Never in my wildest imagination could I have foreseen what a turn my life would take after returning to my alma mater, Albany Academy for Girls, to give a talk about my experiences and work in Afghanistan.
It started last September when I received a phone call asking if I would speak at the Upper School assembly as part of the Academy’s Alumni Speakers Series. I agreed and found myself at my old school on a beautiful fall day in late October. Young girls and boys rushed around carrying books and hurrying to class. Little children in the primary grades marched in single file to their homeroom. Was I ever that young??
Entering the school, the Director of Alumnae Affairs greeted me and told me there was great interest in what I was going to speak about. Would I mind speaking to the middle school assembly, the 6th graders, the 2nd graders and a round table panel at lunch? Not believing this and chuckling to myself, I agreed.
There are many ways to get a young people to quiet down. Walking out in a full length burqa is one of them. My talks were greeted by enthusiastic applause, much curiosity and appreciation for talking about the “other” side of life in Afghanistan. I left the Academies at the end of the day tired and exhilarated at the reception my presentations had been given. Little was I to know how my life was about to be changed.
A couple of months later, Sandra Nelson, the 6th grade teacher emailed me. She wrote that her students were so excited after my talk and wanted to do something to help the people in Afghanistan. The girls wanted me to come back to AAG in early December with some ZAANHA scarves so they could buy Christmas gifts for their mothers. Their goal was to raise money to furnish a classroom in Kabul – a lofty goal I thought to myself as $1,600. was needed. And I thought, these are 6th graders – how much could they possibly have to spend and would it be worth my time and the holiday season was the very busiest time of year for me. I found myself replying “Of course I will come! And to help the girls I will give 25% of all sales towards their goal.” After all, I thought to myself, they’re going to need to buy a lot of scarves to reach their goal.
December, 2010
I took off for Albany, my car loaded down with plastic bins full of scarves and other goodies. Waiting for me at 7am was Emily Ashton, one of the 6th graders, and her dad who helped me lug everything in. The doors and hallways were plastered with posters proclaiming the sale the girls had scheduled -- “We are Furnishing a Classroom in Kabul”, “Come and Buy a Scarf”. Within 45 minutes the drawing room was filled with energetic and smiling 6th graders all of whom were clambering to help. We set up in record time and had to wait no time at all for our first customers to arrive. It was Wassail Day at AAG, a day where the students perform special holiday programs for the parents and before I knew it, people were coming in wanting buy gifts.
Towards the end of the sale, the room quieted down and one of the 6th graders came over to tell me something. “Miss Summer”, she started. “Last year at Valentines Day, our class made hearts and raised money to help people in Haiti who were affected by the earthquake”. We called our fundraiser “Hearts for Haiti”. This year we want to have another Valentines Day fundraiser and call it “Hearts for Hadia”. I started crying. After helping me pack up and loading the buckets back into the car, each girl and I embraced. A bond was formed.
And, we raised $862 – more than ½ of the goal!
Interlude – Hadia
The first woman I mentored in Afghanistan was Bakhtnazira (BN). BN is married to Khan Aga (KA) and they have 4 children, Heela (b.1996), Hamida (b.1997), Hadia (b.1999) and Ansar (b.2000). We became friends and I am always included in dinners and lunches at the Niazi’s home when I visit Kabul. On one visit, 3 years ago, KA proudly told me Ansar was going to private school. (Afghan public schools are notoriously poor as many of the teachers are barely educated themselves). “What about the girls”?, I blurted out before thinking. Rather sheepishly, Khan Aga replied that they had only enough money for one child. And he continued, “It is becoming a real problem for us because Hadia keeps asking when she will be able to go to school and she is jealous of her brother. Hadia is very smart Wendy jan”. When I questioned him about how much it would cost to send Hadia to private school, he sighed and replied “$700”.
I told BN and KA that I would pay for Hadia’s school fees if they could pay a portion as well. They agreed. Hadia enrolled in school 3 years ago. After her first year, she attained a 93 grade average. After 1.5 years, she was promoted to a class for gifted children. She is #1 in her English class.
And AAG has offered her a scholarship to finish her studies in the US!
She now studies at her regular school and a special school where all classes are taught in English. I am told she flourishes!
February, 2011
We entered a short respite from the nasty winter weather and I decided to drive to Albany and visit the girls to see how their “Hearts for Hadia” project was coming along. I called KA and told him that I was on my way to AAG and if Hadia were available, perhaps the 6th graders could speak with her. Nearing the 6th grade classroom, I espied a large poster on the door
The classroom was abuzz with activity! A few of the girls were sitting at a table selling hearts; others were calculating how much they had sold and others ran up to me clambering to tell me how much they had raised.
Then the phone rang. All activity in the classroom stopped. Through some static I heard KA’s voice. “Hadia is on the phone”, I told the girls.
By the end of the lunch period, the girls’ “Hearts for Hadia” campaign had raised over $900. I told them my motto was “Girls Can Do Anything” and think they’ve now adopted it as their own.
The girls exceeded their fundraising goal by almost $200. We needed to decide what to do with the extra funds. In the end, the girls decided to gather school supplies and use the additional funds to buy book bags they could stuff with the school supplies.
April, 2011 - Phone call with Sandra Nelson – “The girls have collected school supplies and are ready to stuff the book bags I bought with the extra funds they raised. There was a small problem. We were short $50 for the mailing fees…” At that point I was ready to interrupt and offer to donate the additional $50, but didn’t have the chance as Sandra continued “…so the girls decided to hold a bake sale at which they made $143, so we are all set. Do you want to come up and go with them to the post office when they mail their boxes?” How totally cool and resourceful are these girls!!
April, 2011
On the road again! As I entered the now familiar 6th grade classroom, the girls were penning notes to their new Afghan friends, enclosing photos and stuffing their book bags. I told them a surprise awaited them – we managed to call Hadia on Skype and each of the girls was able to speak and see her! We arrived at the post office, each girl laden with her personalized large priority mail box and then the boxes were mailed – next stop Afghanistan.
We celebrated with big ice cream cones!
May 20, 2011
Alumna Luncheon at AAG. I was named 2011 AAG Distinguished Alumna – a real honor! The MC announced that the 2011 AAG Distinguished Alumna award would be next on the agenda, but first, the 6th graders wanted to say something. “The 6th graders???”, I thought. “This is an alumna luncheon”. Five of them marched in and took turns speaking at the podium. Each told the over 80 assembled alumnae what they learned from me and my experiences and how their lives were changed by what they accomplished. Tears rolled down my cheeks. A happier and more meaningful introduction could never have been made. Truth be told, for all they claim I did for them, I am the one who has benefited -- they have inspired, energized and put new wind in my sails.
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