Bibi Sarwary Park

Dear residents of Kabul, Khairkhana, and people who are familiar with Kabul,

Was Bibi Sarwary Park every completed?  I read that construction began on it last June and that it was due to be completed in three months.  If you know, I would appreciate any information you might have. 

Thank you.

Calling Afghans to rebuild Darulaman Palace

The Mayor of Kabul seems to be starting programs to rebuild roads, plant trees, and plant flowers around Kabul.  Now he is calling for Afghans to donate to the rebuilding of Darulaman Palace.  Gardens are being built around the palace.  This video goes into more detail.

Also, it appears that there is something called the Kabul City Initiative.  The best website with the most information I could find is here:  Kabul City Initiative.

Apparently, thousands of trees have been, or are in the process of being planted around Kabul!  That is good news!  If anyone in Kabul is reading this blog, could you please verify if you have seen trees planted around the city?  Thank you.

"Go Skateboarding Day" in Kabul

The 3rd annual 'Go Skateboarding Day' was held on June 21, 2011 in Kabul.


     Take 180 kids, give them skateboards and take to the city streets. Here in Kabul it might seem like a foolhardy prospect, fraught with potential dangers. However, for the third time running on June 21, the simplicity of the idea became the beauty of it. Go Skateboarding Day is an international holiday dedicated to celebration of the sport, from Afghanistan to China to the Americas. As Skateistan students first trickled, then poured through the park gates on to the road, bursting through the attendant ranks of photographers, officials and police, nothing could have stopped them.
     Some skated, some sat and were pushed by a friend and others ran, awaiting their turn. Regardless of how they negotiated the 1.6km route, over potholes in the fiery sunshine, they smiled and laughed all the way. It was difficult to tell what surprised onlookers more, the magical wheeled boards or simply the speeding clusters of boys and girls dressed in flowing, coloured rainbows of Afghan clothing. Gentle nods sent the happy spectacle on its way, as life returned to normal in its wake. Click below for more photos and links...
     Finally, dusty and triumphant, the skaters stormed back into their park for a celebratory contest to the beat of Afghan dul drums. The boys’ contest was won by Mohammad Bilal Mir Bat Zai, 15, who is disabled and skates by sitting on his board with crossed legs. The girls’ contest winner, Hanifa, 14, works on the street along with her younger sister. It was clear to see the high spirits of all who participated in Go Skate Day Kabul, who, without exception, could feel proud of who they are and what they represent.
Both Afghan and international media have covered the event in detail.

(from skateistan.org)

Sadaf Rahimi, Afghan teen boxer to be in Olympics

Sadaf Rahimi, Afghanistan Teen Boxer, Heads To The Olympics And Inspires Country

17-year-old Sadaf and 18-year-old Shabnam Rahimi are just like many other teenage girls that play sports. They're passionate, driven, and they dream of one day going to the Olympics. The difference is that this year, one of these inspiring Afghani sisters has made that dream come true.

Despite having limited training equipment to practice their sport, boxing, the sisters train for hours three days a week. Female boxers in Afghanistan do not have access to a real boxing ring, so the Rahimis rely on mats, punching bags, and sparring with their trainers and teammates. Their training takes place in a makeshift gym in Kabul, the Afghan capital, at a sports stadium where the old regime (Taliban) used to stage public executions. This location inspires the Rahimis to want to help create a better image for their country, as well as become the new faces of Afghan women. Sadaf will be proudly representing her country at the 2012 Olympics this summer in London. According to CBS News, she hopes to gain "honor and dignity for herself and other [Afghani] women."

The Taliban banned women from participating in sporting events during the 1990s, and as a result the country was forbidden from playing in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Since the toppling of the Taliban regime in 2001, women have been allowed to participate in sports again, and were sent to the Olympics for the first time in 2004.

(Article from the Huffington Post)

Sahar Gul updated (as of 2/16/12)

latest update as of 5/7/12:  http://afghanistanonmymind.blogspot.com/2012/05/update-on-sahar-gul-as-of-572012.html


Old news: 

I have't been able to find many updates on Sahar Gul.  Hopefully this means that the media do not have much access to her, and that she is resting and recoving in peace.  I read that she was taken to a hospital in India for further treatment, but I don't know if that has happened yet. 

Here are some photos that seem to have been taken within the past week.