The US Ambassador to Afghanistan met on Monday with the young students of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) who recently returned from a highly-acclaimed US trip during which they performed at venues such as the Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
Ambassador James Cunningham praised the young musicians' performances in the United States, saying that these children are the symbols of the bright future for other children of Afghanistan.
The young musicians performed at some of America's most famous and reputed music halls and introduced Afghanistan to thousands of people in a way different from the dominant narrative of conflict.
Ambassador Cunningham congratulated the students and presented to them each with a photograph booklet of their trip.
The children, aglow with pride from overwhelming domestic and international praise, said they plan to perform in other countries, including Oman, Germany and Australia.
"I am so happy that I visited the US. It was such a huge experience of our lives," one of the students told TOLOnews. "Our concerts amazed many foreigners," another added.
"I have always believed that encouraging a musician is encouraging his or her people. Since the day we returned to Afghanistan, we haven't heard anything but good things. Everyone we meet talk of how we gave them back their country's lost pride," ANIM director Nasser Sarmast told TOLOnews.
The ANIM students performed last month in New York, Boston, and Virginia in front of thousands including some of top government officials of the United States.