Goolsboshra, like many of the women
interviewed in the ten series published to
date, talks about the limitations caused by
illiteracy. They speak of the signs and medicine bottles they cannot read, the jobs they
cannot get, the forms they cannot fill out,
and the helplessness that keeps them dependent on others. Literacy is not our focus at AWWP, but we are daily reminded of
the importance of groups like Central Asia
Institute that pour great effort into programs
that will empower people and, like AWWP
writers, enable them to bring positive
change to Afghanistan. Because there are
so many illiterate women, our Kabul office
takes the recordings of the interviews and
produces radio broadcasts centered on these
oral stories. They are part of our monthly
broadcasts to tens of thousands of women in
Afghanistan, inspiring them with the possibilities of what a woman can do.
1
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
by Masooma
Yesterday my sister was afraid of going
outside,
Today my sisters are going to school,
And tomorrow they will work outside of
the home.
Yesterday my sister was stoned.
Today she is studying to be a doctor,
And tomorrow she will save a life.
Yesterday my sister’s dream was to have a
book.
Now she is in the library,
And tomorrow she will write the book.
Yesterday my sister looked at the world
through a small window.
Today she sees the world through her
camera,
And tomorrow the world will see every
thing through her documentaries.
Yesterday my country’s women had no
rights.
Now they are fighting for their rights,
And tomorrow they will have the same
rights as men.
Yesterday my country was a desert.
Now my brothers and sisters are planting
trees,
And tomorrow, in this garden together, we
will live in peace.
FALL