Ever since the Soviet invasion in December 1979, war and civil strife have been plaguing Afghanistan for over 25 years.
During these wars, about 6 million people fled the country as refugees, and more than 5 million people, called “Internal Displaced Persons, " filled the capital city of Kabul.
Then, when they are said the wars are over, the people returning from refugee camps abroad find only the ruins full of bullet holes.
We came across the word "ghost" for the first time, in the minds of the returning children, in reports published by UNICEF and Save the Children.
"Ghost" is one of ten answers to the question:
"What are you afraid of the most?"
No.10 being alone
No.9 boys who wink at and follow girls
No.8 crazy people
No.7 when mother goes out of the house
No.6 earthquakes
No.5 dangerous places
No.4 bombs and explosions
No.3 people with guns
No.2 darkness
and then,
No.1 is "ghosts"
Another question:
"what do you worry about the most?"
No.10 a lot of work because with many guest
No.9 no food in the house
No.8 when someone else in the family has a worry
No.7 dying
No.6 crossing the road when there is a lot of traffic
No.5 earthquakes and worrying about being killed
No.4 having hard work
No.3 seeing someone suffer from sickness
No.2 hearing bombs and explosions
and...
No.1 is also "ghosts"
There are many street children in Kabul.
All of the children who lost their fathers are considered orphans in Afghanistan. So most of these street children are orphans.
Internal Displaced Persons are living in buildings that have just a floor and a pillar. These buildings used to be military facilities.
These are the ruins where the ghosts are supposed to be living.
And, while we were in the misson for those who are living in the camps for the Internal Displaced Persons, we asked the children living there:
"Have you ever seen ghosts?"
Some of them answer with nods indicating "yes".
Then, we asked them to draw the ghosts they saw on paper with color pens.
......We met the many ghosts in Kabul in this way.
What a large variety of ghosts they are!
Some look like playmates with friendly faces.
The children might say: "I would like to have a playmate like this."
This one looks like a bully, hanging round them with a weird smile.
The children's imagination suddenly comes down to earth.
Snakes and scorpions crawl out of the ground; stray dogs wander around.
Lurking under the ground, a land mine is also a ghost in the minds of children.
Land mines appear in the shape of snakes, big snakes in their imagination.
It is no exaggeration to say that all of Afghanistan is covered with land mines. You can see checkmarks everywhere where mines used to be.
Lines of white-painted rocks show where mines have been cleared.
But there are still many places where the mines haven't yet been cleared.
Red-painted rocks encircle these places.
These mines still kill and maim.
For the children, the most horrible ghosts are those that kidnap and kill them.
In Kabul, rumors circulate that people kidnap and kill children for organ transplant operations.
The mother of Kabul fear kidnapping the most.
Those who hurt children to relieve their depression are also described by the children as ghosts.
And, of course, many children remember the wars and the bombings.
Night falls over Kabul.
In the darkness of Kabul, ghosts seem to roam still through the children's dreams even now.
