Ken, Erin and children moved to Kabul, Afghanistan from Omaha, Nebraska in 2007. An opportunity opened up at the International School of Kabul (ISK) and they followed what they believe is the path of their life.
When they moved to Afghanistan they had three children, Jaden, Jett and Ava. After living in Kabul for two years, Erin became pregnant with their fourth child, Alea, who was born in Omaha and returned to Kabul shortly there after.
Ken and Erin met in high school and began dating...Ken began trying to date Erin. One of their first dates was going to a conference for overseas workers. During the next five years of seeing each other and in early marriage, they spent time in both Pakistan and India working in schools and with Mother Theresa's Homes for the Sick and Dying. They were married on July 30th 1999.
Erin attended Nebraska Methodist College and worked to finish a bachelor's degree in nursing while working at Methodist Hospital as a Nursing Assistant. Once her degree was complete she began working as a Labor and Delivery nurse in hopes of someday using these skills overseas.
Ken received an Education degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and later his Master's in Education while working as a teacher in Omaha Public Schools and at Papillion La Vista High School for four years.
Currently, Ken is the Assistant Principal and also teaches Physics and Physical Science at the International School of Kabul. Erin works as the school nurse, Member Care Coordinator, and started The Kabul Dance Studio in 2008. Their children attend ISK.
For more on the International School of Kabul visit www.iskafghan.org
The real Afghanistan is bold and beautiful and full of great people. What you hear about on the news is true but there is a large part of Afghanistan that is going unreported. There is a BIG difference between living in Kabul and the perception the news depicts for Afghanistan to the world. What we see: students working hard and diligently in school in hopes of someday having a future of promise for their family, local friendly shop keepers who work night and day to make an earning of $100 a month, constant rebuilding of businesses, streets, and medical facilities, warm-hearted village Afghans everywhere who are eager to learn English and are thankful for our willingness to aid in the future of their country.
The Jensen family's desire is to help others. Afghanistan needs people to dream the impossible dream, and in so doing make the impossible reality. One day, we believe Afghanistan will be safe and prosperous and in a position to help neighboring countries, but for now, there is work to do. Places like Afghanistan need to be places good people flock to. If good people stay home or retreat, there will soon be no safe place left on planet Earth.
Ken works with a great group of teachers and students at the International School of Kabul. Many of his Afghan students come from prominent government families. He hopes to help educate the next generation of leaders in critical thinking, develop their character, and prepare them for college. Some of them will become Afghanistan's leaders at the dawn of a new era. He teaches Physics to mostly juniors and Physical Science to 8th graders. He is the Assistant Principal dealing primarily with discipline issues and works with Erin to help take care of staff both personally and professionally.
Erin has worked hard over the years doing health screenings for the International School of Kabul as well as other schools with less resources. She assists in critical medical situations that arise (like getting our math teacher into surgery for an emergency appendectomy) or helping students with medical conditions at school such as seizers, sickness, or minor accidents. Erin works with our staff helping them work through issues that arise from living in a war zone that offers us very few freedoms. Erin also founded The Kabul Dance Studio in 2008 and has prepared performers for a number of dance recitals including a performance for US/Coalition troops at a military base here in Kabul.
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- Alter-ego: Some students believe he is actually "The Hit Man"
- Hidden Power: He can find his way through the Middle East in a car at night
- 'One-day' dream: To learn to play really good lead blues guitar
- Little known fact: When he was 18, he had a ponytail down to his shoulders.
- Pizza toppings: Sausage, green pepper, onion, black olive, mushroom
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were looking: When he was younger no, but after being with Erin for a few years....yes, and now it's 50/50 but only if he thinks the light is broken, no cops are around, and his kids aren't in the car.
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- Alter-ego: No one cares for people or has more shoes than Erin
- Hidden Power: Bargaining with shrewd shop keepers until they cry
- 'One-day' dream: A credit card with no limit
- Little known fact: Needs morning coffee but doesn't drink it
- Pizza toppings:Pepperoni every time.
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were around: Yes, and red arrows too.
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Well, 75% of them anyway. From left to right, 'Thug-fish', Clown-fish-puppy', and ''Shrimp-fish'. In the Jensen Nation, fish means dear, or beloved, or in Persian, 'jan'. Here they are hanging out in the Dubai Airport food court, waiting for McDonalds. Airplanes and airports are like a second backyard to the Fishes.
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- Alter-ego: Dr. I catch creepy living things and love them to death
- Hidden Power: Can make friends with anyone..even if they don't speak the same language.
- 'One-day' dream: Having a pet
- Little known fact:Jaden has started a Karate Class for beginners. So far he has two students, Jett and Ava.
