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Ukraine

Olga Stal   17 years old

Happy Birthday to Me.

Or February 24, as the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Yesterday my mother baked a cake. I took a bath with foam. Did dz. I thought about tomorrow.

As usual, I woke up at five. By 5.40 I was still asleep. 5.50 explosion at the airport in Ozerny. I didn't know it then. She exploded on the bed. I sleep with the window open, so I heard everything very well. The first thought: "Muscovites are coming!" She looked out the window. Nothing. I watched the news. Nothing. So training at a landfill, I thought. I went to gather. She made the bed, went to make coffee, and then set the stew to keep warm for the whole family. Grandma comes out. Everything is as usual.

The class teacher writes. "There will be no lessons today. Students at a distance. I thought something was wrong with the covid again. I'm glad (yet). Parents come out. The conversation about that explosion begins. I'm watching the news. Nervously flipping through the news.

Title: "Putin signed a decree to launch a full-scale operation in Ukraine"

I read further. Explosions in Kharkiv. Explosions in Kyiv. Explosions in Sumy. Odessa. Vinnytsia. Donetsk. Luhansk. Chernihiv. Lviv.

Today, February 24, 2022, at 5:00 am, the war began. At first I didn't believe it. But explosions were heard almost all over Ukraine. This is a war.

I turn off the stove. I don't want to eat anymore. I don't think about my birthday. Parents talk about what to do next. The father says that it is necessary to go to the country. I go to my room. I read the news again.

Military airports are being bombed. Military depots are burning. Russia is advancing on three sides. I sigh.

I take an old cosmetic bag. I'm starting to put all sorts of little things there. Drink coffee. For the first time I drink coffee on an empty stomach.

They call to eat. I try to push everything into myself. TV news. I stuff my potatoes with meat. But the piece does not go down your throat, tears well up in your eyes.

I stuff the remains of potatoes. I cry. I am in pain for Ukraine.

I am in pain for Kruty, the famine of 1932-1933, the shooting of the revival, political prisoners and dissidents, all those who have died for the country since 2014. I do not believe that Ukraine will just fall. We fought so hard, we poured blood, sweat and tears on the ground so many times.

I am in pain for Ukraine. In those moments, I was ready to believe in God.

I pray for Ukraine. For their relatives, for the Ukrainian military, for all citizens. That all were alive.

I wonder: how many more people have to die for Russia to calm down? What else does Ukraine need to do to finally make the world work? Why do we need all this? Haven't we suffered enough?

I am in pain for Ukraine. I do not believe that this is how it can end. I don't believe I can lose everything I have. I don't want to lose anything or anyone.

And I pray to God again. Father says we're leaving.You need to collect things.

З днем народження мене. Або 24 лютого, як початок повномасштабної війни росії проти України. Учора мама спекла торт. Я набрала ванну з піною. Робила дз. Думала про завтрашній день.

Як завжди, я прокинулася о п’ятій. До 5.40 я ще дрімала. 5.50 вибух на аеродромі в Озерному. Тоді я ще цього не знала. Підірвалася на ліжку. Я ж сплю з відчиненим вікном, тож усе дуже добре чула. Перша думка: «Московити йдуть!» Визирнула у вікно. Нічого. Подивилася новини. Нічого. «Значить, навчання на полігоні», - подумала я.

Пішла збиратись. Застелила постіль, пішла робити каву, а потім поставила грітись для усієї родини рагу. Виходить бабуся. Усе як завжди.

Пише класний керівник. «Сьогодні уроків не буде. Учні на дистанційному». Я подумала, що знову щось чудить ковід. Я рада (поки що).

Виходять батьки. Починається розмова про той вибух. Я дивлюся новини. Нервово гортаю стрічку новин.

Заголовок: «Путін підписав указ про початок повномасштабної операції в Україні»

Читаю далі. Вибухи у Харкові. Вибухи у Києві. Вибухи у Сумах. Одесі. Вінниці. Донецьку. Луганську. Чернігові. Львові. Сьогодні, 24.02.2022 о 5.00 почалася війна. Спершу у це не вірилося. Але вибухи чули ледь не по всій Україні. Це війна. Я вимикаю плиту. Їсти уже не хочеться. За день народження не думається. Батьки розмовляють про те, що робити далі. Батько каже, що потібно їхати на дачу. Я йду у свою кімнату. Знову читаю новини. Бомбардують військові аеропорти. Горять військові склади. Росія наступає із трьох боків. Зітхаю. Беру стару косметичку. Починаю складати туди усілякі дрібні речі. П’ю каву. Уперше п’ю каву на голодний шлунок. Кличуть їсти. Я намагаюся впихнути у себе все. У телевізорі новини. Я упихую у себе картоплю з м’ясом. Але шматок не лізе в горло, сльози навертаються на очі. Я запихую у себе залишки картоплі. Я плачу. Мені болить за Україну. Мені болить за Крути, голод 1932-1933, Розстріляне відродження, політв’язнів та дисидентів, усіх тих, хто вмирав за Країну з 2014. Я не вірю у те, що Україна просто так впаде. Ми стільки боролися, стільки разів полили землю кров’ю, потом та слізьми. Мені болить за Україну. У ці миті я була готова повірити у Бога. Я молюся за Україну. За своїх рідних, за Українських військових, за усіх громадян. Щоб усі були живі. Я задаюсь питанням: скільки іще людей має умерти, щоб росія вгомонилася? Що іще Україна має зробити, щоб світ нарешті почав діяти. За що нам це все? Хіба ми не достатньо страждали? Мені болить за Україну. Я не вірю у те, що усе може скінчитися ось так. Я не вірю, що можу втратити усе, що маю. Я не хочу більше нічого і нікого втрачати.

