"Never go where the grass has grown thick over paths, or pick up an object, no matter how old or how interesting..." No Strings Artistic Director Kathy Mullen knows as much as anyone about the magical world puppets create for children. "But because of the trauma that children grow up with in this war-ravaged country, it was always going to be hard to come up with a script that would hold a child's attention without disturbing them, feed their imaginations, and at the same time present a series of lessons that would be remembered." The story of Pinocchio, half boy and half puppet so he can lose his legs and magically regain them, provided the answer. An Afghan Pinocchio made of carpet, a puppet who must learn, the hard way, to stay clear of danger before he can become a real boy. "Once, on a big mountain, there was a small village..." The Storyteller describes the life of a lonely grandmother who has worked all her life as a master weaver. Ayesha's only grandson has been killed by a landmine, so she weaves herself a carpet boy to love and cherish in her old age. But though her cloth doll is beautifully made, she is saddened by his lifeless form. Soon, a fairy-like Afghan Peri visits in the shape of a dove, and Ayesha's prayers are answered. "I'm alive!" Delighted to have been brought to life, Chuchi has an adventurous spirit and is easily persuaded to stray, quite literally, from the path by strangers promising treasure. "Where are you going on those fine legs of yours?" he is asked on his first walk to school by a pair of djins - evil, shape-shifting characters from Afghan folklore, but who also perform a funny double act here. They are afraid to enter abandoned buildings themselves because they know that trouble lurks, and Chuchi seems a foolhardy fellow. Jaladul, Chuchi's noble camel Helper Guide, sees the danger ahead. "Stop!" he cries. "Don't go there!" The audience is encouraged to shout when they spot the warning signs. But Chuchi is easily encouraged and must lose two legs and an arm before he finally takes in all the lessons of landmine awareness the village Headman has taught him, and starts to act accordingly. Luckily for him, for this is a story and not real life, the Little Carpet Boy is given another chance. He is magically turned into a real boy by the Peri, and old Ayesha's dreams come true.
An Ever Present Danger
Mines and unexploded ordnance are located in almost every conceivable type of terrain in Afghanistan. Mines were most usually deployed along unused footpaths, tracks and roads; on the verges of tracks and roadways; in vehicle turn-around points... in the doorways and rooms of deserted houses; in and around wells and access points... in areas people might hide. According to a survey by the Mine Clearance Planning Agency Report of the National Survey of the Mine Situation, around 30pc of mine victims in Afghanistan are children, most of whom die due to lack of medical facilities. * UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs Landmines have been used indiscriminately in Afghanistan since the arrival of the Soviet forces in 1979. Today, it's generally estimated that several million lie scattered throughout the country. According to the British de-mining agency Halo Trust, Afghanistan is the most heavily mined country in the world. ChucheQhalin was No Strings' first programme, a 30-minute film that has been translated into Afghanistan's two main languages, Dari and Pashtu. Both versions are taken to schools and community groups by staff from our local partner OMAR, the Organisation for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation, using media bikes which are extremely versatile and enable facilitators to show the film either outside or in. As well as the large screen, the sidecar unit also contains a generator, allowing them independence from local electricity availability. Despite the continuing insecurity in Afghanistan, OMAR is expanding its outreach programme. Two additional media bikes were delivered in November 2008, thanks to a grant from ERSF, the Erach Roshan and Sadri Foundation. OMAR also has its own television channel, where it regularly broadcasts the film. No Strings has been approached by organisations in countries like the Lebanon, with their own histories of landmine proliferation. Expanding this programme into other regions is one of our core strategic objectives over the next few years.
& Graeme Watt