Break the Silence
I was thinking what to write
Night and quiet
Alone in my room, near the window
With my ideas, pen and notebook.
Gun or Pen
A gun, a pen
Dirty mind, clean heart
No future, good future:
You are one, we are millions.
Alive
I am alive
For those who wait
Who believe
Someone is there to help
My Dear Sister
I wish you could wear the white school headscarf,
rather than wear the green wedding veil,
sleep all night so you could do well
in your studies,
rather than stay up all night for the baby.
Maryam M. introduction
Maryam M. was born in 1990. To escape the war her family fled to Peshawar, where she attended school taught by her mother in a tent. She works as a project officer in Afghanistan and speaks Dari, Urdu, Farsi, English, and Pashto.
Why Peace and Women’s Rights Matter
Every day early in the morning a woman with her five children walked fast and said, “Run my child run, walk in front of me so that I can see you, take your sister’s hand, be careful.”
Boom
Boom! Boom! Boom! Afghanistan’s morning
Alarm clock rings