І знову молюся Богу. Батько каже, що ми їдемо. Потрібно збирати речі.

Many more stories from Ukraine are available at: https://mywar.mkip.gov.ua/

Reykjavik- Iceland

Iceland is a large volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean, close to the Arctic circle. Its area is ca. 103,000 square kilometres. This is quite a lot of land considering that it is populated by small numbers of about 260,000 people, and that 130-140,000 of these people live in around the capital city, Reykjavik. All our towns are built on the coast. The middle of Iceland is mostly deserts and glaciers with many active volcanoes, but it is very beautiful. We speak Icelandic, but we also learn Danish and English in school. Our climate is relatively mild and wet in the south but much colder up north. The winters here are very cold and the summers are reasonable, they are not very warm. The weather is very unpredictable it varies from day to day, hour by hour. One day it might be warm and sunny and the next it will snow. On average over Iceland the temperature hangs at about 10 degrees Celsius below 0.

My name is Halldora and I am 15 years old. I live in Reykjavik with my mother and my two sisters, but most of my family lives here as well. As a child I lived in North-America and England and went to school there, but I always spent my summer and Christmas vacations in Iceland. This winter I have been in school here in Reykjavík.

It is quite difficult to live here as a teenager if you are not accepted. To be accepted you have to wear the right clothes, have the right attitude, know the right people etc. Being fashionable is everything. There is a lot of teenage drinking, smoking and drugs. Under age sex is also very common. This is probably because teenagers here start working early which means they have their own money, and parents can’t really control what kids do with the money they earn. Kids grow up quicker here than in most places. But this could also be due to the lack of discipline both at home and at school. Kids here basically get away with anything. You address the teachers by their first name. You can eat and talk in the classroom during lessons, but of course this varies from school to school.

National sports here in Iceland are handball, basketball and football. We have come quite far in sports. To show this The World Championship in Handball is being held in Iceland in May of this year.

The main activities in Iceland are fishing and sheep farming. Half of the land is cultivated. We export fish all around the world: to Japan, Europe, America etc. Our fish is expensive because it is fresh, not polluted. We also export fish oils, mutton, wool and ponies. The Icelandic pony is a lovely creature with a mild manner and can walk in five different ways.

Houses in Iceland are very well built, they can withstand earthquakes. The houses are also very warm due to cold weather. Hot water from the ground is used to heat the houses. In Reykjavik all our water comes from the round which means we always have clean, pure water from our taps. The water is also used to make electricity. We don’t use coal which means less pollution because there is no burning of fossil fuels. There is hardly any industrial work here. That is maybe one of the things you notice when you come here; no smoke rising from big chimneys. We get a strong wind from the North Pole which makes Iceland colder but it also means no air pollution like in England. The only real polluters are the cars, and there is a lot of them about. Icelanders love their cars.

It wasn’t that long ago that we used to be really poor. We didn’t own anything and we couldn’t do anything. For example my great grandmother lived in a mud house most of her life. This was when the Danish ruled over Iceland. Now, we have the oldest parliament in the world. It is called Albingi. Our government is republic. We gained independence from Denmark in 1944.

Kids are quite safe here, there is a low crime rate. Kids play outside till about 10-11 p.m. Especially in the summer when the days are really long and it is bright 24 hours a day. In the winters it gets dark about 4 p.m. and the days get much more shorter.

A traditional Icelandic meal would consist of a lot of fish, meat, potatoes and vegetables. There is also a lot of bread eaten, there are a vast amount of bakeries in Iceland. Kids here drink a lot of coca cola and eat a lot of sweets. Iceland has the most coca cola consumption in the world, in relation to the population of course.

Tourism here is increasing a great deal. There is a lot of interest in The New Year. Tourists like to come and look at the fire works on New Years Eve. There is really nothing like it. We have bonfires everywhere and the sky is full of colours and sparkling sounds. The atmosphere is brilliant. Tourists who come during the summer travel a lot across the country, camping.

There are loads of things happening in Reykjavik. There are coffee houses, cinemas, theatres, discos, bars etc. The cinemas here are really big and fancy and comfortable. They are also expensive. All places that sell alcohol have an age limit of 21. You have to be 21 to go to discos, bars and clubs and stuff. There is one place in Reykjavik which is for 15 years old and older. It is a disco and there is no alcohol served. But many teenagers have fake I.D.’s so that they can get into other clubs. Going out to eat is very expensive here but there is still a lot of people who do it. Icelanders are always out on the town and on weekends the streets are full of people.

Equal rights is a very big issue here in Iceland. Women are treated the same way as men. Woman are very independent and take pride in their sex. They often even educate themselves more than men. The president of Iceland is a woman and has been in office for many many years and is greatly respected, her name is Vigdis Finnbogadottir.

