The death of Azdin Chadli in a rocket attack on the Dutch military base in Uruzgan this week has reopened old wounds for the families of soldiers killed previously in Afghanistan. All relatives find it hard to cope with the loss, but one family managed to turn the evil into something good: by building a school in Uruzgan.
Timo Smeehuijzen was 20 years old when he was killed during his mission in Afghanistan. In June 2007, Timo was on patrol in the city of Tarin Kowt, in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, when a car bomb exploded, killing him and five Afghan children.
 Timo Smeehuijzen, pictured shortly before his death |
Grief
Ruud Smeehuijzen, Timo's father, and his wife not only suffered their own grief, but they also saw the grief of the parents of these children. It made them realise they wanted to do something to improve the lives of children and their parents in the troubled region - all in Timo's memory.
Timo, who was a well trained soldier with great athletic skills, had not expected to be confronted with the hardship of young children when he went on his mission in early 2007. But it struck a chord with him, his father explains:
"During his mission, Timo saw young children who had to work at such a young age. When he phoned us, he used to say that that was far beyond his own childhood experiences. He wanted to do something for them; to contribute something to their lives".
Lasting legacyThe Smeehuijzen family decided to raise money to build a girls school in Tarin Kowt, a suggestion made by Mrs Smeehuijzen who is a teacher herself. ‘A lasting legacy', as Ruud Smeehuijzen explains. In less than two years, over 200,000 euros were raised by supporters.
But dreaming of building a school is one thing, actually fulfilling that dream is a completely different - and complicated - thing. Yet, the Smeehuijzen family managed to do just that, with the help of aid organisation Save The Children. Planning and building permission was granted by the Afghan authorities and both the village council and the local mullah (a religious leader) gave their much needed permission.
Safe environment
After some delay, the school is now being built by Save The Children and is expected to open in June or July. Some 200 girls will be educated there in a safe environment. The complex not only houses 12 classes, it also contains a walled ‘play safe' area where children can move around freely. It is not yet known whether the school will actually be named after Timo.
The Smeehuijzen family is expecting to be at the opening ceremony of the school, security regulations permitting.
"I have to go there. Not for my grief, but just to see what I've accomplished with my wife and daughter, and to see how those children are educated."
Mr Smeehuijzen hopes the school will teach the 200 girls a few things about how to live in an open society:
"The Taliban is very narrow minded when it comes to building a society. If the people learn how to live as normal as we do here in The Netherlands, then that would be a good thing. Hopefully that's something that the girls at this new school will be taught".
A model of the school being built in Tarin Kowt
Tags: Afghanistan, Azdin Chadli, Dutch military, Dutch troops , Tarin Kowt, Timo Smeehuijzen, Uruzgan