I filled the blue plastic bucket in the tiled bathroom with tepid water from the low-pressure faucet. I heard a mild explosion echoing from the east side of the city, but I continued to allow the water to run.

As I poured the water over my head from a plastic cup, I heard another weak explosion in the distance. From the sound of it, I assumed NATO was deactivating another series of land mines.

After I dried and dressed, I padded down the cold marble steps to the table, only a few inches off the ground. My colleagues greeted me in three languages.

“Good morning! Salaam! Bonjour!” resounded in the large room.
As I ate dry bread and drank green tea, the routine never once struck me as odd.

aina
This was the scenario nearly every morning except Friday, the Muslim holy day. During the rest of the week, I worked 10-hour days beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The word AINA means “mirror” in Dari, one of the languages spoken in Afghanistan. The French organization was founded two years ago on the principle that a democracy will crumble without independent media.
For the first month, I worked exclusively with the photo department in which Glenn and others were dedicated to training the first generation of professional Afghan photojournalists. In a nation with an alarmingly high illiteracy rate, photography is a crucial form of accurate communication to all.

They labeled me an English editor, but my main responsibilities were drafting proposals for funding and helping create a Web site showcasing student portfolios.

In August, I began editing for Malalai, the first magazine of its kind in Afghanistan. Its purpose was the advancement of women — a monumental concept in a society dominated by men.

During its reign, the Taliban forbade education for women and free press for all its citizens. The writers had received no journalism instruction. I created a workbook for them outlining the basics.

In a place where just two years earlier women had been killed for speaking too loudly in public, these women were making certain their voices were heard.

With the country remaining in a constant state of instability, the women were keenly aware of potential consequences to their safety.
And still they wrote.