06.06.1995

Guilin. China.

Introducing the city where I live:

I am a student in a Normal University where is far from home. And my classmates and me rent apartment where to go to school for about five minutes. My campus is very beautiful. When I wake up, I feel today is nice day again. Because I breathe fresh air everyday.
The library of my school where is my favourite place as there is many different kind of books. I like reading because I can learn knowledge from them such as law, culture, and so on. Except weekends, as long as I have free time,I will go there. Sometimes I go to have a walk around near my school. I always walk for several hours, and enjoy the time. I can view different scenery, see different things, meet different people and so on. It also makes me relaxing. I like making friends with people from all over the world. I have a colorful life at school.
My school is located in Guilin a famous travel city. I've lived here for two years. I love Guilin where is a so beautiful. If you come here, I am sure that you will fall in love with
this wonderful city. Maybe you have heart it, maybe not. But it doesn't matter. I tell you something about it. Guilin has became famous travel city by its spectacular mountain and clear water. I will tell you which scenery you should go or where you should visit?
You should come to Yangshuo where it is a town and a very important part of Guilin. A place whatever it is winter or summer, you can go there. That is water cave. You enjoy the cave natural mud which is smooth as the seaweed in summer, and hot spring bath is good for your health in winter. Kayaking is an excellent activity throughout the spring, summer and autumn months around Yangshuo. The scenery is beautiful and we will use the stretch of river down stream from Yangshuo town. On this stretchn there are no large tour boats and it is still mainly a local area. Rock climbing is also a good activity and it is so exciting. If you like photography, you will be fond of Shangri--La, where is a great scenery. When the boat sails along the stream, you see peach trees on both banks with green grass. Where hills and the stream seem to end, you suddenly find a secret passage which leads to charming pools and paddy fields. It is like a dreamland with fairy music drifting in the air from magnificent towers. That is all about my school or Guilin.

The annual lunar July 7 is a traditional Valentine's day in China like western Valentine's day.
That is a interesting festival in our hometown where is a small beautiful village. Do you know how to celebrate in our hometown? Are you curious? Let me tell you about that. In our village, most of people get ready buckets or bottles and arrive any river before 12 noon. The time is 12 noon, everyone puts river water into the buckets or bottles. My mother said that Seven Fairies come to the river for a bathing in the morning. Time is 12 noon, they will go back to heaven. River water get more sweet and more longer for store. And it always keeps the sweet taste!

Melody.
Guilin. China. 09/12/2011

Bio-gas in India

Dear friends

How are you? I am fine. In your organisation how are you? In my family all fine. My name is Uma Devi. At home all call me only Uma.  My age is 15 years old. I am female child. My village name is Keppllingampalty. My state is Tamil-Nadu in one of the Kamaraj Districts. Our village situation is at 25 km away from Karriapatti. I am one of the children in my village who are sponsored through PLAN International in the UK.

My family members are six only. My father Arasappan, mother Rakki, and elder brother Boomi Rajan, are farmers. First elder brother, Selvakumaresam, is working as honey bee field worker. He had participated in honey bee training organised by ASSEFA/PLAN. My elder sister, Gupera, is studying BSc (Degree Course) at Maduri, and distance from our village is 53 km.

In my family all want to help our village and all want work in government jobs. In our village all want economic development, to improve education and government job. In our village people have a loving heart. Some people have bad habits.

In my house monthly earn only 1500Rs. In the garden my brother monthly earns only 1000Rs. My favourite subject is maths and physics. I help my mother in domestic work, clearing the house, vessel and fetching water. I would like to collect plant life in my spare time. My ambition and goal is engineer.

Near my village is Keela Alginallur village. One of the families has bio-gas. The head family member told me about bio-gas. Bio-gas is very important for the whole world. Bio-gas is generated from the cattle waste. The gas is generated from the doom and it is passed through a pipe connected to the stove in the houses. As follows they told how bio-gas works. Methane is produced in the bio-gas palnt which comes out in a blue flame in the stove which has great heating capacity. But, when we used fire-wood it will have a yellow flame which does not generate heat quickly. In the bio-gas they have many useful things. The bio-gas has no wasting time as well as how quickly the finest cooking works. With wood the vessel has black dust. The bio-gas vessels are not having the black dust. At that time help to women’s health. Moreover, when we use the firewood, the smoke emanating from the fire sppoils the walls and also the human beings. In bio-gas we stop the cutting of trees and help the rain falls and the environment. 

In the village the help for the farmers that went out for fire wood and returned to the houses and could not cook at quick time as for bio-gas. Useful quick for the cooking and gives the wood and health for the farmers. In our village also one family has bio-gas plant for which ASSEFA/PLAN has provided financial support for. This scheme is very useful for the village people. The family say that they now spend less money in cooking and their time is saved like anything. We spend money on solid fuel gas, petrol gas, kerosene gas and fire wood. We could spend the money for the bio-gas

I would like now many thanks for you and your organisations because I wrote this essay.

