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Mariam  ·  Afghanistan

The Journey: I Want to Go Back to School

I want to have a room with a bed and space to breathe.

Writing by Twila Bird
Photography by Lindsay Silsby
Mariam, Afghanistan

We left our home after the Taliban beat my father and made him quit his job. They threatened to torture and kill my sisters, my brother, and me. So we left.

I have seen many countries now. I have walked through Iran and Turkey. I have lived in Greece, walked through Macedonia and Albania, and lived in Serbia. We tried many times to get into Romania. It was very cold, and we walked all night in the mountains and had to be fast and quiet. We were caught and sent back every time. Now we are back in a camp in Greece.

I am thirteen. I want to go back to school. I want to have a room with a bed and space to breathe. I want to be safe again.

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