Yesterday I wrote about how we purchase priceless moments by putting ourselves in harm’s way. It’s moments like this that will live forever in the minds of young Afghan children.
Afghanistan still does not have a compulsory education program (not that I’m a fan of compulsory education). Afghan children are frequently used to work the farms and hawk goods for sale in shops and on the streets. Even when the bazaar comes to Kandahar on a regular basis, the children are a regular site. They try to sell the smaller stuff that doesn’t require haggling ($1 for a polished stone bracelet) as Soldiers and civilians walk around window shopping the wares. Sometimes they are used to guilt the customer into spending more money and sometimes they simply try not to let you leave if you’re leaving empty handed. Kids can be very persuasive. But, all this work also wears them out. It would be nice to see them in school, but I’m not opposed to learning about real life the old-fashioned way – through life experiences.
U.S. Army Spc. Charles Griswold, rifleman, attempts to ‘fist bump’ an Afghan boy during a visit to the Juvenile Detention Center in Qalat City, Afghanistan, Sept. 3. Griswold is a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul’s security force and is deployed from the Massachusetts National Guard. Photo by Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras
