At just 14 years old, Fatima was a very pretty and innocent girl with beautiful eyes. What Fatima did not know was that her brother had ruined her life. He had killed a neighbor’s son, and Fatima would pay the price. The villagers had decided Fatima would have to marry Jan Mohammed, a man who was thirty years older. She was to pay the price of baad, an Afghan tribal tradition that involves giving a victim’s family a member—usually a girl—of the offending family.
It was my dream—one of my most desired wishes—to go to America. It was unbelievable when we got our American visas. We were all so excited to go there—and not as refugees, but as visitors.
The sweet scent of orange blossoms and jasmine that wafts through the window reminds Anisa of her own past. She breathes deeply and begins to remember her childhood. Beautiful memories of her big extended family rise from the recesses of her mind.
Salma was born in the province of Ghazni but was raised in Kabul and attended university there. At one point in her life her family had to emigrate to Pakistan. For a long time she was afraid to write but now with the encouragement of friends she has begun to write for AWWP.
Lila was about to become a mom for the first time. She was so excited but she was also so shy she couldn’t tell her feelings to anyone, not even her husband. She didn’t even have a best friend because she had emigrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan.
History is changed by the small actions of ordinary people. —Zahra A.
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