Peaslee Students Inspired to Help School in Afghanistan

Elizabeth Suneby asked Peaslee Elementary School fourth- and fifth-graders to close their eyes and "imagine if you were never, ever, ever allowed to go to school."

"What couldn't you do?" Suneby asked during presentations to the two grades last week.

The inability to write and read, and get a job,  were among the students' answers.

Suneby said most girls in Afghanistan don't go to school.

Suneby wrote a picture book, "Razia's Ray of Hope: One Girl's Dream of an Education," to promote awareness of this situation among kids, and to inspire them to act.

The book is about Razia Jan, who founded the Zabuli Education Center, a girls-only school, in Afghanistan five years ago.

"Five years ago, no girls went to school in this area. Now, there are over 400," Suneby said before showing a video about Jan's school.

"They knew no English five years ago. Now, they're speaking to you in English."

Suneby said she wrote the book after attending a fundraiser for Jan's school.

"Here I am, a pretty educated woman, graduated from college, majored in history," she said.

"And while I understood intellectually the problem that not everyone around the world was treated fairly and couldn't go to school, it wasn't until I really heard the stories and saw the faces that it really came to light to me. I thought, 'I've got to share this with kids'." 

Suneby said it costs $300 to send a girl to Jan's school.

Peaslee Librarian and Head Teacher Nancy Kellner said Peaslee fifth-grader Kerry Donovan wants to raise money for the foundation.

Kellner said the fourth- and fifth-grades, totalling about 100 students, read Suneby's story, and did research.

"The story captivated me. The lyricism of the writing captivated me. But the message of the book -- to give children, fourth grade, third grade and up -- some exposure to some things in the real world that they don't necessarily know about," said Kellner, who is Suneby's sister-in-law.

"This particular story is about a little girl in Afghanistan who wants to go to school. She has to get permission from the men in her family. And it's a big deal."