Kickstarter

Mariam told me: If a woman wants to do something but doesn't have enough courage or if she feels weak or not capable, I say "You have abilities you can use to help people. Whatever skill you have you have to look for it. You have to find it out and go ahead with it.

Hi, I'm Peggy Kelsey. 

My first trip to Afghanistan was in the early '70s after my junior year abroad in Iran. That summer I went to Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan before returning to the states to finish my studies. Although I only had a brief glimpse of life in that far region, I never forgot the colorful variety of people I saw. 

By 2002, anytime Afghan women were shown in the media, they were pictured in stark black and white, victims who needed saving. In October that year, I was privileged to meet with a delegation of 14 Afghan women who were touring the US. These women were very different from the media image. Although they had been through horrific experiences and had their sad moments, they also laughed and joked and seemed like normal people, like you or me. 

This made me want to go to Afghanistan myself to see and share a more complete picture of Afghan women. I was a good one to do it: I'm a professional photographer, I had lived and worked in the Middle East, and I have connections in Kabul. So, I created the Afghan Women's Project and in 2003 traveled to Afghanistan to photograph and interview women. When I returned, I created a photo exhibit with each woman's biography and an excerpt from her interview hanging alongside her portrait. I started giving slide presentations at universities and to community groups. 

In 2010 I returned to Afghanistan for two and a half months to see what changes might have occurred over the previous seven years. As on my earlier trip, I saw what a resource Afghan women were and how dedicated many of them were to helping those less fortunate. Women were willing to be photographed and interviewed in order that their voices could be heard. As a non-Muslim, I also got to see a side of Islam not often viewed in the West, through the eyes of Afghan women. 

By the end of that trip, I realized that I should write a book to get this perspective of Afghan women beyond just university audiences, to be able to reach people from all walks of life and fulfill my commitment to the women I'd interviewed to share their stories. 

I already knew of the hunger for information on Afghanistan from the response people have to my lectures. Millions here in the US are affected by the Afghan war in one way or another. Questions people asked at my lectures showed me the confusion people have about what Afghanistan is like, and what Afghan people want for their country. 

In Gathering Strength: Conversations with Afghan Women I've grouped the women I interviewed by topics in a conversational format, so readers can see the issues from the women's differing perspectives. The book will interest a wide range of readers because I have striven to keep it unbiased and to show multiple points of view. I have made it easy to navigate and also well documented so it is as suitable for an academic setting as for the casual reader. 

In my studies and travel I've learned that Afghan women are a diverse group and have different thoughts on the war, the Taliban, the Soviets, and other things. I've also seen that some women's parameters were more flexible than I'd assumed. Gathering Strength will help readers better understand Afghan culture without preaching or telling them what to think. Afghan women are poised to – are already – working to bring peace to their country. 

When I returned from my trip, I leaped into transcribing the interviews and writing my book. I assembled a team of editors, designers, and a publicist. I decided to self-publish to get the book into the world more quickly, to control the content, and how it is presented. Up to this point, the entire project has been mostly self-funded. 

Now Gathering Strength has been written and galleys sent to endorsers. I've created a publishing company, Pomegranate Grove Press. Throughout it all, I've been determined that this book have the same quality as traditionally published books. And that is where you come in. 

Your contributions will enable Gathering Strength to have the quality and reach that the material deserves. I thank you, Afghan women thank you, and you will thank yourself for being a part of this important project, as well as for the rewards you will enjoy. 

Where the Funds Will Go
Specifically, your backing will help pay for the following:

• Book layout
• E-book design
• Cover design
• Copyediting
• Website updates 

I'll be detailing the entire process via backer-only updates along the way. Any surplus will go toward the expenses of my book tours.

Thank you.
Peggy