Meet sweet Madina

We were fortunate to have an interpreter come to our home shortly after the kids arrived. We were able to ask questions and find out more about this little sweetie. This is what we know so far…

Madina is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. She lives in Charikar, Parwan Province. This town lies on the road to Kabul in east-central Afghanistan. It is a very mountainous region that still sees violence from the Taliban. There are many suicide bombers in this area and it is a risk every time you leave your home that you may not come back. Since the Taliban’s fall from power, the women have been liberated to some extent. They no longer have to wear the burkhas and can now get an education. The girls however, cannot wear shorts. They wear jeans or pants, but t-shirts are acceptable. The girls are not allowed to play outside. They must go from school to inside the home. Only the boys are allowed to run around and play sports outdoors.

Madina is the oldest of two brothers and a sister. She has both her parents. They don’t have a telephone and have electricity only a few hours each week. Her favorite subjects in school are math and English. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She told us she doesn’t like art/crafts or cooking/baking (Oh no! Now what do I do for six weeks… there goes my entire plan!). I think she saw my disappointment and followed up by saying she likes to draw. Her favorite thing to do is run. She says she is very fast! I’m sure she never gets to run because when we showed her our treadmill, we couldn't get her back off!

We don’t think she really comprehends much of what we say because the answer is always "yes". Her English has been limited to: "yes, no, thank you" so far. She is a very polite, happy little girl with the most adorable smile. We just love her! She even wakes up in the morning with a smile. She doesn’t seem to be scared or nervous and told the interpreter that she liked us very much. She calls us Mom and Dad. So far it’s been a struggle finding out what she likes to eat. Either she is very picky or taking advantage of our generosity. She chooses to drink Coke with every meal, even breakfast. Her food of choice... chips—all the time, oh except for the Honey Buns she wants with every meal too! Hmmmm... do you think I’m being played? It was cute at the airport reception… we all got a minute with an interpreter after we got our child. We asked Madina if she was hungry and what she wanted to eat. Her answer was "yes" and "chips". That seemed to be the answer all the kids gave. We think they were served chips on the plane.