On one of the hot days, sunlight streamed through the windows of the school and into the classroom. The students sat quietly in their chairs as the sunlight fell across their books and the blackboard. Every day, seeing that light inspired them to learn more and work toward their futures. Whenever I remember such moments, the image of one person comes to my mind: a woman whose kindness, honesty, and dedication changed the lives of many students. That woman is my mother.
My mother’s name is Shazia Islamzai. She began teaching in 2006 and taught with love and dedication for more than 15 years. Since childhood, she had dreamed of becoming a teacher because she believed education could help shape the younger generation and allow her to serve society. Throughout her years of teaching, she always promised herself that she would be honest, responsible, and truthful in her work. She never saw teaching as merely a job. To her, it was a great responsibility.
My mother’s journey to becoming a teacher was not only the story of achieving her dream. It was also the story of saving a family. When my father passed away, we had no source of income. Life became very difficult for us, and the future seemed uncertain. During those difficult days, my mother decided to work as hard as she could. She became a teacher both to fulfill her dream and to build a future for her four children. With her modest salary, she covered all our household expenses and never allowed us to lose hope.
My mother always said that her salary was her honest earnings. Although her income was small, she believed it carried a special blessing. Whatever was spent, life continued, and our basic needs were met. She continued teaching from the government of Hamid Karzai through the years of Mohammad Ashraf Ghani’s government. She even continued teaching for some time after the change in government, but conditions gradually became more difficult. Salaries were reduced, and circumstances became increasingly challenging for teachers.
Despite all these difficulties, my mother always said that teaching was one of the most respected professions because educating and raising people had lasting value. She never became tired of her responsibility. She believed that if a teacher worked honestly, they would see the results of their efforts both in this life and in the hereafter. She always said, “A teacher must work with a clear conscience because the future of a generation is in their hands.”
With the arrival of the current authorities, conditions changed for many teachers. Continuing on this path became very difficult for my mother. Despite her deep love for teaching, she eventually decided to leave her job. It was not an easy decision for her because she had spent more than 15 of the best years of her life in classrooms.
My mother always told us that throughout her years as a teacher, she had tried to be an example of honesty and responsibility. She said she never allowed the difficulties of life to affect the way she treated her students. Every day, she entered the classroom with hope and tried to make sure her students learned something new.
For me, my mother was not only a mother. She was also my first teacher in life. I studied at the same school where my mother taught, “Khaneh Noor.” She spent her entire teaching career at that school and never moved to another one. She served there with dedication for more than 15 years. She always said, “When you work honestly, no obstacle can stop you from moving forward.” Perhaps it was this honesty that earned her the respect of the school administration, her colleagues, and her students. She loved her school so much that she never wanted to leave it.
The days when I went to school with my mother are among the most beautiful memories of my life. On the way, she would tell me stories about her students, about the girls and boys who studied with enthusiasm, about sweet classroom memories, moments of laughter, and even the difficulties she resolved with patience and kindness. When we returned home from school, she would tell me about what had happened that day. I listened to her with interest and began to understand that being a teacher was not only about teaching lessons, but also about building the future. Because of her hard work, honesty, and good teaching methods, she was recognized several times as one of the school’s best teachers. This achievement meant a great deal to her because it was the result of years of hard work and dedication.
After conditions in Afghanistan changed, my mother was forced to migrate. Leaving her school and students was very difficult for her. For many years, she had gone to the classroom every morning with enthusiasm, but that life eventually came to an end. She no longer teaches, but whenever she talks about her teaching years, her face fills with emotion. Sometimes she smiles as she remembers her students and their happy memories. At other times, she speaks sadly about the days she does not know when she will experience again.
If my sisters, brothers, rs and I have been able to find our paths in life today, we owe a large part of that to our mother’s sacrifices. With her modest salary, she built our future and never allowed any of us to be separated from education. She always tells us, “If you want to achieve a good position in life, keep your intentions pure, be honest with people, and never leave the right path.”
Whenever I think about my mother’s life, I understand the value of teaching more than ever. By teaching, she did not simply teach from books. She taught hope, morality, and humanity. Today, circumstances have forced her to work in another place and in a different field, but her love for teaching is still alive in her heart. Whenever she talks about her school days, her eyes fill with tears. Sometimes she smiles as she remembers her students, and sometimes she says with regret, “How quickly those years passed.”
She says she dreams of entering a classroom again, standing in front of her students, calling their names and teaching once more. In her view, no work is as fulfilling as teaching because a teacher helps shape the future of a generation. My mother loves Afghanistan with all her heart. Whenever she talks about her homeland, she speaks of its people, schools, and students. Above all, she feels deeply for the girls who are now deprived of education.
She always says, “I wish the day would come when all girls in Afghanistan could return to school peacefully, study, and build their futures.” She believes Afghan girls are talented and that, if they are given opportunities and resources, they can succeed in any field.
When I think about my mother’s life, I see that she was not just a teacher. She was a woman who, through patience, honesty, faith, and hard work, built her family while also helping shape the future of hundreds of students. She taught me that success does not come only through money. It comes through honesty, hard work, good intentions, and service to others.
Every achievement I have today is the result of my mother’s sacrifices. Through her hard work, she gave me hope, showed me the way in life, and proved that a teacher can change not only the lives of her students, but also the future of an entire family. That is why whenever I hear the word “teacher,” my mother is the first person I picture: a woman who taught with love, lived with honest,y and built the future of her children through sacrifice. My mother will always be the hero of my life, and I hope that one day I will see her in a classroom again.
