Afghan woman's visit inspires care, appreciation in students

Published Sunday, March 29, 2009
By Kevin Callahan, Courier Post Staff

Devon Brown learns a lot at school each day. On this day, however, he learned to appreciate school much more.

And he learned to appreciate water.

Brown was among the Cinnaminson High School students who participated in an in-school field trip recently in their spacious and comfortable library. There they heard Suraya Pakzad speak about life in Afghanistan, where she risks her life to teach girls in secret schools and where much of the country doesn't have access to clean drinking water.

"It made me realize people in this country have many benefits," Brown said. "It also made me realize we can do more to help them with water and conserve water here."

Under the direction of Megan Schweitzer, a social studies teacher at Cinnaminson, the freshmen who packed into the school's library have been working to raise funds to build a water system in an Afghan village.

She said she was unsure how the students would respond to this call to action.

"I have been repeatedly impressed by their interest, initiative and enthusiasm for our awareness campaign and fundraising project," Schweitzer said.

At the time of the visit, they had raised $700 by selling blue wrist bands.

The idea to sell the wristbands came from freshman Stephanie Price, who also learned to appreciate school and water much more this day.

"I think it is great education we have here, sometimes we take it for granted, which is so important to some people that they fight for it," Price said.

She also understands how important it is to provide clean water.

"If I ever had a chance, I would go over there and help in an Afghan village," she said.

Pakzad is an Afghan women's rights activist. She was joined by Lumberton businessman Aldo Magazzeni, founder of Traveling Mercies, in talking to the students.

"We will build a water system in Afghanistan in the name of Cinnaminson High School," Magazzeni said.

Pakzad and Magazzeni were on a speaking tour in the Philadelphia area.

"The majority of the world doesn't have access to clean water," Magazzeni said. "In Afghanistan, 70 percent of the country doesn't have access to clean drinking water."

Pakzad, who received the State Department's Women of Courage Award, is the mother of three boys and three girls.

She began helping Afghan women in 1998 in Kabul by setting up clandestine girls' schools. She started in her home in defiance of the Taliban, which banned females going to school or being educated.

"We were aware if they found our school they would put us in jail," she said.

They kept a gallon of kerosene in the classroom to burn the books if raided.

"I would be killed by the Taliban," she added.

Pakzad, who learned to speak English by watching CNN, has established the Voice of Women Organization, which promotes education, job training and legal and social aid for women.

"The world is a small village," she said. "We have to pay attention to one another."

She now lives in Herat, a western city, which allows few rights for women. She said she doesn't take the same road to work and she doesn't go at the same time of the day because of death threats.

"I put myself at risk to help women of my country," she said. "I do live in fear."

She also lives to help.

So does Magazzeni, who met Pakzad in 2004 in Kabul. He now builds water systems in the Herat area.

Magazzeni, a partner in a company making industrial fasteners, raises money from donors to build these water systems in Afghanistan. He is also trying to link his water projects with area schools.

"They have embraced this program. They are the most active school," he said. "They are a good example to other schools. If they can do it, others can, too."

Contact Kevin Callahan at (856) 317-7821 or kcallahan@courierpostonline.com.

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