Sylvia's Journal

We visited SOLA yesterday after work. I used to teach there every Thursday after work. It was a highlight of my week.

I was totally unprepared for the changes that had taken places since I left nearly two and a half years ago. I remember, in 2011, Axel coming home from his classes there with toes frozen. SOLA was running on a shoe string and sometimes the choice was between food and heat. At that time, volunteer teachers did whatever they wanted and the curriculum was rather loosely organized.

Now, after some very successful fundraising, SOLA is up and running and even working on formal accreditation with the ministry of education. There is now a computer lab, rooms for volunteer faculty (we met a few who had just arrived), an office and one classroom; the latter was now stocked with college type moveable desks.

As soon as we entered four young girls rushed forward to welcome us to SOLA and each introduced herself in excellent English. We learned later that one of them had only just arrived in September, not speaking a word of English.

The new drill at SOLA is that girls have to speak English with each other; clearly, it has paid off. We met a number of the girls who were very eager to speak with us. We stood (I sat) in one of the small dorm rooms, with its two bunk beds and a buchari. Every few minutes another girl knocked on the door and entered and each time I asked them, what did they want to be in the future and where were they from.

Judy and I found ourselves surrounded by future journalists, doctors, lawyers, scientists (put an end to cancer!), economists, the first female Afghan rock climber, a diplomat, even a pilot, in addition to peace, environmental and women’s activists. One young girl was learning Chinese on her own from google translation. She was thrilled to have Judy there who offered to come and teach Chinese whenever she is in Kabul.

We left with reluctance, it was all so very exciting and hopeful and wonderful; a counterpoint to the bad taste we all carried around in our souls from last week’s attack on La Taverna.