Hope and Resilience: Kabul’s 1,000 Pencils

“I can’t believe we have committed to this project and that our principal agreed to it so close to winter break. We have just two weeks to create, edit, and submit stories to this author for his publishing project. How am I going to fit this in to my already crammed curriculum?”

I couldn’t deny the unique opportunity this provided for our Grade 7-10 students at the International School of Kabul (ISK) in Afghanistan; we tossed the curriculum aside in authentic, purposeful pursuit.

Neil Grant, author in residence at Diamond Valley College in Kinglake, Australia, had been working with his students in response to their studies about Afghan life, with the goal of publishing an anthology, 1,000 Pencils: From Kinglake to Kabul.

In the midst of their study, South Australia was hit with the Black Saturday fires, a devastating blow, and the project morphed into a therapeutic sharing of experiences, hope, and resilience. Grant invited us at ISK to share experiences through writing, with a chance to publish in the anthology.

Interestingly enough, many ISK students responded to the invitation with, “We have nothing to write about!” Refugee history, and loss of family, property, and dignity have become so commonplace as to be unremarkable. With a little encouragement, student minds were soon scheming with visions of authorship; they hurried home to interview relatives, and relive not-so-old stories.

Hope and determination to change their country were renewed as students gained a new appreciation and understanding for their past and their future.

Connecting with Diamond Valley College students and community by internet to launch the book, we realized that the world was hungry for a new perspective of Afghanistan. Our bond gave birth to hope and resilience regardless of geographic or political obstacles. Students in Kinglake and Kabul read portions of their stories to celebrate the publication of 1,000 Pencils.

ISK is comprised of students from all around the world, but 70 percent are Afghan. We serve some of the most privileged, a few who profoundly lack opportunities, and many in between. What would our students have missed for the sake of turning down “one more thing before break?” In the words of Neil Grant, “The kids’ writing speaks for itself; it is vibrant and beautiful and heartbreakingly honest. I hope it goes on to be accessed by a wider audience, and that feelings of tolerance and understanding may grow.”

Information on the next phase of the project, as well as on book orders, can be found at www.1000pencils.com.au.

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