School is a privilege taken for granted everyday in America. Be grateful to get up every morning and have a safe environment that benefits your future. For many living in Afghanistan, education is not an option given to them. Those lucky enough to get an education take it seriously and use it to strengthen themselves. Going to school introduces a new understanding of encouragement into the lives of Afghan people, which can lead to motivate the future achievement of self goals. Farah uses her school experiences to encourage herself and bring joy to her troubling life.
When she started attending school each day, she began to learn about new things, becoming more curious about the world around her. It took away the fear of the war going on and gave her something to focus on and work at. Farah exclaims, “In fact, when I think about it, that’s what I really loved about school in general– the glimpse it gave me of a world beyond my compound and my family network” (39). By going to school, Farah learns about life outside her “bubble,” and is able to set goals to achieve outside of Afghanistan.
Just going to school for a couple of weeks sets her up for a better future than she had before, and gave her an understanding into what she can do with her life if she works for it. After Farah leaves Afghanistan and begins her education in America, she realizes hard work and dreams can come true. Farah states, “Next year I’ll be out of ESL altogether. Even my English class will be mainstream. Officially, at least, I’ll be caught up. And it’s true that I can speak and understand English pretty well now” (221).
Learning a new language is difficult for anyone, but Farah didn’t let that stop her. She worked for what she wanted, and by doing that, her education in the future is brighter. Any goals she had previously set can be expanded now that her English is stronger. Success due to education is not limited to children, and has an impact on Farah’s mother’s life as well. Farah shows, “In the last couple of months my mother has even started going to school. She is going to an English-language course three times a week. Yes, my mother is definitely beginning to perk up a bit and come alive again” (247).
Going to an adult school a couple of days a week changes Farah’s mother’s attitude. Farah sees how her mother “begins to perk up” and “comes alive again” just from school. Education can give Farah’s mother opportunities to get a job, or achieve a dream she has had since leaving Afghanistan. Education changes lives everyday and gives Farah and her mother better future opportunities. Children throughout Afghanistan have little to no education, and those who do go to school, don’t take it for granted. School helps to encourage their goals and lets them be kids for a part of their day.
According to NPR, ‘When they graduate in a couple of years, all the girls I talked to said they want to continue their education” (Rebecca Hersher). Achieving the goals these young girls have set may be close to impossible, yet they never give up and continue to set more and more goals for their uncertain future. By going to school, they have the freedom to work towards accomplishing their goals. Education gives hope for students to help others and give other children opportunities to set their goals as well.
According to The Malala Fund, “Malala shared her father’s passion for learning and loved going to school… Malala and her father received death threats but continued to speak out for the right to education” (Malala Yousafzai). Malala got to go to school, and set her goals to help other Afghan children like herself. Using skills she acquired from her education, Malala is fulfilling her dream of helping others. School is special and the Afghan kids that go recognize that and use it to their advantage.
According to Dailymail, “It is such a pecial place, it makes it possible for me to have a future. If you are uneducated, it makes you helpless, you always have to rely on others” (Caroline Mcguire). Children realize how mentally weak they would be without an education, and their goal is to not have to rely on others in their future. To reach this goal they use school and learn as much as they can so they aren’t defenseless when they grow up. The kids that go to school in Afghanistan never let anything stop them from setting and achieving their dreams.
Evidently, getting an education inspires and reassures Afghan people’s everyday lives, which can influence the achievement of eventual dreams. Many have been affected by getting or not getting an education. The children that get to go to school set goals for themselves in their future and use their education to help them pursue and succeed at those goals. Education makes dreams become a reality for Afghan children and creates a comforting place for them to take a break from their difficult lives. School is a freedom and pathway to a better life.