- Pizza toppings: Cheese
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were around: "Yes, Why not!?!"
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- Alter-ego:Mr. Super-Swimmer and Eater of Sausages
- Hidden Power: A soft heart
- 'One-day' dream:To be a Dad.
- Little known fact: Jett can slice tomatoes, cantaloupe, onions, and anything else that involves him using a knife.
- Pizza toppings: Whatever you got man!
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were around: "What light?"
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- Alter-ego: A relentless prosecutor
- Hidden Power: Using those eyes against her dad
- 'One-day' dream:To have servants
- Little known fact: Ava talks in such a high pitched voice only dogs and trained family members can understand what it is she's saying...
- Pizza toppings:Forget pizza Ava prefers oatmeal three times a day.
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were around: "I would in a pink or purple car."
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- Alter-ego: Vacuum
- Hidden Power: Her unending happiness has won over every member of our family and she become the "family favorite"
- 'One-day' dream: Freedom from her crib bars
- Little known fact: Before her one month birthday she had been on 3 continents.
- Pizza toppings: Crust
- Would I drive through a red light if no one were around: "Gla bo hurra eee"
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Why did you go to Afghanistan?
Ever since we were in high school, Erin and I have had the desire to live in Asia helping others. It's become very obvious to us that this is what we are supposed to do; it's the path of our life. Although living in Afghanistan can be very demanding, the rewards outweigh the costs. They say Afghanistan ruins you. It's hard to stay because of security issues, isolation, and living conditions. The Muslim world operates differently than the West and this is also an adjustment. However, once you leave Afghanistan and get settled back in the States or elsewhere, you realize the immense satisfaction of playing a role in helping those in a war-torn country. Going back 'home' to where, in a sense, you are not needed, or where the biggest question is 'what's for dinner?' no longer satisfies the soul's desire for meaningful existence. Afghanistan is an epic battle between good and evil, with those who want human rights, order and development on one side and those who want extremism, oppression and destruction on the other.
Afghanistan was a place where there was an opportunity to change the world for the better. Erin, myself and our children want to be apart of bringing hope to those who have lost all hope.
Isn't it very dangerous to live there, especially with children?
Living in Afghanistan is very dangerous but we are very well taken care of by security staff. We carefully monitor conditions but have seen that Afghanistan is different than the picture the news paints of it. Our compound is monitored by armed guards 24 hours a day. We are also trained in what to do if threats or incidence arise. Our security manager keeps tabs and regulates where and when we can leave the compound.
When threats become enough to make us feel uncomfortable, we consider evacuation. We temporarily evacuated in 2009 due to a significant increase in political instability and other threats. After three weeks in Dubai, we returned again to a campus with increased measures of safety.
When we are State-side or somewhere else with TV and watch the news, we too become alarmed at the situation in Kabul, but imagine if you were thinking of moving to a city like Detroit but every time it was mentioned in the news there was unemployment or violence. Detroit is not a bad city but you might not get that from the news.
Usually, our family and friends back home know a lot more about what's going on in Afghanistan than we do. A couple times a month we hear a bomb-blast reminding us of where we live, but often times classes and life continue without interruption following these explosions. Most of the time we are on restricted travel and only leave the compound a couple of times a week at best.
So yes, Afghanistan is dangerous but in response I'd like to ask if it's dangerous to grow up in a world dominated by fast-food, TV, credit cards, and a couch? There are important questions to ask in life. There are places where people live differently. Our global brothers need help. To not answer the call somehow is to teach children people in need do not exist. The greatest danger of all is to get through life thinking primarily about yourself. This person feels miserable. The one living for others truly feels alive.
How much of the year do you live there? // How long will you live in Kabul?
We live in Kabul for the school-year, August through June. Usually we go back to the States for the summer to see family and friends. In 2010 we went to Thailand for 5 weeks for our break after teaching Summer School at ISK in June. We get out of the country as often as we can afford to do so and many times stay in Dubai for short breaks.
We reconsider our contract to work in Kabul once a year in the Spring. We take things a year at a time while keeping a long term outlook. In general we plan to return to the States when our oldest son is ready for high school, as we feel this experience is beneficial for our children. But who knows, if our kids beg to stay in Kabul (as some do) then we will take that into consideration.
What is the biggest sacrifice in living in Afghanistan?
The biggest sacrifice is an overall loss of freedom. The freedom to leave our house, go on walks, drive in a car, go to the grocery store, everything must be approved before we are allowed to leave our compound. As a woman Erin has even fewer freedoms than I do. She must cover her head every time she leaves the house and be very quiet when in public.
