Change
Hands at Work: Stitches of Childhood from Afghanistan
Ahmad Shah Karimi / English / 0 / 0 Pages
Ahmad Shah steals apples with cousins under the moonlight and runs from the schoolteacher. He changes oil in a repair shop, molds birds from clay, and makes dolls to act out weddings. He studies how clothes are sewn, how shoes are mended, and how women stir halwa for Eid.
He watches a man’s skull burst open on the street.
Selling poplar trees behind his family’s back, Ahmad Shah finds the means to leave for Kabul.
Credits
| Language | English |
|---|
| Author | Ahmad Shah Karimi |
|---|
Program Info
Live Reading
Guest
Ahmad Shah Karimi
Ahmad Shah Karimi was born and raised in Malistan, a district of Ghazni Province in central
Afghanistan. He holds a BA in English Literature and founded Afghanistan Youth Empowerment
and Peace-building Organization (AYEPO), a nonprofit that has supported young people to
connect, grow, and lead.
Moderation
Wahidullah Azizi
Wahidullah Azizi is an anti-corruption expert and policy advocate with a decade of experience in governance, climate finance, and human rights. Currently a Project Manager at the Afghan-German Friendship Association (Baaham e.V.), he previously worked at Transparency International on the Climate & Corruption Case Atlas and with ECRE in Brussels. A DAAD scholar and 2024 Salzburg Global Fellow, he advocates for Afghan education rights and focuses on how integrity shapes climate and refugee policy.
