They invited 100 of these children to be part of a new pilot program that, in partnership with the Afghan Government's Ministry of Education, aims to give working children a chance to have the same advantage that any other child calls a right.
After classes in literacy and numeracy, training in life skills and health checks they sat a Year 3 school admission test: 93 of them passed! This afternoon we had the privilege, with the Deputy Governor of Herat and a number of other important people of celebrating their success.
Nine months ago a little boy crept into the building with his Dad, he was shy, he was dirty and he was frightened. He was coming for his first interview with a counselor and after a while of ice breaking, he was asked what he hoped to be when he grew up. He laughed - what a ridiculous question to ask a street kid - he knew that like his Dad this was his life, this was all there was.
The counselor persisted and asked him to dream; eventually he bowed his head into his chest, stared tentatively at his feet and mumbled, "I want to be a poet". He waited to be laughed at, but the counselor raised his head, looked into his eyes, and said "Will you let us help you be a poet".
Today the same little boy stood at the front, clean and healthy, dressed in a nice uniform, his head held high, his eyes looking at unseen words, his actions rehearsed but strong, and, with impressive lungs sung a Dari poem in front of a couple of dozen 'important people'. The counselor that met him that first day looked away with tears in her eyes. The boy finished, smiled at his audience - and took a deep breath. Masha'Alla.
Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness;
Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
Masha'Allah is an Arabic phrase that expresses appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person; it's an acknowledgement that all good things come from God.
