The following year, a package of 76 entries, stitched into muslin, arrived at our office, along with an large, panoramic oil painting of Bamiyan, the former hometown of the children, whom we learned were all Hazara, an ethnic group decimated by the Taliban. Many of the children had seen their fathers, mothers and siblings slaughtered, as their artwork attested. Other paintings in the package, however, depicted birds in nests, village life, animals and other remembrances of their lost homeland. (Bamiyan is the village where the two ancient giant Buddhas were destroyed by the Taliban, an incomparable cultural loss to the world, and to the Hazara, who—although Moslem—considered the statues as part of their cultural heritage.
River of Words awarded Finalist ribbons and prizes to 11 of the entrants in 2003. We have sent art supplies to the art school and are in touch, via email, with the school’s teachers. We have exhibited the entire group of paintings sent to us and are working with journalists and international aid organizations to share the story and artwork of these remarkable youths.

Here are some emails from the refugee camps of Quetta to West Berkeley:

Email from Ahmad to River of Words—

January 15, 2002
I am an Afghan child but right now in Pakistan. Yesterday I read in a magazine called Ranger Rick about the contest between kids, so called the River of Words. I wanted to participate in it but when I got to know that the deadline is way passed I got very disappointed you know because the magazine was from the year 1998. Please, if there is any contest again inform me. I am a kid blessed with an extraordinary love of nature. I love reading nature magazines but we live in a condition that it is impossible to subscribe for such magazines. Yours truly Ahmad Shuja Koshani

February 10, 2002
Please send some more entry forms because my friends are also participating in this contest. It can be three.

February 25, 2002
Dear Pamela (can I call you Pamela?) Thank you for informing us of the paintings. Please email us and tell us wether you have received them or not. By the way, has the compiling of the artworks and the poems begun? We are all very excited about the outcome of it. Regards, Koshani

March 3, 2002
Dear river of words: I, and my organization you can say in a way have sent some artworks and poetries. The name of the organization is Hunaristan-e-Hazara Koshani. I am a member of this group. We altogether have sent 5 artworks and two poems. Please inform us when you recieve the art works. Here in Pakistan we have got quite alot of talents on art. We all right now live in Pakistan but are representing Afghanistan in the contest. Next year, our team shall send more and better artworks from the members. This year, we were informed of the competition pretty late due to which our members had no preperations at all. They completed their works hastily including me. The members who have sent their artworks (of course I am one of them as well.) are: Ahmad Shuja Koshani, Mohammad Hadi Hazara, Ahmad Zakaria Koshani, and of course "Saadat" a cheerfull member. Your's sencerely, Ahmad Shuja Koshani

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