Kite flying at the Walk for Hope

Afghanistan Relief Organization asks you to go fly a kite!
(And, we mean that in the best possible way.)

“Hope is knowing that people, like kites, are made to be lifted up.”

Traditional Afghan kites fly to celebrate the spirit of hope at the annual Walk for Hope, September 23, in the El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach, California.  The Afghanistan Relief Organization (ARO) is a beneficiary of the Walk for Hope and will offer traditional Afghan kite flying and kite-making demonstrations.  Afghan kites—known as “Gudiparan” or the “flying doll”—will be available to the public through donations for education and relief work in Afghanistan.

Kite flying is a beloved neighborhood and community sport that has returned to Afghanistan in recent years.   ARO will feature over 200 kites brought from Afghanistan by ARO relief volunteer and independent filmmaker, Masoud Farand, and relief volunteer Hassib Khalili.     

Gudiparan are mostly diamond-shape, very colorful, and made of thin paper with a “skeleton” of bamboo wood.  This makes Afghan kites very light and flexible.  For Afghan children and adults, watching gudiparan dueling in the sky above is an exciting event!   The title of sharti—champion—is given to the one who never loseWeight Exercises a kite fight.  Traditionally, shartis have a style that captures fans throughout the neighborhood, or kochagi. 

Those who have read the best-selling novel and future feature film, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, have the opportunity to see, touch, fly and own a real Afghan kite at the Walk for Hope.

Celebrating Afghan culture and tradition goes hand-in-hand with the education and relief work of ARO, as well as the restoration of Afghanistan.    ARO encourages you to Walk for Hope and then join us for kite-flying in the park!  Who knows?  You could be the next sharti!

ARO is a California-based 501c3 non-governmental organization, relying primarily on volunteers and donations.  The organization is secular and non political, with volunteers of all backgrounds and faiths.   

ARO recently received support for educational programs from the US Embassy and British Embassy in Kabul, school equipment from the European Union, and has worked with the US military airlifting relief and school supplies.  The most recent airlift in August 2006, delivered 16 ½ tons of relief supplies for distribution directly into the hands of needy communities, without any intermediaries.  ARO programs and relief trips with American volunteers have been reported in Orange Coast Magazine, the Orange County Register, CNN, and The LA Weekly, among other publications. 

For more information about ARO, visit the website, http://www.afghanrelief.com/, or contact us at info@afghanrelief.com.