Kabul, Afghanistan – A blue bus stops on a small street on the outskirts of Afghanistan‘s capital, Kabul.
Soon after the doors of the bus open, joyful children crowd the mobile library to pick up their favourite book and retreat into a corner to learn about the adventures of a superhero or the wisdom and kindness of a fairy.
The Charmaghaz (walnut) project started in February last year and soon became a regular sight around the city.
It operates daily and visits up to four communities a day across Kabul, with every visit lasting two hours.
“The main goal of the mobile library is to promote critical thinking, which we believe it is not promoted in our education system or our society,” said Freshta Karim, the 26-year-old founder of the Charmaghaz project that runs the mobile library.
“When children read stories from around the world and see issues through somebody else’s eyes, they learn to think critically and realise their potential.”
“It’s been one year since we started working with children and we realised they are very passionate and they have so much energy and thirst for knowledge.
“They deserve a lot of investment. Education is one of the areas we need to invest because this is how we will change this country,” Karim added.
