About Dr. Safi
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Dr. Safi was born in Kunar, Afghanistan. He attended a boarding high school in Kabul before earning his undergraduate degree from American University in Beirut, and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. Dr. Safi is fluent in English, Dari, Pashto, and Arabic is currently retired in Southern Florida. He is the president of Afghan Rural Schools (ARS) and author of One Life: An Afghan Remembers.
The founder of Afghan Rural Schools, Qayum Safi, grew up in Kunar Province. He has taken to heart the saying, "No matter where you go, you will always come back to the children of your ancestors."
During Qayum's childhood there was only one elementary school for boys in the district. There was no school for girls and no high school. Of the 35 children in his class, he was the only one who continued his education in a high school.
With a government scholarship, he was sent to a boarding school in Kabul to attend junior and senior high school. Later, he went on to Beirut, Lebanon for his BA and to pursue graduate studies in the USA.
There are many promising young people in Afghanistan. Living in a rural village should not prevent a child from achieving his or her full potential. Nor, should a child have to travel such a circuitous route simply to receive an education.
One Life to Live:
An Afghan Remembers
The eldest of ten children, Safi is forced to survive on very little while living in an extremely traditional and conservative society. His road isn’t easy from the beginning, having moved from Pech due to war and starting over with his family in his parents’ home village. Although he encounters numerous setbacks, Safi never gives up on his search for a better life. When Safi earns a number of scholarships due to his academic excellence, his travels bring him to different locations, cultures and opportunities. After attending a boarding school in Kabul, he travels to Lebanon and the United States, where he earns a doctorate degree from an Ivy League university. Despite several bumps in the road, Safi finally finds himself in the family life and career that he always wanted. Inspired by the Pashto saying, “No matter where a person goes, he always comes back to the children of his ancestors,” a special bank account has been established so profits from the book’s sales will benefit a girls’ high school in Khas Kunar, Afghanistan. Meant to be an inspiring story of life and struggle, “One Life” offers readers an uplifting story of how perseverance and hard work don’t fail in spite of the obstacles that may stand in the way. Having lived on hope for so long, Safi hopes his memoir brings hope to others who may need it in their times of struggle.
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