I have seen many girls in my country
who think men can read their minds, so
they never dare to dream for something
they want. I am different, but the situation
in Afghanistan is difficult. I grew up in Iran
where there were no limits on dreams. I am
like a hawk always flying in the sky. But once
I open my eyes to reality, I find myself in a
cage. Every night I watch the sky lit by shining stars. As much as I sink into the beauty
of it, I am awed by its darkness.
Our house is located in the hills around
Kabul city. The roof of our house is the
most fantastic place at night. One side of
the roof is surrounded by the mountains,
which are like the guards of our city. On
the front side I see a snapshot of the whole
city lit by bulbs. When I see the bulbs I wish
they were stars, because stars are generous
and shine for the anguished hearts of people during the night. Bulbs are in the control of the government and shine to provide
occasional power, without attention to the
needs of people. Between the city view and
mountains, the azure dome of the mosque
in our neighborhood provokes the sense of
a peace in me, like the doves that fly around
the domes of holy Islamic shrines. These are
only my surroundings.
I still have not looked above.
When I look above, I see a different
world. In this saintly place, I feel that I am
Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī, a famous astronomer from centuries ago in my hometown
of Ghazni. I don’t know what he could have
watched centuries ago, but I know that he
loved and felt the sky, and he contributed to
the science of astronomy. I feel that I am not
DRAWN TO
alone and during some surprising moments
while watching the sky, I have a warm conversation with this scientist who is the hero
of my life.
I remember the night that I saw a comet and he asked me to wish something; I
wished one day I would become an astronomer. I would reconstruct his observatories in Ghazni and resuscitate his memories
and dedications.
I wish to become so capable in this field
that I would contribute to the development of it in my country once again. I want
to show that I am a woman who can dream
freely about whatever I want. In my world
today, the ceiling is shorter than my stature. However, I will not bend, but will continue dreaming and believing in the beauty
of my dreams. n
9
u u u
AFGHANISTAN
BY CHRISTEL CHVILICEK
S
oon after the fall
of the Taliban
in late 2001, Dr.
Sandra Cook’s dream
of visiting Afghanistan
became a reality. When
the regime was topDr. Sandra Cook
pled, finally she had
the opportunity to go to Afghanistan and
travel throughout it on local buses and
in taxis. In this way, she observed firsthand what three decades of war had left
behind: buildings reduced to rubble and
people’s lives shattered. By the end of her
third trip to Afghanistan, she had fallen in
love with this fascinating country and decided she had to do something to help rebuild it. One of the most glaring issues she
noted was the lack of functioning schools
and very few children being educated.
She now has spent the past 13 years work28 | JOURNEY OF HOPE
ing and volunteering in the educational
sector in Afghanistan. She has served as
vice president of the American University
of Afghanistan and served as co-chair of
the board of directors of the Louis and
Nancy Hatch Dupree Foundation for the
Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University.
During her time in Afghanistan, she has
traveled extensively in the areas served by
CAI, recently crossing the remote and fabled Wakhan Corridor on horseback, visiting several CAI schools along the way.
Prior to her involvement in Afghanistan,
Cook had 30 years of professional experience as a senior corporate executive, management consultant, and university teacher,
much of her work being done internationally. She holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in
philosophy and mathematical logic, and
an M.S. in economics. She has been on the
CAI board of directors since 2014. n
9
Christel Chvilicek is CAI
grants and sponsorship
manager. She was born
and raised in Bozeman,
Mont. and has spent the
last eight years working
in the nonprofit sector,
focusing on education
initiatives through the local Human Resource
Development Council and YMCA. Education is a
passion of hers and she wants to do her part to
ensure everyone gets the opportunity to learn
and grow.
CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE