years of political problems. Agriculture is the primary occupation in spite of the other many natural resources. The average Afghan lives only 43 years, and only 36% of the population can read and write. Many villages do not have electricity or running water. In spite of their poor circumstances, Afghans love their close families, and sharing food is an important custom. Even unexpected guests are fed well. Saida's family might serve chapli kabobs, which are made with beef or lamb with green onions, bell peppers, and hot chili peppers seasoned with garlic and cumin. Dessert might be sheer yakh, or Afghan ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with rose water and chopped pistachios. Afghan cooks don't usually use precise measurements in their recipes, but the food usually tastes great. Saida's family might say to their guests, "Nosh-e-Jaan" which means "good eating." And now, Saida has another place besides her home where she feels happy: her school. Saida loves her new school. She watches laughing boys play soccer against the grim backdrop of the ruins of a government building. Even though the children have experienced hard times, they smile under the blue sky. Their hearts feel grateful. As their national anthem says about Afghanistan: "This land will shine forever...like the sun in the