Journey of Hope 2017 journey-of-hope-2017 | Page 33

FROM THE
by Katie Smith
There are close to 200 families living in
Lokhai including about 1,000 children.
Water and food are scarce, and most adults
are illiterate and depend on foreign aid for
staples like wheat and supplies. There are
few elders to help run the village, as many
did not make it out of the fighting. There is
one bright light shining through the dust
and despair, most everyone in the village
believes education for their children is their
only hope.
THE SCHOOL AT THE END
OF THE ROAD
Attentive students in outside of Jalalabad,
Afghanistan focus on their lessons, tucked
safely inside a tent.
FALL 2017
At the very end of the dirt road, butted up
against a rocky outcropping, is the Lokhai
Primary School. There is no school build-
ing, no border wall to section off the land,
and no administration building. The only
distinction that makes this barren plateau a
school are the hundreds of children sitting
on carpets or the bare ground, eyes focused
intently on a teacher writing instructions on
a small blackboard.
Close to 350 students attend classes at
the Lokhai Primary School. They are the
definition of determination, and hope that
education will help them rise above their
current situation.
The wind gently tugs at the girls’ head-
scarves, and they absentmindedly adjust
them over their faces as they take notes.
They have grown accustomed to learning in
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