The Titanic was an Amusing Ship

Commentary by Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, PRT Nangarhar commander

      "Titanic was an amusing ship, which had a fascinating life, but
a very tragic end.  Jack and Rose two lovers whose hearts were full of
love and were passengers of the thousand others in the ship."  Thus
begins one of the stories in an English-language magazine titled
"Sherzai" we received at a recent shura hosted by Governor Sherzai.  It
is not clear whether it was intended to be a movie review or a factual
history.  As I've stated before, nuances like that get lost in the
translation.  Still, the existence of a glossy color magazine named
after the Governor and proclaiming itself to be "Impartial,
Non-political and Academic" raised our eyebrows.  Who, if not us, is the
audience for such a magazine?  How could we expect a magazine named
after the Governor handed out at the Governor's shura to be impartial
and non-political?  We were the only five native English speakers of the
100+ in attendance at the shura.  Why is Sherzai investing money that
should go to governing on self-aggrandizing propaganda?
       Like the iceberg that sunk that amusing ship Titanic, there was
much more to this story under the surface.
       As I later thumbed through the magazine looking for other things
to laugh at, I learned something about this magazine that wasn't visible
above the surface of the water.  This magazine was not created by
Governor Sherzai but by the students at a school named after him: the
Sherzai English Language and Computer Center.  This is a magazine
written and created by the school's adult students.  Sherzai is a school
where adult men and women can learn various skills, such as English as a
second language and computing courses.  Tuition is free, funded by
Sherzai.
       A few years ago, I participated in a Spelling Bee fundraiser for
the Academy of Hope in Washington DC.  (My team misspelled the word
'rhododendron' despite Tove having quizzed me on that word multiple
times.)  I remembered hearing the stories of parents who worked all day
and attended classes in the evening to get their GEDs.  They improved
their self-confidence and self-image.  They found better jobs, and they
became more involved in their children's education.  It's a great
program, and the graduates have reason to be proud of their
achievements.  And then, reading this magazine, I realized how hard it
must be for the Afghans at Sherzai.  The literacy rate in Nangarhar in
Pashto is probably around 30%.  Unemployment is still a significant
hurdle.  Even many of those with jobs survive below the poverty line;
yet here are young men and women bettering themselves, developing
English and computer skills.  I admittedly don't know anything about
these students.  Like that iceberg, this program seems to exist just
below the consciousness of the Western world and our development
programs and the coalition's public affairs stories.
       It seems everywhere we go in Nangarhar, if there is development
or aid, there are a coalition or NGO fingerprints all over it.  Yet in
the middle of concrete jungles, those little WALL-E weeds still sprout
up.  They exist.  An excerpt from the magazine's first page: "Due to
Afghans are faced with many problems and the affected of wars in past
three decades brought them far away from the world of technology.
Access to English Language and Computer can bring them to the right
track."  It's not English, it's the thirst to learn and the facilities
that enable learning that are putting Afghans on the right track.
       It's funny to laugh at the execution sometimes.  Perhaps the
Titanic wasn't so amusing.  Maybe the English teachers of the world
would turn up their noses at the mistakes, but something else is
happening here.  This magazine wasn't created for the reader.  This
magazine is a testament to those that created it.  Amidst the chaos and
IEDs and extremists outlawing education and American political debates,
sometimes those little seeds sprout.  Whether it is enough to save the
country, I can't say.  But for today, Titanic was indeed an amusing
ship.