Man må forstå, hvor stor betydning stolthed og værdighed har for afghanere, før man virkelig kan hjælpe de fattige. Denne historie er et eksempel på disse værdiers betydning for den afghanske mand.
Af Sameer Azizi, projektleder i Afghanistan for GlobalEduSport
Afghans usually talk a lot about dignity and pride, but what does it really mean?
Today I saw a terrible scene. I was out for giving money that I promised to give to poor people in Afghanistan. It’s a part of the ramazan-month that you support the poorest people around you. One family in Denmark gave me money to this purpose.
I saw about 100 tents almost inside Kabul city where 100’s of families where living under extremely bad conditions. I was told that this is only a fragment of the real problem. The government cant/don’t want to do anything - rather than kicking them out from area to area when they wish to build big houses in the area.
These families had made walls with anything they have found from the streets… big bags, plastic etc. That was there remark for their territory. Behind these thin walls an area of about 5 m x 5 m was dedicated to each family - typically, plus persons in each family.
Astonishing living conditions have made all these peoples looks more cold and dry than the mountains around Kabul. There were cows, goats, children, mother, father, brothers, sisters and excrements from each of them around them. Flies and a very bad smell surrounded the area and it looked like the only power here was the bacteria - at least it changed something in this area. At least the bacteria could kill some of them so there will be more room for the rest for living.
The money I had was gone in no time, people gathering from all these tents… children, mothers begging for more - fathers trying to keep their pride and even supported with the process of equal distribution of money. The men were showing which family who needed it more than others and how much we should give them - even though it resulted in less for them selves.
After minutes of shock, bad smell and confusion - I saw my self standing with European clothes, a laptop bag on my shoulder standing and being looked at as I was someone from another planet. I couldn’t stop thinking about the contrasts in Afghanistan, in Europe and in world.
In Europe I am familiar with the fact that Afghans mostly want to celebrate their weddings, birthdays and even funeral with cards, good food, big arrangements, lots of coordination etc. However it shouldn’t be as the neighbor’s wedding, birthday or funeral - no it should be bigger and more expensive. Everything is about showing your pride and dignity through your expenses - but why? Is it to show that you don’t care about money? Or is it to show that money is everything for you - many times so much that even the purpose of the event will disappear by the shadow of money?
I saw dignity today - I saw pride today and I saw Afghans today! Money is dirty but for these afghan men, I saw today, it was even dirtier than their living circumstances.
So come on Afghans! Wake up and realize who you are and what you should do in life - or else never mention the name of Afghanistan, Afghan dignity and pride anymore!
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