DEAR FRIENDS,
I want to tell you about a place where some of the people are so hungry for knowledge, they risk their safety to learn.  Others risk their lives to teach.  They are the women and girls of Afghanistan. For years, Afghanistan suffered from civil wars which practically destroyed the education system.  Then the Taliban won power.  They stopped women from working; they banned girls, older than eight, from studying.  Secret schools sprang up around the country.  Teachers organized lessons in homes and other hidden places.  If caught, they were stoned to death.
In 2001, the Taliban fell.  Women could work and girls could study again.  Many schools were tents or small, dark sheds.  Students were packed together like sardines; they did not have much school supplies.  Yet the girls continued going, eager to learn.

Sadly, in the rural areas, the Taliban is trying to take control again.  Girls and women have to go to school in secret again.

Supporters of the Taliban have been terrorising the girls, throwing acid on them or gassing schools.  These Taliban supporters have murdered teachers and burnt down schools.

Because of the fear of rape and other forms of injury, some parents have stopped their daughters from going to school.  But teachers continue to work on the parents to send their daughters to seek an education.  Many young girls and grown women refuse to quit learning.

And here we are, with books and newspapers everywhere.  On television, there are Maths and English lessons.  We can ask family overseas to send reading material in barrels.  We can go to websites at Internet cafes, read, discuss. 

But are we interested in seeking further knowledge?  Or do we think that, once we have left school, we do not need to learn more?  What is our excuse?  When I think of the war-torn, assaulted, impoverished women of Afghanistan so hungry for knowledge that they would risk anything to learn, I then think that we here have no excuse.
Share your thoughts.  Write to the Chronicle or email savannahwomenscircle@gmail.com.

CRAFTY LADY.
Get crafty with plastic bottles.
Gardeners turn them into little plant pots.  People who sew use them to store buttons.  Clever children make toys with them.  Here’s how you can turn small bottles into attractive containers for pens or pencils, crayons, make-up or jewellery.  Big bottles can be used for cutlery or napkin holders.

You need: two plastic soft-drinks bottles, the same size; a pale-coloured marker; sharp scissors; a sharp knife or blade; glue, and any of these – pictures, sequins, lace.

With your sharp knife, cut off the curved, top part of the bottles. 

With your pale marker, draw a scalloped border along the cut edge of the two bottles. Then, using your sharp scissors, cut the scalloped design.

Can you guess the rest? See next week’s page…

EARTH WOMAN.
Some of the best plants for your home or office.
In Tokyo, the Japanese so understand the health benefits of plants, they put them in hospitals. Patients recover faster thanks to the negative ions that plants produce when they release vapour through their leaves. Those ions make us feel good; they reduce stress. Plants also act as air filters, reducing the toxic chemicals that come from materials in all modern buildings. Those chemicals can cause allergies, bronchial infections, headaches and even cancer.

Get healthy and happy – let these plants clean the air for you.

The Kentia Palm is so graceful, how can anyone not want it indoors? Not only does it beautify your home or office – it releases huge amounts of moisture while it removes most of the harmful chemicals in your building. This palm thrives well in semi-shade.

The Swiss Cheese Plant grows fast and is great for air-conditioned buildings as it helps to cut down on the dryness of the air. It likes bright, indirect sunlight.

The Boston Fern is one of the best for removing formaldehyde in homes and offices. It also releases lots of moisture into the air. It looks best in a hanging basket or on a stand, in semi-shade. Water often and mist the leaves or they will turn brown and fall.

The Peace Lily looks pretty with its white flowers and delicately spotted leaves. It is great for removing alcohol, acetone, and trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde – three of the most common toxins in modern buildings. It produces a huge amount of moisture indoors. It likes some light and shade.

Go on, grow some fresh air indoors and feel the difference.

HOW TO…

…Market your skills.
If you think that placing an ad is the only way to let people know about you, think again. Your ad can be the most wonderful, but if you do not perform well, people will talk. Your work speaks best for you. Follow these guidelines and soon, you will beat out the competition.

Be punctual. Plan to reach your destination ten minutes before the allotted time. Being late says you do sloppy work. < /span>It says that you are lazy, disorganised; that you do not care for the people you do business with. Plan for delays along the way – leave early so that you are not rushed.

Organise your work in advance. Do not wait until the last minute to prepare your work. Label your files and folders. Keep them in neat stacks, on shelves or on a table, so you know where they are.

Be polite. Treat the people you are working for, providing a service to, with respect. Do not, as our elders would say, let the money fly to your head. Do not act as though your clients, customers or students are dispensable. They are paying you to provide a service; you are taking their money. Remember these simple words: Thank you. You’re welcome.

Next week…more…

BEAUTIFUL YOU…INSIDE & OUT.
Things that make you feel good. Okay…so life is not fair and you deserve better. But even in hard times, you’re the only one who has control over your feelings. And here’s a secret – the more you wallow in your misery, the less good fortune you attract. The better you make yourself feel, the more you increase your chances at succeeding.

Besides, when you’re miserable, everyone around you suffers. Do you really want to be that person who makes others happy when you leave the room?

Here are some things you can do every day to feel good and spread a little joy around.

Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep makes you sluggish and grumpy. It shows on your face too.

Drink water. It gets your blood flowing and gives you energy.

Eat fresh salad – chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, lettuce. Stay away from the manufactured dressing which is full of preservatives, chemicals and sugar. Make your own dressing with finely chopped basil (married-man) and shallots, a squirt of lemon juice, a pinch of salt. Fresh salad is invigorating – if you’re feeling sluggish, it wakes you up. And of course, it’s much healthier than chips and fatty fried chicken.

Get outdoors. Even if you work in an office, try to get some fresh air during your lunch hour. Take deep breaths.

Stretch. If you have a job where you sit all day, get up, do some stretches every now and then to keep your circulation flowing.

Eat healthy. Avoid greasy fast foods. Eat beans, peas, vegetables and provisions. Have a solid breakfast – it will give you energy. For lunch, add vegetables, fruit and water to your diet. Have dinner before 7 p.m. and avoid meat then, if possible. Late meals make you gain weight.

Next week: more…

Enjoy the rest of your week, ladies. Be good to yourselves, take care of you.