Another big sacrifice is the fact that half of our kid's grandparents are not around. The Jensen grandparents and Steve Smith live in Omaha and go for spans (up to 2 years) without seeing their grandchildren. When we have been back home and return again, it is nearly impossible to separate them.
The good news is that Erin's parents live and work in Kabul so we have them over regularly. This is very uncommon in the community in which we live and we do not take this for granted.
What do you miss?
Besides our freedom, family, and friends, Erin misses getting out everyday and driving to places like Target and Hy-Vee. I miss having my own car and taking road trips. We both miss Taco Bell but have now found one in Dubai! The kids miss their back-yard in America. We miss Central Air; we spend a lot of time being either cold or hot, but probably more than anything, a reasonably fast Internet. Imagine sharing 1 dial-up connection with 30 people!
We all miss Fall in Nebraska for football and pumpkin patches!
Are there advantages to living in Afghanistan?
Some advantages include, a lower cost to living, a healthier diet, more time with each other, no TV, international traveling experiences, and close relationships. Many of the things that are hard to enjoy in healthy amounts in the West are not available enough to abuse in Kabul. Taco Bell's 4th meal...not around. Having a TV blaring with no one watching...impossible. A life so busy you don't see your kids...we're stranded together!
With no car there is no buying gas and no insurance to pay for! I don't have to miss the Husker's kickoff because I'm changing the oil...of course...there is no game on...darn it! And actually, we catch some of the Huskers if we get up in the middle of the night and go to the common room where we have access to the Armed Forces TV Station.
What did you do with your house and your possessions?
Erin’s Dad, Steve, rents our house
while we are gone. We sold most of our possessions
at our estate sale in July 2007.
Where do you live in Kabul?
We live in a 'suburb' in west Kabul. Many foreigners live in our area. Our house or apartment is the upper portion of a house inside the school's secured compound. We are guarded 24 hours a day. Our home is very comfortable including western toilets and a kitchen with a large window over looking the mountains.
Our living room is in the middle of the house with a door to every other room off it. Our boys share a room, our girls share a room, and there is also a dining room and storage room. There is no central air so we depend on space heaters and fans. In the summer, it can get up to around 100 F and in winter as low as 30 F in a normal winter and 0 F in a very cold winter. Our concrete house assumes outside temps making it difficult to change temperatures inside.
We have a wonderful back yard with a rose garden, swings, sandbox, and trampoline. Razor wire crowns the tall brick and steel spiked walls around our house as a secondary security measure.
How does your family feel about you going?
Erin's mother and step-father Ken and Debbie Esser live in Kabul as well, running a guest house. Ken's parents, Paul and Dot Jensen, are sad to see us go but very supportive of what we doing. Their other child, my sister Julie, lives and works in South Africa with her husband and two daughters. They are definitely empty-nesters, but they are also empty grandchild nesters which makes it a little more difficult. Erin's dad, Steve, lives and takes care of our home in Omaha and is also supportive of what we do, although would love to see us come home at anytime.
What about the terrorists... doesn't
Osama Bin Laden live in Afghanistan?
Yes, probably, and I'd like to invite his kids or anyone else who can speak English well enough to pass our entrance exams to come to school at ISK! There are terrorists especially outside Kabul, but remember, most 'terrorists' are desperate sons and fathers who have made deals with extremists to care for their families whom they can no longer provide for. Give many of these 'terrorists' a job and some dignity and I would argue there would not be many 'terrorists' left. When despair is replaced with hope, civilization will appear and the barbarism of present day extremists in Afghanistan will be finished.
What do our kids think about living in a war
zone?
Our kids are growing up in a unique environment, that's for sure. We have told them the reason we are in Afghanistan is to help others. We do this as a family. After 4 weeks of vacationing in Thailand, our two boys said they missed Kabul and were ready to go back. For the most part, they enjoy living there, while also maintaining a concept of missing home. Jaden, our oldest son, loved going to school at TCS in Omaha and probably wouldn't mind returning. Ava, our oldest daughter, can't wait to start school at ISK in Kabul.
There's a little bit of every thing. Loving Kabul, and hating it. Loving home, and not missing it at all. It depends on when you ask. For sure, there are things our kids see that other normal kids may not see in a lifetime. Cliffs over Asian oceans, machine guns and tanks, foreign peoples, dozens of airports, beaches, and mountains make up normal for them. Our children are more important to us then
our own lives and we would never do anything to jeopardize
their safety.
However, to make a real difference, you have to take a real risk. So we look at an entire picture of benefits and costs to everyone in our family, keeping an open mind to our children's feelings as well as what the children of the world need. If the tables were turned, and we were the ones who needed others to come, what would we think then? Together, with our kids, we reach out to those in need of help.
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