A Journey of Fear and Joy…

In January 2024, Allison and I talked often about Afghanistan with a great longing to go back, but we knew it was just a dream. It was just not possible, with the current political situation, to get a visa to visit the Garden of Flowers and reconnect with the...

One Day in Asma’s Life…

Every day that Asma arrives that the Garden of Flowers, she greets Hedayat and her friends. From that morning greeting of shaking hands, to the afternoon’s goodbyes and all the time in between, Asma is deeply engaged with her classmates and community in the...

Building Community, One Banana At a Time…

From the very start, the Garden of Flowers Montessori Preschool was meant to serve those destitute families who would never be able to send their children to preschool. For this reason, we do not collect fees. There is a profusion of private, fee-based schools in...

Parent-Teacher Conferences – maybe a first in Afghanistan…

In August, in response to growing levels of children’s stress due to the difficulties many families were having at home, the GoF teaching team decided to start holding conferences with the parents of each child. The aim was to connect with the families, to hear...

Springtime Graduation…

The first day of spring brings the New Year to Afghanistan (It is now the year 1403 there!) And this is also the start of the new school year. This means the oldest children are graduating from the Garden of Flowers. It is always bittersweet when children reach the...

Winter Gusts of Change in Kabul : Winter Newsletter

This newsletter was sent out on February 5, 2024 via email.  This winter has brought gusts of change to the Garden of Flowers: Razia makes a major life decision, fluctuating currency exchange rates affect the budget, MEPO helps a young artist get a fresh start, and...