Building Community, One Banana At a Time…

by | Aug 19, 2024

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…

by | Aug 19, 2024

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…

by | Mar 20, 2024

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

by | Feb 5, 2024

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...

Art in Surprising Places:Farzana’s Story –

by | Feb 3, 2024

One would generally, these days, not associate the word “art” with “Kabul”. But the creative urge can sometimes seem to be strengthened in the face of oppression, and Afghanistan has a rich history of great art and sculpture. Even today, in...

Seeking a New Teacher in Kabul –

by | Feb 3, 2024

Razia will be soon be on her way to Canada to start her new life. Everyone misses her terribly and will never forget her smiling face and lilting laugh.  But life in the Garden of Flowers continues apace, and her place is empty! So it is time to find a new teacher....