Donia Gobar

Donia Ghobar was born in Kabul Afghanistan.  She graduated as a M.D. from Kabul University Medical School and specialized in Obstetrics & Gynecology in University Hospital, (Masturat).  She also achieved a Master degree in Public Health (focusing on Mother & Child Health) at University of Michigan, has conducted research at University of Illinois, and specialized as Arztin (MD degree in Germany) for Algemeine Medizine (General Medicine) in West Berlin Urban Krankenhaus.  She undertook the National Teacher Examination in Virginia, and alternative teaching certificates in Massachusetts and Kansas.  She developed and instructs a health program for schools which promotes a concept of health that views healthy minds as responsible for healthy and humanistic societies beyond somatic health.  Her daughter (only child) is attending medical school at USA. Her hobbies are art, creative writing, and sculpture.  She is a Pittsburgh Art Council Board member, and founder of the True Humanity club (http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/Truehumanity).  She has had art exhibitions at George Mason University, Virginia (Society of Afghan Artists, 1999), PAACA (1999, 2000, 2001), Fort Scott, Kansas (2000), and at www.geocities.com/dgobard/Donia.html.  She has published “Aya” in Ten Top Short Stories of 1994 (English) and in Dunya-e-Jawanan and Afghanmagazine (Lemar- Aftaab). Another short story, “Gozashta-ha-e-mun ‘My pasts’” has appeared in Paymaana.  Others such as “Zaire Sapeedar-ha-e Kohan -‘Under the Old Silvery Aspens,’” Too Ham Khnok Khoordi?-’Are you too cold?’, “Zair-e Noor-e Maah- ‘Under the Moon Light’” have appeared in various magazines and newspapers in Kabul, Afghanistan.  She won the International Poe t of Merit Award 2000-2001, Editor’s Choice Award, and Poetry’s Elite—Best Poets of Year 2000 (International Society of Poets), and is on the Sound of Poetry CD (International Society of Poets). Her website publications have been at Poetry.com, Why Project, Dunya-e-Jawanan magazine, and Afghanmagazine (Lemar-Aftaab).  Her sculpture has appeared in Overseas magazine (cover) and Scala magazine.