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Trust In Education | PO Box 936 | Lafayette | CA | 94549 |
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Terry Dougherty
260-438-0791
A Publication of Friends of Afghanistan
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Trust In Education | PO Box 936 | Lafayette | CA | 94549 |
Most of them did not speak English and my Dari is awful, but I did
talk with several of the participants who spoke English. I mentioned
my connection with the Peace Corps in Afghanistan in the late 1960s,
and one of them who lives in Mazar-y-Sharif told me that Miss Pam had
taught him English back then. Another chimed in with his memories of
his English teacher Miss Alice, but I don't know where he is from.
This is 40 plus years hence - imagine! Good job, Pam and Alice,
whereever you are, and to everyone else - you did make a difference.
Thanks,
Kristina Engstrom
My thanks to Auke Idzenga for this post!
From Mid September to Mid October (2007) the Philippine NGO called AID Foundation set up three ram pump installations in the 'Kunduz River Basin Programme' in Northern Afghanistan. This project was contracted by Mercy Corps which already has a long time presence in Afghanistan and is carrying out this long term program with EU funds.
Afghanistan is known to most of us by the terms: Russian Invasion, high mountains, agriculture (fruits, nuts, animals), friendly and proud people, long drought and of course the Taliban. A deeper look into the country will reveal much more. The scenery is unbelievable beautiful but also a very great reason for concern. Most agricultural lands are rain fed and when not cultivated look like a desert. The soil is still very fertile (mostly silty clay loam) but 80% of lands is subject to land erosion and this is very visible. The last two decades 70% of its forest got lost and right now people uproot bushes for cooking and heating and the many animals grazing the hills do the rest. According to the statistics only 2% of its forests are left. The water tables are dropping fast and many people rely on surface water for drinking.
Countering these problems look like an uphill battle especially considering that development activities in that direction have to be carried out in an uncertain security situation.
Paul Smith, the manager of the Catchment Development Program of Mercy Corps, had set up field offices, hired engineers and agriculturists, set up nurseries but was faced with the problem of having water in the rivers but not on the hills (which are his target for planting trees). Looking for a solution Paul remembered the hydraulic ram pump for a brochure given to him by his brother 30 years ago. The ram pump is a device which is water powered and which automatically pushes up a portion of the water flowing through it to very high elevations 24 hours a day and with hardly any maintenance cost. Paul started searching and got attracted to the ram pump of AID Foundation because of its combination of durability and the local availability of spare parts. Other suppliers dropped off the list because they were too
expensive, not repairable locally or they didn't want to come to Afghanistan to do installation and technology transfer.
A contract was signed for three installations and training of the local farmers who will be using the ram for irrigating their hills for the growing of fruits (apricot and apple) and nuts (almond, walnut and pistachio). Under difficult circumstances like availability of materials, ongoing Ramadan, a lot of travel time and security problems Auke Idzenga and Felix Inocencio (technical people from AID) were still able to make the three systems work and train the beneficiaries in repair and maintenance and the Mercy Corps staff in general in the technology.
The installations itself all produce more water than was agreed and expected. On the highest site, the water is pushed up to 145 meters in a volume of 5,200 liters per day. More than enough to water the planned trees on the five hectares land.
Paul and AID have discussed a continuation of the technology for Afghanistan since there are tremendous potentials for the ram. One idea is to have a technical person from Afghanistan come over for a longer period to the Philippines and train him in all facets of the installation, operation, repair and maintenance of the ram pump. This followed by a combination of sending ram bodies from AID Foundation over and fabrication locally of the pressure chambers in Afghanistan. On the long term the idea is to totally transfer the manufacturing to an entrepreneur in Afghanistan.
But the big question is: will it not be overtaken by the increased security problems. Let's hope not.
An Afghan farmer with one of the three pumps
Technology Transfer to beneficiary
The first water flowing from the pipe
Uncultivated hills but water down
Without rain it looks like a desert
Forty years exiled from our picnics
in the King's Gardens—
from watching Chinese fireworks
on Now Roz, and eating
crème cakes at the Spinzar.
Exiled from a Kabul sky
curved and blue as a fired mosque tile
or lapis pulled from the hills,
I miss the noonday cannon
booming over a crenellated wall,
and sandaled boys raising a fine dust,
running to keep their kites aloft.
I am a stranger to the Paghmon road,
to tiny lamb kabobs from the tea house and
from cold, mountain streams. In exile still
from the smell of embroidered sheepskin, wet
with Himalayan snow and from Istallif, famous
for carved chests, all these unknown to me now.
