Pippa's Travel Diaries: Afghanistan 2026

In May I travelled back to Afghanistan, I will never forget the beautiful small faces filled with pure joy, the smiles that reached from deep within, the laugher and excitement; their first school. The sense of hope and possibility this was bringing to the communities of refugees, of people who had been expelled from Iran and Pakistan, some after decades, and for the young many had never been to Afghanistan. Yet, they were trucked back over the border and left with no homes, villages, or communities to go back to. Creating temporary camps, a collection of sticks, poles and plastic tarp, some small tents, and the odd adobe hut in the hot dusty desert places on the outer edges of Kabul. The government cannot afford to provide services and hope these refugees in their own country will find somewhere better to go.

Our organisation Zindagi Now has teamed up with Do Better, a German NGO that helps build schools, hires teachers, and provides children the dignity and respect of uniforms, school bags and books. Often these children will be the first in their families able to read and write. It was the greatest privilege to travel in late May to Kabul with my son Mac, to visit four camps and see the impacts on the communities of the schools which had opened only weeks before; it is seeing a miracle unfold. Only six months before I had visited these camps with Mohammad and Jaqueline (of Do Better), we had talked to the community leaders, the mothers and fathers of the children. The question of whether they would like a school to send their daughters and sons was greeted with huge enthusiasm, but one mother pointed out that they need water and wells so the children would be clean when they go to school. Looking around at the faces of children all dusted in a layer of fine sand, the nearest well was five kilometres away. Of course, they needed a fresh start, to have the dignity to attend school clean and tidy. Within weeks, thanks to DB, wells were being dug in four communities, water containers were delivered so each family could collect water for their use. Now, a few months later, tented schools were up, and construction had started on several sites to begin building the schools.

We spent several days visiting the communities. We watched a football match, which Mac enthusiastically joined, under the huge and deep blue sky, with the ridge of the encircling mountain ranges still brushed with snow. The air is thin and hot, and the mood so jubilant, celebratory, and joyful. I have to pinch myself to believe what I am seeing, the arrival of a school changes everything for the community, the chance to escape the dire poverty and lack of opportunity. I listen transfixed as the children take turns to read the letters they have learnt; the teacher asks a question and all the little arms reach for the sky to get the chance to answer. As Mohammad pointed out, choosing the teachers, both men and women, was so important. It is more than just an education and discipline, they also have to be mothers and fathers and teach the children how to be in the world, how to behave. As the children reach to politely shake hands they lock eyes and hold unblinking, they are confident, they have hope. They will have better lives thanks to these schools.

We also had the graduation of the sixth group of women and girls to finish the course with Zindagi Now (A New Life), to learn jewellery making, design and business skills. It is an emotional day, the girls gather in groups and sit in the garden with their arms draped over each other, the sadness of the end of their time on the course mixed with pride of their accomplishment and excitement of what they will do with their new skills. Zindagi Now keeps an open studio for graduates to continue coming in and working on their pieces, and to support and guide them in setting up their businesses. Friendships have blossomed and new skills learnt. Women and girls from different ethnic and social backgrounds have spent six months intensely together, supporting and sharing, physically learning to solder, pull wires, hammer metal, cut gems, file silver, polish, and design, to reach deep into themselves and find expression through stones and metal, creating something new by themselves. It had such an impact on their self-esteem at a time that is so hard to be a woman. One girl tells me how her younger siblings have lost the ability to communicate sitting at home alone all day, unable to go out or to school.

I also worked on the new collection of jewellery that will be shown in New York and Paris fashion weeks. A collection of silver and gold pebbles, rock crystal from the Hindu Kush mountains, and handmade assorted bangles and cuffs in silver, brass, copper, and gold. 

The trip was so moving, and so full of gratitude towards Do Better for making dreams come true.