Afghanistan | A wall of Dream

“A woman’s dreams are an index of her greatness.” — Zadok Rabinowitz

Since I came to Afghanistan, one of what impressed me the most is women’s rights issue.

Walking on the street, I could see lots of women in Blue Burqa begging for money, they are covered by Blue Burqa from toe to head even their eyes, you couldn’t see any part of body or face. Once I tried to wear this Burqa, it’s quite heavy and hot, and I couldn’t see clearly due to the mesh cloth in front of my eyes. Women from religious family are not allowed to work, they also need to get permission from their husband or father to go outside or talk to other men. But for some women who have lost their husbands, and don’t have any skills due to lack of education, they don’t have jobs and can’t find jobs, so they can only beg for money.

Once I asked some street girls to draw me about their dreams, I asked them “What kind of person do you want to see in the future ?” They answered either teacher or doctor, which made me confused “Why only teacher and doctor? Don’t they have other dreams ?” My Afghan friends told me that because these children have been told to be a teacher or doctor by parents or teachers, to serve the country, and also get good salary. So they don’t know what else they could dream.

I feel sad for them, and I hope all Afghan girls and women could be like anyone in the world, to do anything they want to do, to be themselves, to have big dreams, and to find more possibilities of themselves.

So, together with ArtLords, the leading art management organization in Afghanistan, which dedicated to peace and social transformation through art and culture, to design a mural to encourage women to dream bigger and find the possibilities of their future.

the Persian Princess who needs to cover her whole body was sleeping in a starry night, she had a beautiful dream.

In her dream, she became ………

a diver……an adventure……a pilot……a spaceman……a singer…… a dancer……a photographer……a football player……a painter……a writer……a doctor……a scientist……a president…..the Queen of my world……In her dream, she flew to her freedom, she followed her heart, she did what she loves, she hugged more possibilities, she became a gorgeous human being……..