Afghan Girls Fund Club
Greg Mortenson, author of two books and Islamic women’s activist, has become a role model for Berkeley High School students. According to his online biography, “In 1996, he survived an eight day armed kidnapping by the Taliban in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province tribal areas, escaped a 2003 firefight with feuding Afghan warlords by hiding for eight hours under putrid animal hides in a truck going to a leather–tanning factory. He has overcome fatwahs from enraged Islamic mullahs, endured CIA investigations, and also received threats from fellow Americans after 9/11, for helping Muslim children with education. Mortenson is a living hero to rural communities of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he has gained the trust of Islamic leaders, military commanders, government officials and tribal chiefs from his tireless effort to champion education, especially for girls.”
Seem intense? Not so for BHS senior Amalia Korczowski. This motivated individual has taken the first steps to following in Mortenson’s daring footsteps. In mid-December 2009, Korczowksi started her own Afghan Girls Fund, a club that meets on Fridays in the room of Berkeley International High School teacher Peter Rodriguez.
When asked to describe her particular interest regarding girls in Afghanistan, Korczowski replied, “I have grown up interested in Afghanistan, and generally in women’s rights.”
Korczowski continued, “In middle school, I did a few fundraising projects for Afghan Girls Fund [of the National Geographic] through things like donations at a birthday party. I feel like schooling is such a privilege, especially at BHS. It’s just astonishing that some girls around the world are not even allowed to go to school, let alone be threatened when they do attend.
“Before the Taliban took control, more than half of the professional jobs were held by women, this includes professors at the local university and doctors,” continued Korczowski. “Women have been completely stripped of their rights. In a recent English essay I read in [BIHS English teacher Susan] Jones class, the very last words talked about how the oldest type of discrimination and prejudice is against women.” Korczowski hopes that through her efforts and the efforts of the club, they can help restore respect, job opportunities, fair working conditions, and the right to have a good education for Afghan girls.
Having never started a club before, Korczowski initially had her doubts about its success. “At first I was pretty nervous because I really didn’t think too many people would show up, or even really care,” she explained. “Sometimes it was hard to try and organize and remind everyone of when they needed to show up, what they needed to bring, really getting the bake sale [and] meetings to ‘kick–off.’” However, now a seasoned club–leader with a month and a half of success to moon over every Friday, Korczowski now confesses, “Sometimes I get a little emotional about it, because I have been wanting to do this for a very long time, and it’s finally happening. It makes me feel really connected to my friends and people that I don’t even know.”
Korczowski has been dually impressed with the positive response and support she has received. When she began the club, she was, “not expecting more than a few people to show up. Only three meetings later, I had a classroom packed with students. The support ranges from juniors and seniors, some just wanting CAS [Community, Action and Service hours that are a required portion of the BIHS curriculum] hours, others who love to bake, and those who really care about this global conflict.” Additionally, “the online Afghan Girls group through Facebook already has over one hundred members, all from Berkeley High! We are working to put on a benefit in a couple of months that will include our very own student musicians, an art auction and hopefully catering. We are planning on using the cafeteria so that the location is accessible and costs are low. The money raised will go to the Central Asia Institute, an organization started by Greg Mortenson.”
Korczowski also takes the time to note that Mortenson’s book Three Cups of Tea is an excellent read. Incidentally, it made the New York Times Best Seller List. The benefit of donating money directly to Mortenson’s fund is that it will, as Korczowski put it, “not get lost in any bureaucratic crap.”
Among the successes of this young, vivacious club, Korczowski counts their January 24 bake sale and despite the rain, the club raised $483.00.
Angela Chambers, also a senior, is an active club member. She says, “I joined the club because I heard how much work Amalia put into it. I learned more about the larger foundation through the meetings that are held every Friday. Now I’m actually intrigued and dedicated to the cause. It all started with Amalia’s hand and I’m just here to help her build this fund large enough to help the kids that we have and are dedicating our time to. This past bake sale, we were so successful making over four hundred dollars, and it was really great either talking to passersby about what they knew and thought about the fund, and telling others the background. All in all, I hope this helps. It has only been going on for so long, and I really see it becoming even more successful!”
Korczowski has high hopes for the future of the club and looks with satisfaction on the many accomplishments of its short-lived existence. “I am so proud of everyone that has helped and how united our program has become. I just really think this is what IB is all about. Even though the ‘cultural understanding’ aspects of this program [BIHS] sometimes feel so forced, in the end our students really end up noticing and caring about global issues, whether it’s subconsciously, or through sincere volunteering like this bake sale. I am planning on having at least one more large bake sale outside of school like this one before the event.”
All members, contributions and baked goods are welcome! Again, the club meets every Friday in room C112. Let us expect great things from the not–so–little club that could!
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