My Diary

My Diary

12^th January 2012

On 12^th January, some days before I had a meeting with one of vital statistics department of Afghanistan, The room was cold and the temperature was almost -8, there was a small heater near to director’s chair, in front of me there were three broken tables and about 8 persons were the participants in meeting. we were busy in discussing the problems and challenges faced by the district directors of VS, During our meeting a tall man with mustache and beard entered in the room, getting identity card,  I had a glance on him when suddenly a little boy aged between 12-13 appeared near to the tall man. I observed him from top to bottom, what I found was really strange for me. The boy had worn an old coat with many mends with stitches and the zip was out of work so he had tied the front part of his coat with the plastic strip. I went on thinking about the condition of the people who are living in such kinds of trouble. We are always pointing out that the development fund or the projects are not being started by any NGO in this area but once we have to think what we do?

In 2011 about 320 Persons went to Saudi Arabia for Haj from this area, almost double to this amount did not get the chance. Without their transportation cost to Kabul and other traditions offered in their villages each person paid about 200000(Two Hundred thousand Afs) for the pilgrim. If we put a glance they are very miserable and deprived, their sons, daughters, grandson and granddaughter have lack of slippers, coats and so on, If not their neighbors or relatives are suffering from deprivation. Even if not they have not  a Hospital, an ambulance, a communication tool ,  but they bother this to pay a handful money for their Haj but not even a penny for their development , for struggling to help the poor and needy people, who are sleeping without any warm clothes in the winter seasons , who are having lack of food.

Friends it shows that how much we are truth to our religious believes, which we cannot observe but when it comes to reality in the picture we don’t have a single feeling. If we calculate the amount of (320 *200000=64,000,000 Afs) this amount becomes almost 1.5 million usd. If the people instead of going to Saudi Arabia spend this amount of money at those areas where is not any basic health center and an ambulance to replace donkeys, a school for the students who set under trees and technical teachers to teach the students, on a telecommunication to communicate each others, on a bridge, on a road, on industries where every needy person can work for his family, I think that won’t be a curse.

Many people believe that is governments work but what I believe is since the time Afghanistan got a new look by Americans we have seen the development procedures and the quality of work.  Therefore if everyone blames the government that is right, but you can make difference, not with money in your hand but replace Haj with development, it really help our poor communities.

I hope so; God may give a sense to those who are truth to believe. What I consider is when a neighbor is suffering from hunger it is a curse. I do not condemn Hajj, I condemn poverty and deprivation.