With Regards

Yours affectionately

Brazil - Rain Forest

The European Bison

The European bison is called “The king of the forest”.  Once bisons lived nearly all over Europe, finally they became an extinct species. People cut down forests, did bison hunting, there were many wars and plagues, so bisons died. In XII century in England there weren’t any bisons left, in XIV century they disappeared from France and Italy, too. They survived the longest in Poland and Lithuania. But in XIII century they lived only in Puszcza Kurpiowska and Puszcza Bialowieska. On 21.II.1921 the last bison died, it was a female.

There were some bisons in zoological gardens and three animals in Pszczyn. In 1923, in Berlin, people founded an International Society for Preservation of the European Bison. At this time there were only about 40 bisons in the world. In 1929 Polish people organized a reservation for bisons in Bialowieza. In 1952 people released 2 bisons from the reservation. In the following spring people set free another 2 bisons: a mother and her son. Now, in Poland we have 5 breedings of European bisons: in Puszcza Bialowieska (from 1952), Puszcza Borecka (from 1961), Puszcza Knyszynska (from 1973), Lasy Waleckie (from 1980) and in Bieszczady (from 1963). We can say that we have rescued the European bison but we must protect these animals in future. I think that people must protect animals. People destroy the world and destroy animals. Animals can’t suffer because of the stupidity of some people and because people don’t love the world and don’t think about other creatures. Bisons can’t protect themselves so we must help them, it’s our duty. I think that people who help animals are good, “green people”. I like them. If people don’t stop destroying the world, bisons and many other animals may be in danger, may die, or may fall ill. The story of the European bison is a good example for people. I think that I and other young people from all over the world must do something for the European bisons and many other animals which may die, because people destroy them.

My name is Aleksandra Mamaj. I live in Womianki. It is a little town near Warsaw, which is the capital of Poland. I’m a pupil of an Ecological Grammar School in Warsaw. I’m in the 3rd class. I’m 17 years old. I have an older brother and a younger sister. We live with our parents and my brother’s girlfriend in a big house. We have one little dog and two cats: a black one and a rusty one. My brother has a small animal, it is an amphibian and it lives in water. My brother, his girlfriend and my sister are vegetarians, so we often eat vegetarian soup and other vegetarian dishes. We have a garden and we grow our own vegetables and fruits.

I like reading books, listening to music. I like writing and reading letters. I’m a member of movement, “Light-Life”. It’s a church organization. I’ve been an active member for five years. It associates many young people from Womianki. We meet, say prayers, sing chants and talk about our problems and about Jesus and the Bible. I like it. People from this organization are my second family. We sometimes go away together. We have been to Budapest and Vienna. We meet people from other places (from Warsaw, Cracow).

My friend Agnes and I worked in the Service Office of the Ecological Movement (BORE). We read letters from people (teachers, students, etc). We write letters to them and we send them ecological magazines and articles. We organized the celebration of the International Day of Earth in Warsaw. We worked hard and many young people from Warsaw schools and our friends from BORE helped us. Now, we don’t do that any longer, but we are going to work in BORE or for another ecological organization this year. In my town people don’t often talk about ecology, but I hope that will be better and people will think about the animals, water in Womianki and in Poland.

Aleksandra Mamaj 1993

Earthquake

Earthquake - Chikoto Kodama (8 yrs old) Japan.

We experience earthquake in our country quite often. Even a small one, I hide myself under the table or desk and my heart is beating fast.
When the mother of my grandmother was about my age, a big earthquake called Kanto Dai Shinsai (Kanto area big earthquake) occurred in Tokyo. It occurred at lunch time, so people were using fire to cook and. so fire broke out here and there, and lots and lots of people died. It was on the 1st of September, since then it is enacted to be "disaster prevention day".

We have an emergency drill every year at school on that day. We hide ourselves at the sign of alarm and stay there for a while then, it is announced "quake is over, but fire broke out from the kitchen. Escape to the yard". We escape with putting the hood on and cover the mouth with a handkerchief or towel. During the time we are escaping from our classroom, our parents are called up by the teachers and come to pick us up. Assuming a real disaster, they must come on foot, so Mom says "Oh! too much trouble every year". At home we always have candles, emergency food and water, preparing for electricity cut caused by disaster, and supply new one every September.

Another big earthquake occurred in Hokkaido island (northern island of Japan) on the 13th of July this year and many people died. If it occurs in Kanagawa where I live, it must be very frightening. I have never experienced any big quake, but if it happens when my family are separated, we may not see each other again. Just thinking about it scares me.

They say catfish foretells an earthquake. I wish I could have it in my home as a pet. When the catfish start struggling, I would know when earthquake would occur, and we could escape quickly a long way off.

                                                                                                                    (November 1993)

An essay from Sweden - The Big Forest

A warm summer day, the best friends Frida and Joanna sat in Frida's yard and thought about what they would do. Suddenly Joanna got an idea. ' We will pack a picnic basket and go to the Big Forest!'
Frida thought that was a good idea. They packed a picnic basket and took Frida's Dad with them. Then they got bicycles and bicycled off.

When they got there they met a man who was walking with some dogs. It was a friend of Frida's Dad. He was a specialist on animals and plants and his name was Hans. Hans told them about different plants. Frida and Joanna thought that was fun.

