What's really happening

Part 1

Reporters P.O.V

As I walk along the uninhabited road, it fills me with grief to know that this barren landscape was once beautiful. Before the Taliban this road would have lead into a village where children played and their parents traded at the local market, I could have entered as a tourist, now I enter in khaki clothing, a helmet and a bullet proof vest protecting my vital organs. Even though I am only shooting a documentary about children not being in school. Now I know that the only thing ahead of me is a partially bombed out village, where British and Afghanistan soldiers make everybody entering the village pull up their shirts to make sure that they aren't hiding any weapons. The Taliban, fascinated by power and the need to rule, they control everything in this small village. As I stroll along the deserted path all I can think of is how hot it is, I am sweating like a pig, even though I wear long pants and a long shirt the sun burns down on me and my dirty blonde hair is slick with sweat and dirt. After I had made myself known to the soldiers, I film the deserted school, in one of the classrooms I find the blackboard shot, a soldier tells me the Taliban did it. When I ask why he says "because there were girls in the classroom and it goes against their religion".

I felt disgusted, everybody should be allowed the right to education. I film some of the village, mainly focusing on the children, they look so carefree and innocent playing, but they should be in school getting an education. While I was filming the soldiers told the children not to get too close, when I asked why the corporal said "the Taliban are everywhere".

This filled me with unease, I replied with "surely I can talk to the children, I'm not going to hurt them"

The soldier replied tersely "the kids here can be just as dangerous as the adults, we call them 'diggers' because they are always digging for information".