WHAT I SAW WHEN DISTRIBUTING
THE BLUEPACKS

By ZAHID AFRIDI
AED BluePack Coordinator and Chief of Party
AED EQUIP Project/Pakistan

We started distributing 40,000 BluePacks among Afghan refugee children in camps located along the Pakistan-Afghan border, in March 2002 in Balochistan and North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

We traveled on rough roads leading to the camps and mostly remained there late into the evenings.

Working with one of our local partners, I was honored to hand over the BluePacks myself and tell the children who AED is and how the organization is trying to extend all possible support to help them keep learning even under harsh conditions.

You could easily imagine the conditions in camps. Despite all humanitarian aid from various organizations, camps were rows of tents under extreme cold. I did not see many children wearing any clothes that could keep them warm. Very few were wearing shoes. When we started distributing BluePacks (in a makeshift type of school setup), one could see the shining faces and glitter in the eyes of the children while receiving such a valuable thing.

First they tried to grab the bag whenever offered, but soon I tried to slow down the pace and started asking each and every child to open the bag and see what was there and how it could be used.

We saw a change in the attitude of the children. Those who were waiting anxiously to get their bags became more impatient but their attention was drawn towards the contents of the bags being examined by their fellows. Soon we found the recipients totally involved in opening bags, getting contents out, trying their best to start using the material with an eye on the teacher for help.

Everybody was ready to help. Mothers also came and started helping their children in the tent (so-called school). When we finished the distribution at one part of the camp we saw the children waiting outside to see us off. No one had shown them how to use the BluePack as a backpack, but everybody, even the five-year-olds, had become expert in holding the bag as backpack.

There was a lady sitting on the ground few yards away from the school tent. One of my colleagues took me to the lady sitting with her three children. Nobody in the world could imagine the condition of those children. Mother was sitting on the ground, with her eight-year-old special child totally naked (under such cold) with a rope tied to one leg (his mother wanted to control him). Another six-year-old special girl was there staring at everybody standing or sitting around. But all of us knew that she was not looking at anybody. The third child was well dressed-no shoes, trousers could hardly reach his knees and there was something on the top in the name of a shirt.

I ALWAYS SAY THAT MY TRUE EMOTIONS WERE TRANSLATED BY FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH WHEN SHE SAID THAT THE BLUEPACK WAS THE ONLY THING OF WORTH WITH THESE CHILDREN.

The husband of the lady and father of these unfortunate three children died in a landmine blast in Afghanistan. She was a widow, and those three were the orphans--two of them special--but even still, the lady asked for a BluePack as she was confident that education will change their fate if the eldest (10-year-old) has been educated. She was a mother with confidence and believes that she could do this despite all odds.

Sometimes we went to the homes to distribute the BluePacks. It was itself an experience. As there was no formal school, children were free to gather around us, their parents, and other children. This practice almost always turned into fun. Here we insisted, particularly for girls, that children must use the toys in the BluePacks- jump ropes and tops. First the girls were shy. (I do not know whether you have ever seen a nine-month old Afghan girl with a big sheet covering her head and face. I cannot be sure that parents would ask such small girls to observe purdah but it was a fact.)

Anyway, when we asked the girls to play jump ropes, that sheet was always a nuisance obstructing the fast movements. I am a witness that one old bearded man, after seeing such a girl facing problems in playing jump rope, went to the girl, picked up the sheet and threw it. Nobody raised any objection, and all girls present soon started enjoying jump rope. We moved out without daring to disturb the playing children so involved in their game that they did not notice our disappearance from the scene.

Remember, each $10 raised will help a child to imagine a future and support rebuilding Afghanistan's education system.