Then they drank coffee and Hans told some jokes, and everyone laughed and had fun.

After half an hour Hans had to go home, so Frida, her Dad and Joanna continued walking. They found a sign that said "Big Forest Cafe - 5 km". "We'll follow the path to the cafe" said Frida's Dad. "Yes!" said Joanna and Frida. "It is a pretty forest walk" said Joanna. So the three of them walked towards the cafe.

They had not walked more than a cople of kilometers when they ran into a demonstration. It was full of people. Frida's Dad asked what they were demonstrating against. A fat woman explained that they were demonstrating against... she tripped over a root that was sticking up out of the ground. She got up and explained that they were protesting against a company that wanted to cut down the Big Forest and build a highway and houses there.

Then Joanna got very angry. She loved forests. Joanna, Frida and Frida's Dad went into the protest demonstration and forgot all about their walk. When they had walked for an hour, they came to some barracks. The woman explained that the ones who were going to cut down the forest should explain why it was so necessary to cut down the forest and build a highway and houses.

A man came up and started to talk. He said that they were going to build a lot of houses and a highway. Frida and Joanna thought it was bad that they were going to build houses. There were hundreds of empty houses where they lived. And the highway was also unnecessary. There was already a road that went through town.

Two weeks later when Frida's Dad turned on the TV to see the news, they had a report about Big Forest. They said that they would not cut down the forest. Frida was overjoyed and called Joanna.

Ellen Berkow. Stockholm. June 1995

Note: This is a made up story. The day before she wrote the story, Ellen saw a TV programme about some children in an area in Northern Sweden that was hit hard by Chernobyl, where the Sami people had to slaughter their reindeer because of contamination. In this area, the authorities wanted to do some testing, to see if it could be a good place to have a permanent disposal site for nuclear waste. The programme was about how children in the town made a protest demonstration and went up to talk to the local politicians. The children lost, they were going to drill there anyway.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs is situated in the centre of Australia. Because Australia is such a large country whenever my family goes on holiday, we have to travel a couple of days before we get to our destination. Most of my Aunties and Uncles live along the coast of Australia, so when we visit them it takes a long time to get there and a long time to get back. It is worth it because we are a long way from the beach in Alice Springs and my whole family love to go swimming in the ocean whenever we go to the coast for our holidays.

The area that we live in is desert and we have very hot summers and cold winters. I like the winters because that is the time of the year that most of the tourists arrive. Tourists come from all over the world to see Alice Springs and in particular Ayres Rock. Many of the best community organised activities happen in the winter including the Camel Cup, a big race meeting not for horses but camels, Henley on Todd, where boats race up and down the dry bed of the Todd River and the Bang Tail Muster, where colourful floats parade up the main street of the town.  The landscape around Alice Springs is very rugged, with many hills and dry river beds, which I can go exploring. Many of the native animals of Australia are found running free around Alice Springs including Kangaroos, emus, frill necked lizards and dingoes and I can see them when I go exploring. Although it is very dry in the ‘Alice’ when it does rain, it can be a real down pour. It can rain so hard that the dry Todd River can turn into a raging river and has at times flooded part of the town. When that happens all of the local children run out and play in the waters.

Alice Springs is a multi-cultural town with people from many different countries coming to live here.  Many of my friends come from countries far away including Italy, Greece, Vietnam and China. At school, we are taught different languages and some of the most popular are the Aboriginal languages from the groups of aborigines who live around Alice Springs. Living in Alice Springs, we have the opportunity to learn more about the culture of these people. In particular, we have been out collecting ‘bush tucker’ and learning how to do the ‘dot paintings’ which the people use to tell their stories. Many of the Tourists who visit Alice Springs love to go and see the traditional dances of the Aboriginal people. They paint themselves up and tell the stories of their past in the form of dances. After the corroboree, many of the tourists will try some of the local ‘bush tucker’ including Kangaroo, Whitchetty grub and bush honey ants. I have tried some of these foods and they are tasty.

I really love living in Alice Springs. There are always lots of exciting things going on and lots of things to do. Although it does get hot all the people have air conditioning to keep themselves cool, or we can go for a swim at the local swimming pool. People in Alice Springs are very friendly and really make tourists feel welcome. We have a lot of things to do and see in the ‘Centre’ and like to share it with people from other countries.

Emma (Age 13) Alice Springs - November 1993

From Mozambique to Malawi

About the escape from the war in Mozambique to Malawi

I am the writer of this composition, a 6^th form student Carlos Nhozane. I escaped from my native land of Mozambique and ended up here in Malawi because of the war. I am eighteen years old. The armed bandits arrived one Sunday morning, they burnt all the houses and killed every family of my region. I am a native from the Tete province, Moutize district. I arrived at the refugee camp when it was founded in July 1987.The Malawian government welcomed us warmly. At this moment in time we received all sorts of necessary materials – blankets, food, plates, soup, pans, etc.  And today I am living well. When I arrived here, I was in the 3rd form but I was enrolled in the 4th form in 1991 and today I am in the 6th form having studied and learnt a great deal.

However nowadays, I am waiting for a government order to return to my own homeland. I can’t return by myself without any government authority, because I remember now all the suffering in the past. I would like and wish for the peace in Mozambique to continue forever. I am here in Malawi now but there is still suffering seeing the country now belongs to its own inhabitants.

