There are unheard dreams that echo in the minds of the people of Afghanistan. From the little girl attending her first day of school, to the beggar who receives charity and elder who prays for peace, we want to share the stories you don’t always hear, as we ask the people of Afghanistan what makes them smile.
Afghanistan
Naseem, Hazrat, Kahar and Gul Jumma are remembering their friends Hashim and Zukoom, who died in a bomb blast. It may seem an odd time to smile, but the boys know their work to restore peace will one day win out.
“True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.”
Meet Zekerullah, Raz, Abdulhai, Barath and Faiz (from left corner, clockwise). They are from three different Afghan ethnic groups. The word in the centre of the circle is the Dari word for peace, read as 'sulh'! They are smiling, while wearing their blue Borderfree scarves, hoping that people from across all borders of the world will join them in Skype conversations to build wide-scale relationships of love through non-violence, forming circles of peace under the same blue sky!
We wish to speak via Skype or telephone with ordinary folk, from every single country in the world, thus catalyzing the most powerful force in the world – love. To converse with us please email borderfree@mail2world.com and let's smile together.
Habib is a 12 year old boy who works on the street, taking the weight of pedestrians for a small fee. His father was killed in a bomb attack in Abul Fazal mosque 3 years ago. Now he needs to help his mom to find bread for the family. We asked Habib if hunger was a difficult thing. “Yes, to get out of this poverty, I want to study hard and become a doctor,” he says with a small smile of hope.
“My name is Barath Khan. I planted sunflowers here, because I love sunflowers and hope that those I planted will grow to be this big. When I see sunflowers, a smile always comes to my face!”
Here is a video about Barath's sunflowers http://youtu.be/dQMvx3edKtA
This blind man plays the Afghan flute to earn a living. He told us that he has never seen the world. He hears the world, but says he finds it difficult to smile because the rulers of the world don't seem to see or hear him.
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