HW 40: A Strong Desire to Learn
“Challenges at a Girls School in Baghdad” (Alive in Baghdad) 5/21/07 http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/05/21/challenges-at-a-girls-school-in-baghdad
This video podcast delivers a great documentary on what some girls go through in search of an education and ultimately a better lifestyle. It discusses the violence that these girls are a witness to, and how they and their families deal with the struggles they face everyday. The podcast interviews a few of the students, a teacher, as well as the school director. The school director goes by the name of Jinan Jamal Mahmoud. She is a very strongly opinionated person, who believes that education must take place despite the war going on in their backyard. She says that her teachers will continue to teach, even if that means walking to school by foot to avoid traffic. The scenery of the video consists of the streets of baghdad and the school yard. You get a sense of what these girls are risking their lives for everyday.
I thought it was very upsetting to find that the girls have become accustomed to the bombs and shootings that take place on their way to school. It really made me realize that I take my educational advantages for granted everyday. I am so fortuante to live in a place that is not experiencing a war in my own backyard.