What an exhilarating day in Afghanistan! We traveled to Barek Aub this morning and did Field Day activities with the girls at the the girls' school. We did relay races, played with jump ropes, threw balls and shot rubber chickens out of giant sling shots! The kids were very competitive and really got into the activities. After tiring ourselves out playing games, the guys on the team helped build a giant tent at the new IDP camp down the road from Barek Aub. The new tent will be used to conduct school classes for the IDP camp kids. While the guys were helping build the tent, the women on the team met with several women in another tent that houses a family at the IDP camp.
After another delicious lunch at the guesthouse, we went to the elementary school in Kabul and visited a couple of second grade classes. They were so proud to welcome us to their school. Because it was raining, we couldn’t do field day activities with the Kabul school. So we finished out our day finishing our city tour around Kabul. Our Afghan hosts talked our way onto the construction site of a large palace that is being restored in Kabul. We even got a personal tour of the palace from the head engineer of the reconstruction effort. It was interesting to hear his story as he was originally from the palace neighborhood and witnessed the bombing and burning of this historic building - and now he in charge of rebuilding the building and the grounds. He even walked us through acres and acres of new trees and shrubs that have been purchased to restore the palace ground. It was amazing to see his pride in his country and in the restoration of the palace that was so senselessly destroyed by an Afghan warlord for no good reason.
Finally, we ended the evening with a quick trip up “prayer hill” and headed back to the guest house for another delicious meal provided by our Afghan hosts.
Darin
After another delicious lunch at the guesthouse, we went to the elementary school in Kabul and visited a couple of second grade classes. They were so proud to welcome us to their school. Because it was raining, we couldn’t do field day activities with the Kabul school. So we finished out our day finishing our city tour around Kabul. Our Afghan hosts talked our way onto the construction site of a large palace that is being restored in Kabul. We even got a personal tour of the palace from the head engineer of the reconstruction effort. It was interesting to hear his story as he was originally from the palace neighborhood and witnessed the bombing and burning of this historic building - and now he in charge of rebuilding the building and the grounds. He even walked us through acres and acres of new trees and shrubs that have been purchased to restore the palace ground. It was amazing to see his pride in his country and in the restoration of the palace that was so senselessly destroyed by an Afghan warlord for no good reason.
Finally, we ended the evening with a quick trip up “prayer hill” and headed back to the guest house for another delicious meal provided by our Afghan hosts.
Darin