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01/19/2004: "Kandahar Chronicles #59 - 19/01/2004"

The brief story of Jaweed, in his own words…

My name is Jaweed, I’m 25 years old, and I passed grade 12. I studied three months in Lawyer University. After that the security was worse, then I couldn’t go to university anymore because it was stopped. Because I was very sad I could’nt follow my uni because the fight was starting between Mujahadden. Then I can’t go because of security, first fighting start in Coaty, Songuy. It was big thing with two groups of Mujahadeen.


Why it was start, because of the picture of one of the commanders, Asyoff, of Mujahadeen was taken off the wall by one of the Hazara soldiers of another group. When a soldier from Asyoff saw him, he killed him by a rocket launcher and made him into a hundred pieces. And then the fight was start. After that fight was start with all the groups. This was in 1991. And then Dostum start fight with Massoud, Massoud start fight with Hazara, Hazara start with Gulbaddin.

Then it was during the fighting a lot of people they were jobless, homeless and also they lose one or two of their family during the fighting. People was very unhappy and they don’t understand what they should do. Then they went to the neighbours country like to Pakistan, Iran and also Russia and also to Europe. They went everywhere like Pakistan and lived in the camps in very bad time because they don’t have anything to wear or work for them.

I had planned to go somewhere to find money for my family. Because we lost everything like my Lady clothes shop, my house, we lost everything in the fighting. Then I went to Pakistan, I was 17 years old. I went with my two neighbours. I arrived to the Pakistan after very much problem. We are trying to find any position or job there after 15 days I found in north of Islamabad there was a factory of firebricks. It was July, it’s hot yeah? Me with my two friends start the making of the bricks by mud and we wake up 6 o’clock in the morning and until 11 o’clock lunchtime we all was busy with the making of the bricks in the very sunny day. There was no good possibility to find the good food for us just we cook by ourself and we don’t have a lot of money to go to the restaurant. So we could cook with ourself with bread and very cheap thing. Our work was very hard but eating was not strong.

We used the water it was not for humans but for animals. We drink that water. After one month, three of us we had bloody Diarrheal because of the water. The water had small red worms. We can’t work we were skinny. Then we made a plan to go to the Jalazo camp it was in Peshawer. When we start the trip, in the car, we cannot talk to the driver to stop the car because we have problem to go out. Just for one time he stopped the car for us. After that we arrived to the camp, it was full of Afghan refugees and we don’t know any of them. We went to the mosque and we sit in the compound of the mosque. There was 3 people when they looked at us our face was very white and skinny and they asked me what was our problems and then we started talking to them.

We explained what’s going on with us now, they took us to the hospital, and they bought drugs for us. They keep us in their home for a week and after that we were fine. We request for them if there is any job for us. He said no. they were also looking for the job and he said we should go tomorrow the city. We went to the city and we looked for a job. We went to the factories we asked for five factories then we found a job in one of the factories making strong paper. Our duty would start at 6.30 am til 5 pm. It was very hard work by less salary. I was not old, I want to see my family. Then I came back with my two friends to Kabul to see how my family were.

When I came back to see my family, they saw me and they were very happy. Because I was not very older. I brought a little money and I give to my father to get the food for my family. Then I heard a story from my family. They said your aunts son is with Hazara people because they catch him during the fighting. He was a shop keeper and they took him from his shop. He was Sunni he was for three months with them. When we changed by another man and he told his story. We changed for him with a Hazara guy and they gave him back to us. My mother told me a very sad story about the city. I cannot explain all that.

I will explain one very bad story of my aunts son and me. We was together, we had planned to go to the place which was my aunts son house. There was a lot of fight between M I told him to stay in our house. He said I want to see my family where are they? And then I went with him and I couldn’t left alone him and we arrived to that place it was very dusty and also there was a lot of fighting there. When we arrived I saw six army people they was Hazara and they point to me to stop walking. Because I heard this story of them if they catch Sunni people, they are killing him. Then I saw there was a big door. I told to my aunts son, please come in. We went to inside only that house, one old man was there and he cooked for himself.

When they saw us he was very sad and he asked me in the short time what is the problem, I told him there is Hazara people they want to kill us and he said don’t worry I will tell them you are my sons. They kicked and broken the door and they catch us. The old man said they are my sons and they said no they are not your sons. They asked me where are you from. I told them we are from the place that was good with those people and they said its wrong. The old man said they are wrong and they came to see this place to take some things and to see me. He was from Panshir and they were happy with Panshir people with that time. I never saw him again.

After 2 months I came to Kandahar it was Taliban time. When Taliban came, after long fighting, and when they arrive to the cities the men was with turbans and long beards and just sharwal camise. The ladies also was jobless and they came out with the burqua and with the relatives man from her family. The woman cannot go out without the husband or brother. Girls was stuck in their house and they cannot go to the school because it was not allowed to go.

I came to Kandahar for a job and I found a job in one of the Afghan NGO as a supervisor of labourers and masons for 1 year. Then I heard from one of my friend there is a job in MSF Holland and then I found a job as a chowkidor (watchman). Because I was intelligent in my class during my schooling and university. Also I had position in MSF office and then I had a promotion up to logistic assistant. Now I am working with MSF for 7 years and am very happy because I can find money that’s enough for my family. I’m sending every month 480 kms to Kabul.

…Jaweeds’ story is amazing and could fill volumes. He only brought up a few stories for this entry, but over the time I have known him I have heard many others. He has been bombed by General Dostrums planes in Kabul and seen acts of violence that are indescribable here. He is a strong young man with a great sense of humour. He was born the year of the Soviet invasion. He never had a chance to finish his education that was his dream. We can only consider ourselves fortunate that we have never lived our entire lives under the shadow of war.

His message to all the young people reading this, finish your schooling and build a better world.