Afghanistan-Child/Schooling

Shotlist

FILE: Laghman, Afghanistan – 2022 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
1. Local resident Brakatullah entering home
2. Damaged house
3. Kitchen range
4. Brakatullah’s sister
5. Brakatullah walking with spade
6. Brakatullah playing with his sister
7. Brakatullah sorting out weed
8. Brakatullah reading book

FILE: Kabul, Afghanistan – May 23, 2022 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of children in class

FILE: Laghman, Afghanistan – 2022 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
10. Brakatullah in interview
11. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Brakatullah, resident (full name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 12):
“I have to work now so that one day I can go to school. But now, I have no time to study, since there’re no elders at home and I am the breadwinner in the house.”
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12. Brakatullah reading book
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Laghman, Afghanistan – Recent (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
13. Screenshots of media report on Brakatullah
14. Brakatullah hugging with Qari Zayn al-Abedin Abed, governor of Laghman Province
15. Abed talking with Brakatullah
16. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Qari Zayn al-Abedin Abed, governor, Laghman Province, Afghanistan:
“Not only Brakatullah. Thousands of children, like Brakatullah, were left as orphans after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Homes of these children have been destroyed in Laghman and other places.”
17. Abed, Brakatullah, other people walking together
18. Various of supplies being loaded onto tricycle
19. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Brakatullah, resident (full name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 20):
“I’m so glad. Before then, I’d been through many difficulties. And now, I’ve met with the governor of the province, and I’m very happy that the governor is giving me the help. I will continue to finish my study in school.”
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20. Abed, Brakatullah on site of supply donation
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21. Brakatullah on tricycle

Storyline

The story of an Afghan boy who lost his parents in war and has to support his younger sister was caught in the media spotlight in Afghanistan, which has brought him the badly needed help and enabled him to realize his dream of going back to school.

The boy, named Brakatullah, lives in Laghman Province in the east of Afghanistan. He lost all of his family members except a younger sister in a U.S. airstrike.

To make a living, the 16-year-old has to work in the market and meanwhile takes care of his sister. This has left him no time for study.

“I have to work now so that one day I can go to school. But now, I have no time to study, since there’re no elders at home and I am the breadwinner in the house,” said Brakatullah, when he took an interview ahead the Children’s Day of June 1 this year.

Brakatullah’s story was told by China Media Group (CMG) in Afghanistan and published on social media, which has been reposted by a number of Afghan media, including the STR news, an Afghan TV station, and the Spogmai FM, a radio station based in Kabul.

Thanks to the media coverage, Brakatullah is able to meet Qari Zayn al-Abedin Abed, governor of Laghman Province, and receive living supplies from him which are donated by China.

During their meeting, Abed said the Laghman government will provide long-term assistance for Brakatullah and his sister, and ensure their rights to education and housing.

“Not only Brakatullah. Thousands of children, like Brakatullah, were left as orphans after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Homes of these children have been destroyed in Laghman and other places,” said Abed.

For Brakatullah, it is a kind of life-changing, as he said he is so grateful to receive such help.

“I’m so glad. Before then, I’d been through many difficulties. And now, I’ve met with the governor of the province, and I’m very happy that the governor is giving me the help. I will continue to finish my study in school,” said Brakatullah.