James Garfield once said "Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained." But in a country subject to Soviet occupation, civil war, severe drought, and now a war against terrorism, the endorsement of popular education has taken a backseat to other issues. Especially remiss is the education of women. Afghans, quite busy with rebuilding their lives and asserting their national independence, have forgotten that the newly instated ideals of freedom and justice can never be properly upheld without knowledge, granted with the institution of education. Although the curtain of invisibility has finally lifted for the women of Afghanistan, they are unable to react and take advantage of opportunities, due to the lack of education.
But where to begin, when faced with a problem whose history spans several generations? Let's start with the beginning, the most important part of the work. Opposition within Afghanistan to girls' education predates the Taliban. Historically, education of females was rare in rural Afghanistan and was confined almost exclusively to the capital. In 1919, newly installed King Amanullah began a swift development of the country's education system, concentrating on expanding education for women. The conservative country eventually overthrew the king, unable to support his radical ideas. Over the course of the twentieth century, due to the efforts of Nadir Shah and King Mohammed Zahir, Afghanistan's education system steadily expanded, despite the country's increasingly traditional views and protesting officials. By the 1970s, 60% of the students at Kabul University were female. Unfortunately, the subsequent decade of Soviet occupation served to erase all strides made in the sector of education. The mines and bombs throughout the country destroyed many of the school buildings, killed many teachers and made it dangerous to even venture outside the house. Afghans, living through a devastating war fueled by external forces and funding from multiple countries, simply survived. At such a time, education was far from the forefronts of their minds.
My mother was eight when the Soviet Union invaded. She was forced to withdraw from school when it became too perilous to attend. As with other Afghans, her life now consisted of low-key existence and obstinate resilience. Eventually, with the escalation of the war, my mother was forced to flee with her family to neighboring Pakistan, where her status as a refugee made it difficult to get an education. Her schooling ended at a fourth grade level, and the subsequent fall of the Soviet Union and rise of the Taliban made it nigh on impossible to restart.
With the fall of the Communist government, the country was divided into warring factions, many of them Mujahideen groups whose ideology was opposed to modern education. The rise of the Taliban regime led to a national ban on education for female, focusing solely on using the madrassa (mosque school) to educate boys. Millions of Afghans immigrated to other countries. Schools were closed either due to lack of security and teachers or because of grim poverty. Under their rule, only about 3 percent of girls received some form of primary education.
Twenty-three years of war destroyed the infrastructure of education in Afghanistan and lead to an increase in illiteracy rates for women. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, the government, with international financial aid, has attempted to restore the education system. Today, more children are in school than at any other period in Afghan history. More than 5.4 million children are enrolled in school, nearly 35% of them girls. However, 87% of women are still illiterate, compared to only 44% of men. Only 13% of girls complete primary school. As telling as these figures are, they reveal only part of the story, like a headline without the following report. They veil the relentless, dispiriting, demoralizing and disappointing truth. In a country seeking to catch up to modern times, freedom is still derailed by a few groups of radicals. Resurgent Taliban and other forces launch persistent violent attacks on schools and girls in order to disrupt attempts to better the country and the next generation. International press has covered the acid, poison and gas attacks that girls attending school have faced. Schools have been set on fire, teachers threatened and killed, all in an attempt to scare the new generation in conforming to the views of the older radicals.
In the summer of 2005, my family and I went back to Afghanistan to visit family. We were welcomed with open arms, bombarded with sloppy kisses and comforting hugs. The village was roused with our arrival. The days afterwards were a haze of celebration, as family after family came to greet us. My brothers', having never been there, were introduced to our village and simultaneously to Afghan culture. However, weeks after we has arrived and settled, a tragedy occurred that shook me to the core. One of the younger village girls, and now my newly made friend, Nisa, had been attacked with acid outside of the school she attended and had to be taken to the hospital. Thankfully, she was not hit hard, was treated for their injuries, and then sent home. As per Afghan culture, we went over to wish them well and to offer our help to the family. At the sight of my wounded and wronged friends, my world would never seem so simple again. Within a few weeks, I would be preparing for a journey back to the US, back to the land of excess and choice, a land of ease. I would be going back to school, to a new grade where my biggest worry would be colors of my notebooks. These brave and courageous girls, instead, would be going back (for they were returning, as their father proudly told my family) to a school that could not protect them, in order to open the door to opportunities. Never had I felt more proud of being an Afghan, of being in solidarity with my people than at that moment, when I saw the resolve and determination in their eyes.
Both my mother and Nisa are the motivations in my life. My mother, through her words and actions, has continually pushed me to be better, to be stronger. An exceptionally bright woman who just didn't have the means to truly reach her potential, my mother taught me to value and take advantage of my education, as it would open many doors for me. Thanks to her, I am now the first woman in my family and my village to be going to college. Nisa, with her courage and determination, has made me value both the little and big things in life. Whereas here in America, education is a given right, in Afghanistan, Nisa has to fight her family and her fears to go to school everyday. She has shown me that there truly are things worth fighting for and I hope to act as a role model for her as she aspires to reach higher learning.
An old Chinese proverb goes "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." In 'teaching them to fish' we are not only helping them realize their inner potential but also catalyzing bigger and more grandiose capabilities in them. Afghanistan is a country in the process of rebuilding. With one of the youngest populations in the world, it is a country whose new generation has the opportunity to start with a clean slate. And it is only through the education of the new generation that the country will rebuild itself to the glory of the olden days. It is only through the education of the new generation that the government can truly have a free and just country.