I remember bright rugs hung out for sale, silver
poplars edging the river, marking off farmers' fields
and in my sleep, I hear braying donkeys and gaudies'
brass bells, their red wheels, plumed harnesses
jangling down the tree lined Dar-el-aman.
Susannah W. Simpson/Nimrod International Journal /2007
Susannah W. Simpson's poem "In Exile" was published in the Nimrod
International Journal of Prose and Poetry.
I am writing to you from Women Make Movies---a non-profit media arts organization and the world's leading distributor of independent films by and about women---to let you know about an extraordinary program that is airing next week on PBS, which will be of interest to your readers.
A WOMAN AMONG WARLORDS, a program based on Eva Mulvad's award-winning documentary, ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, follows outspoken Afghani women's rights activist Malalai Joya during the final weeks of her riveting campaign for a seat in the newly formed democratic parliament of Afghanistan.
Women Make Movies is proud to be distributing ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS and we invite you to tune in on September 11th for the national broadcast premiere of A WOMAN AMONG WARLORDS on the acclaimed PBS series WIDE ANGLE!
As you know, documentary film can be an incredible tool for education and awareness, and this national broadcast offers an unprecedented opportunity to not only shed light on the state of politics in war-torn Afghanistan, but also to call attention to global issues of women's human rights, democracy, and social justice. These are the very issues for which Malalai Joya has been an outspoken champion, and she continues to fight on behalf of her constituents despite repeated threats to her life and a recent illegal suspension from parliament.
Please help us spread the word about Malalai Joya's remarkable story! With the broadcast approaching so quickly, we're doing all we can to solicit support from as many diverse constituencies as possible. Thank you so much in advance for your attention to this request!
Here's how you can help:
• Tune in to the broadcast premiere on PBS on Sept 11th at 9pm (check local listings).
• Forward the announcement below to your members, staff, colleagues and friends.
• Post a link to the announcement on your website or blog. [Link to: http://www.wmm.com/enemiesofhappiness/]
• Forward this e-mail to like-minded discussion groups or listservs.
• Learn More about the film.
• Learn more about Malalai Joya.
Feel free to contact me via phone or email if you have any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Sarah Reynolds
Educational Sales & Marketing Coordinator
WOMEN MAKE MOVIES
462 Broadway, Suite 500
New York, NY 10013
tel 212.925.0606 ext. 312 l fax 212.925.2052
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Women Make Movies · 462 Broadway #500 · New York · NY · 10013
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Trust In Education | PO Box 936 | Lafayette | CA | 94549 |
Dear Afghans and Friends, Peace Corps (FOA / RPCV, NPCA):
My condolences are for "all Afghans", regarding the late Mohammed
Zaher Shah, 92. To quote Faiez and King, Times (7/24/07):
"He was the last ruler in a 300 year dynasty, ascending to the throne
in 1933, after his father was assassinated. Zaher Shah was
overthrown in 1973 but returned to Afghanistan in 2002. . .
Afghanistan's last king was called 'Father of the Nation'. 'The
people were happy . . . hardships. . .now', says A. Qadir,
retired . . . "
By 1500 BC, Afghanistan, became the "established Crossroads to Asia",
with "paternal language", Indo-European (MS Omar, Ph.D-Harvard).
As a Californian and former instructor at Kabul University, I
witnessed many USA Afghan citizen refugees were from the 1979 Soviet
invasion. In 9/11, none of the 19 suicidal bombers were Afghan, so
how did most presume otherwise? Has our shared world history been
rewritten?
Your timely, in depth news is appreciated, including the quote of
"his unifying influence".
Jacklyn EL Shaw (M.Ed., Admin.-Author)
RPCV, 1976 and '77, at Kabul University
www.jjjjshawproductions.com
POB 3733
Seal Beach, CA 90740
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Terry Dougherty
260-438-0791
Because no suitable housing facilities were available, we are teaching our
eight girls graduates in the village. The principal of GVS is in charge of
their program which will be similar to the one the boys are undertaking in
high school.
Our success is due to a lot of hard work by our teachers and staff, the
wonderful support of our donors, especially the 41st Brigade of the Oregon
National Guard and our working board here on Portland, OR. We started with
15 boys and girls in two rented rooms in 2001 and expect to enroll over
1,000 students in fall 2007.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop through your email and the new Google
pages.
Bob McSweeny
Chair, Advisory Board
Green Village Schools
Terry Dougherty
Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd. KT211
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
260-481-6903