Children of the World: Afghanistan Youth

My childhood was filled with numerous trips to exotic locations, a comfortable home full of love, and a community with no sign of war. While not all children in America lead a childhood like mine, most of them had something that made them realized they had family, friends, and the ability to dream. In America every day is filled with liberty, justice can be reached, and children don’t have to worry about differences because everyone is seen as equal despite spiritual, racial, or physical dissimilarities.  In Afghanistan however, justice is a rare occurrence, differences cause separation and in most cases the beginnings of war, and the generation of children who identify a roadside bomb as a daily happening are alive and suffering.

The variations between the American and Afghanistan person’s daily life can be identified almost immediately when analyzing each culture. Still, it has become evident that the adaptations have been created through societal publications. The shields created to separate each culture have made it difficult to understand the true reasons the Afghanistan culture performs certain rituals and acts in specific ways.

If each person took the time to learn about the Afghan society they would learn that Shi’a and Sunni are not terrorist organizations but rather, major groups of the religion Islam. A person would be able to recognize the importance of the hijab for Afghan women and its significance in the society.  Most importantly, a person would be able to develop an understanding of the generation of Afghans who didn’t have the combat controlling their lives. We as an American culture could cultivate a want to aid the generation of young Afghan children who have lost their childhood due to destruction and war.

While these children are nearly half way around the world aiding them is still extremely possible. Although a trip to Afghanistan is not economically possible for many and not safe for several, other types of assistance can be offered to the Afghan children who are currently in severe danger.  Becoming friends with an Afghan child through sponsorship or simply meeting with an Afghanistan bureau to learn of schools or orphanages in need of financial support can be the simple efforts that change a child’s life. Contact with such children in extremely underdeveloped countries, such as Afghanistan, is limited to strictly hand written letters. Still, it is the relationship created through the letters that will teach the children in Afghanistan that there are billions of people around the world that care for them. Those children, who are in an incomprehensible situation, can identify that their lives aren’t simply meant to fight a war but to rather grow and become strong, powerful human beings.

While Afghanistan is just one location where children are suffering daily due to war, natural disaster, and injustice, we must remember that aiding any child will allow for them to grow and affect the lives of those around them. It only takes one life to change another. Such a domino effect could change the world.  Although friends can be made daily at school, or at some social even it could be the friendship that you make with a young child half way across the world that could save a life.

Tylyn Trummer

Team 1: Education

Omaha, Nebraska

Duchesne Academy

1. 

   Chanapa Tantibanchachai says:

   November 21, 2010 at 10:30 pm

   It’s so true that so many barriers have been set up to prevent understanding of the Afghan culture. I feel as though citizens (mostly the younger generation) in the U.S. are often too preoccupied with their own surroundings and are so sheltered from others’ beliefs. There’s always the mindset of fearing and automatically rejecting that which is different from what we’ve been taught without taking the time and effort to learn about and embrace their values and traditions.

   reply

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