ESL (English as a Second Language) Reading Lesson: Brahima from Afhganistan

Brahima is from Afghanistan. She is an English as a Second Language student in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a baby who was born in the United States. Brahima is 29 years old. She lives in Everett, Massachusetts, near Boston.

When Mina was seven years old, she started school in Kabul. Kabul is the major city in Afghanistan.

When they are young, boys and girls in Afghanistan go to school together. But after three years, the boys and girls are separated. Girls and boys can't study together in the same classroom.

Girls at Brahima's school in Afghanistan wore white scarves around their heads. They wore black shirts and black jeans.

When Brahima was twelve, her family moved to Pakistan because of problems in Afghanistan. Men called the Taliban took control of the country.

The Taliban were violent. The Taliban made life difficult. The Taliban said girls could not go to school. The Taliban closed Brahima's school.

Afghanistan was not safe. The Taliban were very violent. They had guns.

Brahima's mother and father and Brahima moved to the country next to Afghanistan. They moved to Pakistan. Brahima's mother and father paid for Brahima to go to school in Pakistan. Brahima's family stayed in Pakistan for a year and a half. Then Brahima's mother got sick and the family returned to Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban forced women to wear black burkas outside the house. Girls and women could not go to school. After the Taliban collapsed, people in Afghanistan were free. Women could go outside. Women and girls could go to school.