Centuries ago, these caves were places of worship (祭祀) for Buddhist monks. Today they’re homes for 200 poor Afghan families and one classroom.

Fereshta Ahmadi was able to stay in school after her family moved to the caves about a decade ago. She’s now a senior at an all-girls high school in Bamyan but she felt the need to educate the children of cave settlers. So 6 years ago, she transformed her living space into a classroom.

For 2 hours every day she teaches 30 primary school-age kids different subjects including English. She says she wants to give an opportunity to the children who don’t have access to mainstream schools.

“Cave settlers are no different from people who live in modern communities or people who live in fancy apartments and buildings. They, too can study, can go to public schools and take private courses so they build their abilities and development.”

Using her own money, the young teacher opened a small library with 200 books to improve the reading skills of her students. She hopes to expand her cave class in the future. “My plan is to change my small course to a big school and there must be some assistance from government and /or other organizations so that I can take my services to the next level.”

The children in this classroom are happy to get an education and they have big dreams for the future. “We study different subjects here, for example, Dari, math, English, drawing and reading, I want to become a doctor in the future and serve my people,” said one of the students.

Years of conflict and poverty forced these families to seek refuge (避难所) in these ancient caves with no basic facilities and, previous to Ahmadi’s initiative (自发性), no chance of getting an education for the children. After an Afghan service broadcast report about Ahmadi’s school, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education offered to help her in her efforts.

One Sunday, Mark decided to go sailing in his boat with his friend Dan, but Dan happened to be away. Dan’s brother John offered to go instead though he did not know anything about sailing. Mark agreed and they set out to sea.

Soon they found themselves in a thick fog. Mark was sure they would be hit by a big ship. Fortunately he saw a large buoy (浮标) through the fog and decided to tie the boat to it for safety. As he was getting onto the buoy, however, he dropped the wet rope. The boat moved away in the fog carrying John, who did not know how to use the radio. He drifted (漂流) about and was not seen until twelve hours later.

Mark spent the night on the buoy. In the early morning he fell asleep. He was having a bad dream when a shout woke him up. A ship, the Good Hope, came up and he climbed onto it and thanked the captain. The captain told him that John had been picked up by another ship and the ship’s captain had sent out a message. “Without the message I would not have found you on the buoy,” he said.

75-year-old hip-hop (街舞) grandma Stephanie Walsh has gained worldwide attention with her intense dance moves and incredible energy. Better known as “Ms. Stephanie” online, Walsh has been featured on social media accounts with some videos drawing more than 11 million people to watch.

Walsh believes the videos gained popularity because she is 75. “It’s because I’m a senior,” said Walsh. “You don’t usually see someone my age doing hip-hop and moving like that. ”But actually, it’s more than that. Just as her profile claims, Walsh’s videos are “inspiring the world to dance like no one is watching. ”

“Dance isn’t just your body, it’s what you’re feeling inside about the dance and it’s what comes out here in your face,” Walsh said. “What I want to put through my movement is how much fun it is and how much joy it gives you.”

From a young age, Walsh loved to dance but her family didn’t have the money for classes. When she was nearly 30, she got her daughter ballet lessons, which her daughter hated. So, she took her daughter out and started classes herself right away.

Walsh believes her lifelong passion for dance is what motivates her today. “Everybody has to have a passion in their life,” she said. “It’s like that saying, ‘A life without passion is a life half lived.’ I believe that.”

Walsh dances for fun and fitness, but also for therapy (心理治疗). She struggled through countless hardships, and she has more than enough reasons to keep her down. But they don’t. She turns to her faith, her friends and of course, dance, to shine as an inspiration to those around her.

Gilbert, one of Walsh’s followers, says she inspires him every day. “She’s a beautiful soul who teaches me that it doesn’t matter about your age or your size. As long as you feel good, that’s all that matters,” says Gilbert. “I am truly thankful that Walsh is teaching me at the age of 32 to live my life full and stop being so scared.”