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Along the porous spine between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kalash people are struggling to maintain their ancient pagan traditions and way of life while surrounded by fervent Islamic communities. According to legend, the 4000 remaining Kalash are descended from Alexander the Great's armies, who passed through the region on their way from Greece to India thousands of years ago.

Kalash legends, like this one, have always been told the old fashioned way: through stories and songs passed orally through the generations. But unlike many great storytelling cultures, the Kalash have never committed a single story to paper. Why? Because they can not, they have no alphabet. Until now.

Taj Khan is one of the first members of the Kalasha tribe to leave the Valleys seeking an education. Drawn by the legend of his ancestry, Taj now lives and studies in Greece while working in an internet café to send money home to his family. In an effort to preserve his heritage, Taj has helped to create an alphabet for his people's oral language, and, with the help of a Greek NGO, he publishes "The Alphabet Book," a small primer that can be used to teach this new alphabet to the Kalash children.

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About Al Jazeera - Witness

Rageh Omaar presents Witness, a half-hour daily documentary series which features short, specially commissioned or acquired films gathered from independent filmmakers.
 
Each documentary reveals the unknown lives of ordinary people, following their lives, telling their stories and portraying the challenges that confront them. Our witnesses are people in a situation or those who have observed them first hand.
 
The films cover conflict, belief, the past and the future and as well as bringing new stories to light they showcase the talents of a new breed of multi-skilled, frontline journalist. In the studio, Rageh will further explore the issues raised in the films, with expert guests on the subject matter and the filmmakers themselves.