I don’t have many regrets, only these ones.

Yan Kari National Park

Afghanistan

Afghanistan
Afghanistan is located in Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, and east of Iran. Its major religions are Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, and other 1%. Afghanistan is a weird place and although the Taliban rules most of it there is no functioning central government, it is administered by factions. They don’t have a constitution or a legal system there either. But that is small compared to its other problems.

Afghanistan has always been a very poor country; in fact the third-poorest country in the world. Needless to say the 20 years of war Afghanistan has faced didn’t help that problem. They are so poor that Afghanistan’s per capita income is one of the lowest in the world. Its infant mortality rate, 200 deaths per 1,000 infants, is among the world’s highest. It also has the lowest literacy rate and life expectancy, and one of the lowest levels of per capita food availability in the world.

In May 2001, the World Food Program warned that more than 1 million Afghans were facing famine conditions. Then in September it reported that people were surviving by eating grass and locusts. Aid used to be stronger in Afghanistan but after the September 11 terrorist attacks, all the international aid workers left.

The Taliban, which is mostly ethnic Pushtuns, forces strict rules on the population (women must wear a chadari/burqa, a head to toe covering garment with a three square inch opening with mesh for vision, and men must grow beards) and restricts women’s and girls’ access to health care, employment, and education. The Taliban prohibit girls from attending school. There are a few home based schools and some schools in rural areas which quietly operate to educate girls. The Taliban requires that windows in houses that have female occupants be painted over. The burqa was worn in Kabul before the Taliban took control, but it was not an enforced dress code and many women wore only scarves that cover the head. The Taliban's restriction on women’s movement and dress is stopping women from fleeing the country or getting aid of any type. The chadari/burqa makes it difficult for them to move quickly. Women are not allowed to travel outside the home without a close male relative. So widows and women who head households face a serious humanitarian crisis. Women can’t work outside of their home unless they are in the field of medicine. Taliban militia punishes those who violate the rules on the spot. For example, women have been beaten on the street if an inch of ankle shows under their burqa. They have been beaten if they are found to move about without an explanation acceptable to the Taliban. They have been beaten if they make noise when they walk. 

Both Taliban forces and forces now grouped in the United Front have sexually assaulted, abducted, and forcibly married women during the armed conflict, targeting them because of gender and ethnicity. Thousands of women have been physically assaulted. But the Taliban doesn’t care about social services for the civilian population. It spends most of its money on war. The Taliban gets some funding through drug trafficking which has helped Afghanistan become the world’s largest producer of opium. Things are so bad for the women that I thought I’d give you a couple of real examples.

On August 16, the Taliban ordered WFP to close the 24 bakeries it ran in Kabul because they were run by women. The bakeries provided free bread to over 7,000 poor families. The next day the Taliban let the bakeries reopen, although the law banning women from working was still in place. During a visit to Afghanistan in September, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata emphasized the international community’s concern about the Taliban’s policies toward women.

In February, a group of Afghans hijacked an Ariana Airlines flight and forced the crew to land the airplane at an airport near London. The United Kingdom quickly returned most of the passengers, even though some had indicated a fear of returning to Afghanistan. The United Kingdom also rejected the applications of most of the passengers and hijackers who did apply for asylum.

New Afghan refugees arrived in Pakistan in June 2000. The numbers increased quickly in October due to heavy fighting in northern Afghanistan. UNHCR said that more than 172,000 Afghans entered Pakistan during 2000. Most of the new refugees were members of ethnic minorities, mainly Tajiks from Takhar and Parwan provinces, and Uzbeks and Turkomans from northern Afghanistan.

People’s rights have been squashed under the Taliban rule and under previous rule in Afghanistan. Women and children have lost almost all their rights. Believe it or not men have lost a lot of rights as well too. To stop this problem we need to take direct action. The only way to change this would be by using force on them. This problem needs to be stopped and unfortunately I feel we have to destroy the Taliban and help set up a decent government system in Afghanistan. As of right now there isn’t even a functioning central government or a legal system.

Hashmatullah. Kabul.

What is a Development Agency?

