Imagine that you live in the most remote places with the harshest conditions on earth like, say, the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are no grocery stores, Target, McDonalds, Toys R'Us, nor a boba tea house.
Image courtesy Central Asia Institute
Imagine that there are no schools available especially for girls. If there are tent schools, you may have to walk miles and miles to attend. Once you get there, you would sit outside and learn your lessons for the day that way. Your teacher is always at risk of getting kidnapped and hurt because of what he does. If there is even a structure to call a school, it is also at risk of getting bombed or burned because of what it stands for. There are no luxuries of nice books, paints, art supplies, toys, nice lunch, comfortable cots to sleep on....nothing.
Image courtesy Central Asia Institute
No desks, no pencils...most of the time your teacher scribbles lessons on the ground with a stick. Then one day, an American mountain climber, Greg Mortenson, stumbled into one of these remote villages after he attempted to climb K2. Then realization hit that none of these places really have proper schools to educate children. That's how it all started...the Central Asia Institute was born. Their mission is to promote and support community-based education especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Image courtesy Central Asia Institute
These places are so remote that to build a school, lumber has to be lugged up rough terrain by people or animals. 
Image courtesy Central Asia Institute
Since then, hundreds of schools have been built to help educate children especially girls. Here's the Lalander School in Afghanistan.
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You're probably wondering why I'm talking about something that's thousands of miles away from my 3 year old self. I am concerned because my generation will bear the burden of the results of the war that is now being fought there. Girls have been treated second class citizens and have not been given the opportunity to be educated. In countries where the Taliban has a hand in most things especially in these remote places, educating young girls is essential to ensure that the future generation will have educated mothers who will guide them in the right direction. With educated mothers, it probably is less likely that the furture generation will get involved in extremist activities. My thoughts are with my toddler counter parts in Pakistan and Afghanistan where everyday is a struggle. Many of them will face a bleak future. I am grateful for what I have and pray that they too, will have the same opportunity like I do someday.
Image courtesy Central Asia Institute
Here's a book called "Listen to the Wind" that's a cool read for us young ones.
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