Very lucky to know you — Simin Q.

Ted, a man in his seventies who is managing a school and dorm in Kabul, Afghanistan, in his retirement

Ted is a man who believes in equality, justice and human abilities. He believes in the power of education. He believes crises in a nation are due to lack of education. He is motivating and enlightening, and people to people. He is working with Afghan women to motivate them in their lives and education. By his mission, he is informing the American nation how to understand and picture the hardships Afghan women suffer.

He is trying with all of his efforts to change Afghan men’s attitude toward Afghan women by educating Afghan women. He believes Afghan women are conquerors and all have inner strength. He helps women who are drowning in dilemmas. He also helps women who have fallen to the ground more than a thousand times along their path to success and goals. He is there to offer moral support by saying, “Stand up, you can make it.”

In a war-torn country where ignorance has a strong predominance and extremists are using religion and culture as people’s weakness, he is facing a lot of challenges. With his determination, and his total belief in women’s education, he copes with confidence; he is the Champion for all of us.

I would like to share one of my personal experiences with Ted. One day a very angry man came to see Ted, yelling about a legal wrong that had been done him. Ted tried to reason with the man to settle the situation. As soon as the man left, instead of being upset, He used the situation as a teaching opportunity, starting a conversation with us about women’s diplomacy and business. I was very amazed with his strength and perseverance.

I hope the international community and his fellow Americans do not let him struggle all by himself. I hope they realize through him how important the role of education is in Afghan women’s lives. He has put his philanthropic effort into beginning a change for Afghan women.

Ted, I admire you as an American champion, I really believe in your mission and I believe in SOLA, School of Leadership, Afghanistan.

Happy Birthday, Ted. I consider myself very lucky to know you and your mission.

Simin Q.

SOLA Afghanistan