My name is Felicity Harrison and I am 14 yeras old. I live in Collingham, a village in Central England. Collingham has a population of about 2500. I go to Thomas Magnus School and I am in year ten. My school is in a nearby town called Newark. My main subjects are: Art, Maths, French, English, Drama, P.E. Science and history. I was invited to write about one of the largest aid agencies in this country.
Christian Aid is supported by more churches than any other Christian charity. It aims to work with the people. It backs schemes that are run by local people themselves. Christian Aid spends money on education to telll people about poverty and what can be done about it. It hopes to bring an end to poverty for good. The money raised for Christian Aid falls into six categories. Every year a Christian Aid week is held which is widely advertisied including television coverage. The donations collected during the week, from door to door collections and organised fund raising activities such as sponsored events, can raise millions of pounds. Special appeals are made for emergency funds when major disasters arise e.g. earthquakes and floods. There are general donations from the public which include Legacies and Covenants. Every year the government grants Christian Aid a sum of money for its work. Denominational donations from appeals to various churches e.g. Baptists, Anglicans and Methodists are another source of income. Finally other agencies and the E.C. contribute to Christian Aid.
When people need help with a community problem, they write to Christian Aid. They tell them what they want doing, how they would like it done and also how much money is needed. The Christian Aid Project Officer for that region visits the place regularly and assesses the request. A committee, made up of people who know a lot about the region, meet at London's Christian Aid Headquarters to decide whether or not support should be given. If the project is funded, the Project Officer will monitor the work being done, usually for three years. The main aim of Christian Aid is to help people to help themselves. They want to put power back into the hands of the weak to give them an improved quality of life and to strengthen the poor against injustice. One of Christian Aid's current projects is "Wash for Dosh." This is taking place mainly during Christian Aid Week. The idea is to wash as many things as you can and get paid for it. The money raised from this project will go to support people in the third world, for instance, in India many young children are forced to work for more than twelve hours a day making carpets in cramped huts. Christian Aid are trying to free these children from their hard labour.
Christian Aid is involved in many different kinds of work. This includes projects at home and abroad. An example of work is that of Christian Aid's work in Brazil for seven or eight million street children. The children have to steal, search litter bins or beg just to stay alive. They lose touch with their families, receive violence from the police and many eventually turn to a life of crime and drugs. Christian Aid is trying to give these children an education and a chance of a brighter future by helping to establish community schools. Many coffee growers in Uganda must suffer their poor working conditions and very low quality of life, this is probably because from every jar of coffee that is sold, only 8% of the price actually reaches the growers themselves. Christian Aid are trying to improve the situation by supporting the Fairtrade Foundation. This is working to get a better deal for third world producers. The banana farmers in the Windward Islands have much the same problem as the coffee growers. They too get very little money for the hard work they do. Christian Aid are working towards fairer trade for many more people like the Ugandan coffee growers and the banana farmers. They are helping Sri Lankan people with organic farming and in India they have been supporting a village textile training project since 1986. These are just a few small examples of the valuable work that Christian Aid does.
The charity helps people in more than 70 countries around the world and has over 500 major partner organisations. Christain Aid is bringing hope to many people at home and overseas. Hope for a brighter future and a better quality of life. They know that helping people to help themselves is the only way to conquer poverty completely. We believe in life before death. Do you.

