Field Trip to Band-e Qargha Lake.

ASCHIANA (meaning “the nest”) is an Afghan Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that provides services, support and vocational training to street working children in Kabul. In addition to vocational training ASCHIANA offers programs in art, music, drama and story-telling.

Most of the youngsters at ASCHIANA have never been outside of their neighborhood let alone Kabul. Students in the art program create work by copying images from postcards and photographs. One day the staff at ASCHIANA decided to change all of that. Two somewhat dilapidated Pakistani buses were rented for the bargain price of $50. A new supply of pencils, sharpeners, paint brushes, paper and Russian watercolors were purchased from the local stationary store. Two days later, forty-four boys and girls from ASCHIANA’s art program set off on a hastily organized field trip to Band-e Qargha Lake.