While I have tried to make the Monday Morning Mojo apolitical, it is difficult to write about any subject this week without referencing what is happening in Afghanistan. I am hopeful the future will be better than the past for many of the refugees, and I pray the future for those staying in the country will be less violent and more progressive.
In the spirit of the Monday Morning Mojo, amid much of the distressing news, I have found myself looking for signs of humanity and inspiration coming from Afghanistan and the recent events.
Nadia Nadim – Professional Soccer Player
The first story brought to my attention was the Afghani-born women’s soccer player Nadia Nadim. Born in Herat, Nadia fled Afghanistan with her family to Denmark after her father was murdered in 2000. In Denmark she honed her soccer skills and has become one of the most celebrated women on the professional soccer scene. She has won numerous awards playing for Denmark, she was captain of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), played for Manchester City and she is now with Racing Louisville FC in US, which just won the Women’s Cup held in Louisville. Nadia is considered among the best women athletes of Afghani descent. Impressively, if playing professional soccer is not enough, she is also currently putting herself through medical school.
Here’s a website which details parts of her story (http://nadianadim.com) and a short video providing a bit more detail.
Afghanistan All-Girls Robotics Team
Last week I was moved watching the story about members of the Afghanistan all-girls robotics team arriving in Mexico. I remember hearing about these young ladies before, and how impressive they are in the fields of robotics and engineering. There is some controversy about a US woman taking credit for their escape, but controversy aside, watching this story inspired me. Here’s a short clip featuring their arrival in Mexico.
A Collection Of Inspiring Stories
Finally, I came across a December 2020 Youtube video worthy of a broader audience. This video was produced by a young man, Drew Binksy, who traveled through Afghanistan uncovering inspiring stories featuring women of Afghanistan. Binsky features women dancers, entrepreneurs, photographers, musicians, athletes and more. While we watch and wait in anticipation of what is to become of the new Afghanistan, these stories are very important in modeling what is possible.
I hope this provides some escape to the anxiety and distress what we have witnessed these past two weeks. Let’s hope the future is better than the past for everyone touched by the series of events taking place in Afghanistan.
Wishing you all a great week ahead.