Felicity Harrison - England. May 1995

Papua New Guinea - Birds of Paradise

A story from Bulgaria

Even as he defended the dogs, Peter Mokanina realized that this unknown peasant has not stopped with him just because, and after him some trouble. That's why he is angry at the dogs, shouting at them again and looked at the peasant in the red jacket is known that is Torlatsite, from Deliorman. Tall, big guy was, but that is poor and it seems he was born poor - and this was obvious: his shirt was just patches, wholesale and clumsily stitched, his frayed belt, trousers - too. He was barefoot. Otherwise, look at him - a man mountain, but it Mokanina quickly weighed in his mind and decided that was one of those soft, relaxed people who said that mravyata time and cost.
       Peasant greetings, mumbled something like "how are you, are you", but apparently it was, he thinks otherwise and has another concern in his eyes. And he looked somewhere and pointed with his hand, he said, Is not this part of the village Mandzhilari and how time should be there. Mokanina told him and now barely noticed that the road had stopped a cart with a horse. That peasant carts had left to come to him. Inside sat a woman, hands thrust in his bosom, bent; ruchenika it was not wrapped, but with the side edges granted to her gently. It was hot - hot it was, but Mokanina knew that when women relax because his kerchief, torment them not so much the heat as something else. Rear of the cart, wrapped in a rug somewhat, put the head of rural black bag, lay another woman less, probably a girl. She looked away and her face was visible.
       - I guess you got sick - Mokanina said.
       - I. One momichka got sick.
       The peasant looked at the sheep zapladneni the lawn, keep your eyes on them but not see them, and his eyes filled with concern as his wandering.
       - It was nashta it is - he said - leave it!
       - Do not you tadyavashen, its departments? - Asked Mokanina.
       - From Kichuk Ahmed. Hope he now say, in the Rock. I Dohadyal hereabouts. I walk through the village, selling clay - clay comes out nice in our village. It's good, buy women in January. When you go down down to the sea, even to buy any fish here, what grapes, what how it happened. Spall of God - is overfeeding. Just was not us happened pelvis Bella ...
       He sat on the ground, pulled out a leather pouch of tobacco and began to make a cigarette. Mokanina sat beside him and saw his thick calloused fingers trembled as rolling a cigarette.
       - Not our last child - he began. - We died two or three more small. Hey Tuy we only stayed (he looked at the cart). We've seen it as his eyes. From my mouth I have spent to buy him something to make his clothes, that he is not sad, watching others. Neyse gave the Lord kept him so far. And some time - zachama. Nothing but fades. Yes, word of his mother - it was sad that her friends izpozhenili her, and she stood still. "As kaharish was child, dumam it, and your luck will come. As others watch? - Are rich. Current as bachelors are - rich women seeking. And you will marry, mind your own business, not the elderly."
       - What is the year?
       - At twenty. Now Mary will do twenty.
       - Well, that was a young girl.
       - A young, well.
       The farmer paused again and looked at the sheep, without seeing them. Somewhere among the screaming heat reaper.
       - This summer, I begged to have her go to go to reap. We are poor, we need, but it looked so thin, sickly, I do not dropped. "Please, Take, let me, and I want to go with the girls." Well, it is because, let her go. Now what happened, I was not there, I do not know. Curran At bedtime, Curran became. I know this because, as she told me. Vednazhka reap all day, evening eating, then singing girls are brave. Go to bed. Nonka - because it says my girl - and she went to bed. "I went, Kai, Take That, among the sheaves, under a shock, I went to the covenant not to my spirit and envy. And I fell asleep. At one time I felt Kai, something serious, something cold over here on my chest . When I opened my eyes: zamya! "
       - Hey!
       - Well, zamya. Wrap around is lying on her chest screamed, PA with all your Country Z grabs and it throws away!
       - Throws it! At harvest it Tuy. I've heard zamya is go into the mouth of a woman. But it bitten, it has not bitten, right?
       - No, that is lying on her chest, consideration their it and throw it! As I told. I was sleeping, it was true - I do not know. Ottogaz girl it is. Hey you, as a withered bough. Chest pain. "There, Kai, where he was zamyata, it hurts."
       - Well work, but work! - Wondered Mokanina. - Well, where is he now leads? Doctor Do?
       - Dohtori: how dohtori changed. I keep it now ... Hmm ... how to tell ... Me to stay I do not believe, but women are right, ill do is, my f. ..
       His voice trembled and he stopped. He looked, at times without the need for tightened his mustache, beard now, nebrasnata long, hard, gray with whole bunch of white hairs. Needless to say someone Mokanina that every white hair was a sign of a concern.
       - That evening - continued peasant - his dodo Bulgarians from scaffolding. Spoken as spoken - you know? Affluent people may joke to beat. Besides dotarchava hitherto in our Stoenitsa, kumitsa us, a mouth, a very znaynitsa. "Guncho, shouting at the door, you got lucky, and luck had Nonka. Come have a Good luck." "What is it?" - Dumam. "They came from Nicholas and scaffolding Penyo, Siderov, they say that Mandzhilari appeared ... he appeared a white swallow! Just white as snow." "Well?" "You know what Kay is white swallow? She kai, a hundred years they appear once, it not, but you see it from any disease is sick healed! Guncho Kai, to walk, to Hitch not stand. Take Nonka. Well, you know - the girl wept, his mother is captured. And, come.
       - But True? - Mokanina cried. - Where the pelvis was swallow?
       - I told you, there appeared in Mandzhilari.
       - White?
       - Just white.
       As surprised Mokanina looked around and looked at the road: every day zapladnyavashe still flock to this mountain, but it is now barely noticed how many swallows were perched on the telegraph wire. And it was not surprising: Transfiguration of Our Lord approached and then swallows and storks get together to go. That's been a lot of swallows and so densely to each other were perched that the wire was loose and heavy as a rosary. Many, but not black.
       - So that is why I doshel - said a brave peasant and relief - I thought I would ask, can I see you can hear her ...
       - I, brother, I'm not. White swallow? Neither heard nor seen.
       But as Mokanina guess that can not quite despair of these people, and said:
       - Puck may have. Can. White buffalo, white mice and white crow - there. There may be white swallow. And there must be, if he has heard ...
       - Who knows? - Peasant sighed. - On me to stay I do not believe, but women are right ...
       He got to go. Touched also became Mokanina izprovodi it and see the girl. As they reached the road, mother - yellow and shattered by the weight of a woman - from afar her husband looked as if he wanted his face to know what he has learned. The girl stood still turned away and watched swallows the wire.
       - The man said he was near the village - said the peasant.
       Heard his voice, the girl turned. Low was beneath the covers only showed his flesh, melted by the disease, his face was wax, but his eyes were still bright, young and smiling. It now looked his father, now Mokanina.
       - Nonka, toz chilyak seen swallow - the peasant said, looking Mokanina. - Hey onuy in the village was, was! Let's hope we see it!
       - We'll see you, uncle? - Said a girl and clear his eyes sparkling.
   Something rose in Mokanina chest, suffocating him, his eyes premrezhiha.
       - I see it, my child will see it - he spoke highly. I saw her, we will see you. I with my own eyes I saw a white one, white. You will see it and you. Give the Lord see it, my child, to recover ... her young yet. We'll see, I tell you that we will see it ... and will recover, my child, fear not ...
       Mother frowned, and wept. The tall, coarse peasant coughed, took the reins of his horse and led him.
       - Come with health! - Cried after them Mokanina. - Near the village is. Increasingly carrier, increasingly facturer!
       He stood long on the road and looking after the cart. He looked at her mother with black chumber the girl lying beside her, tall peasant who walked round and led the little horse, and above them, between two telegraph pole is razhvarchavaha swallows, then returned again and landing on the wire.
       Designed, Mokanina returned to their sheep and catch again for sandals that make neshtavena cowhide. "White swallow - he thought. - Does it!" But it leaning against something in the chest, trying it. And let awl and looked to the sky, he cried:
       - God, how much sorrow in this world is God!
       And he looked behind the cart.