Mahbooba, whose name means “loved one” in Farsi, came to Watan Orphanage when she was seven years old, and immediately melted the hearts not only of her friends but also of her entire school with her extraordinary talents and admirable conduct. Mahbooba is from Nooristan, a remote area by the Himalayan Mountains that, according to analysts is the most backward area in Afghanistan. The orphanage was entirely alien to Mahbooba. She could speak neither Farsi nor Pushto (the common languages in Afghanistan), had never even seen indoor plumbing, a car, let alone picked up a pencil. Her father had had a plan for her, the same plan most every young girl must submit to: be sold into marriage to an older and most likely abusive man. But when the opportunity came to send one of his daughters to AFCECO, something inside of him rose to the occasion: a deep respect for education.
Every step of the way Mahbooba’s father watched her progress, and at any stage he was prepared, if he deemed this experiment a waste of time, to pull her back and sell her off. Despite being younger than other children, Mahbooba was elected the President of Watan Orphanage. Eventually she moved to the Kabul orphanage, where her leadership continued. Along with her friend Farzana, she was the other obvious choice when our partners in Italy offered to give two children a chance to experience a European education. Mahbooba stepped into her new school with just the same confidence and determination. She now speaks five languages and is getting top grades.
What is even more inspiring is when Mahbooba returns to visit the orphanage, she continues in her leadership role. When asked about her future, she is matter of fact. “I will return to Nooristan,” she says. “They have no doctor, they have no teacher. They want and need these things. I must help my people.”
No other child more exemplifies the AFCECO mission than Mahbooba. It wasn’t long before her father sent AFCECO another daughter, Mastora, who now lives in AFCECO’s Kabul orphanage. It is clear the impact one Mahbooba has and will have not only upon her immediate family, but her entire village that waits anxiously for her return. As the singular woman in a village of five hundred who has seen the world and can create opportunities with her lines of connectedness to that world, as a doctor who can provide desperately needed healthcare to the women in the village, or simply as a woman who is not afraid to express her leadership qualities, the repercussions will reverberate through ensuing generations to come.