This is my common app essay. I know it's a bit too late to be posting on here, but I unfortunately fell victim to procrastination. I realize that the length is too long so I'd love it if people could tell me where I should trim the essay. It's currently at 1300 words, and I'd like to cut it down to 800 at most.
Thank you in advance to everyone!
But where to begin, when faced with a problem whose history spans several generations? Let's start with the beginning, the most important part of the work. Opposition within Afghanistan to girls' education predates the Taliban. Historically, education of females was rare in rural Afghanistan and was confined almost exclusively to the capital. In 1919, newly installed King Amanullah began a swift development of the country's education system, concentrating on expanding education for women. The conservative country eventually overthrew the king, unable to support his radical ideas. Over the course of the twentieth century, due to the efforts of Nadir Shah and King Mohammed Zahir, Afghanistan's education system steadily expanded, despite the country's increasingly traditional views and protesting officials. By the 1970s, 60% of the students at Kabul University were female. Unfortunately, the subsequent decade of Soviet occupation served to erase all strides made in the sector of education. The mines and bombs throughout the country destroyed many of the school buildings, killed many teachers and made it dangerous to even venture outside the house. Afghans, living through a devastating war fueled by external forces and funding from multiple countries, simply survived. At such a time, education was far from the forefronts of their minds.
My mother was eight when the Soviet Union invaded. She was forced to withdraw from school when it became too perilous to attend. As with other Afghans, her life now consisted of low-key existence and obstinate resilience. Eventually, with the escalation of the war, my mother was forced to flee with her family to neighboring Pakistan, where her status as a refugee made it difficult to get an education. Her schooling ended at a fourth grade level, and the subsequent fall of the Soviet Union and rise of the Taliban made it nigh on impossible to restart.
With the fall of the Communist government, the country was divided into warring factions, many of them Mujahideen groups whose ideology was opposed to modern education. The rise of the Taliban regime led to a national ban on education for female, focusing solely on using the madrassa (mosque school) to educate boys. Millions of Afghans immigrated to other countries. Schools were closed either due to lack of security and teachers or because of grim poverty. Under their rule, only about 3 percent of girls received some form of primary education.
Twenty-three years of war destroyed the infrastructure of education in Afghanistan and lead to an increase in illiteracy rates for women. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, the government, with international financial aid, has attempted to restore the education system. Today, more children are in school than at any other period in Afghan history. More than 5.4 million children are enrolled in school, nearly 35% of them girls. However, 87% of women are still illiterate, compared to only 44% of men. Only 13% of girls complete primary school. As telling as these figures are, they reveal only part of the story, like a headline without the following report. They veil the relentless, dispiriting, demoralizing and disappointing truth. In a country seeking to catch up to modern times, freedom is still derailed by a few groups of radicals. Resurgent Taliban and other forces launch persistent violent attacks on schools and girls in order to disrupt attempts to better the country and the next generation. International press has covered the acid, poison and gas attacks that girls attending school have faced. Schools have been set on fire, teachers threatened and killed, all in an attempt to scare the new generation in conforming to the views of the older radicals.
In the summer of 2005, my family and I went back to Afghanistan to visit family. We were welcomed with open arms, bombarded with sloppy kisses and comforting hugs. The village was roused with our arrival. The days afterwards were a haze of celebration, as family after family came to greet us. My brothers', having never been there, were introduced to our village and simultaneously to Afghan culture. However, weeks after we has arrived and settled, a tragedy occurred that shook me to the core. One of the younger village girls, and now my newly made friend, Nisa, had been attacked with acid outside of the school she attended and had to be taken to the hospital. Thankfully, she was not hit hard, was treated for their injuries, and then sent home. As per Afghan culture, we went over to wish them well and to offer our help to the family. At the sight of my wounded and wronged friends, my world would never seem so simple again. Within a few weeks, I would be preparing for a journey back to the US, back to the land of excess and choice, a land of ease. I would be going back to school, to a new grade where my biggest worry would be colors of my notebooks. These brave and courageous girls, instead, would be going back (for they were returning, as their father proudly told my family) to a school that could not protect them, in order to open the door to opportunities. Never had I felt more proud of being an Afghan, of being in solidarity with my people than at that moment, when I saw the resolve and determination in their eyes.
Both my mother and Nisa are the motivations in my life. My mother, through her words and actions, has continually pushed me to be better, to be stronger. An exceptionally bright woman who just didn't have the means to truly reach her potential, my mother taught me to value and take advantage of my education, as it would open many doors for me. Thanks to her, I am now the first woman in my family and my village to be going to college. Nisa, with her courage and determination, has made me value both the little and big things in life. Whereas here in America, education is a given right, in Afghanistan, Nisa has to fight her family and her fears to go to school everyday. She has shown me that there truly are things worth fighting for and I hope to act as a role model for her as she aspires to reach higher learning.
An old Chinese proverb goes "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." In 'teaching them to fish' we are not only helping them realize their inner potential but also catalyzing bigger and more grandiose capabilities in them. Afghanistan is a country in the process of rebuilding. With one of the youngest populations in the world, it is a country whose new generation has the opportunity to start with a clean slate. And it is only through the education of the new generation that the country will rebuild itself to the glory of the olden days. It is only through the education of the new generation that the government can truly have a free and just country.
This is my common app essay. I know it's a bit too late to be posting on here, but I unfortunately fell victim to procrastination. I realize that the length is too long so I'd love it if people could tell me where I should trim the essay. It's currently at 1300 words, and I'd like to cut it down to 800 at most.
Thank you in advance to everyone!
