According to Pakistan’s National Poet – Mohammad Iqbal (1876-1938)
Asia is a living body, and Afghanistan is its heart.
In the ruin of the heart lies the ruin of the body;
So long as the heart is free, the body remains free;
If not it becomes a straw adrift in the wind.
The War years
Afghanistan has been devastated by over a quarter of a century of fighting. Asia has suffered a massive heart attack! The wars left a country in ruins, with hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions of refugees. The infrastructure destroyed, along with many of the natural agricultural resources. It remains the second most mined country in the world.
A cartoon in the Frontier Post in 1992 suggested that KABUL stood for Killing Assassination Bloodshed Uncertainty Looting. I have travelled to Kabul a couple of dozen times now. I have been struck by both the wanton destruction, with half of the buildings destroyed, as well as the resilience of the people who made shops out of containers and cups out of coke cans. Life has a way of going on.
Today there are many signs of hope, lots of traffic on the roads. Men, bearded and unbearded, and women, veiled and unveiled, walking the streets again. Shops and businesses re-opening. And of course all the rebuilding - with a new energy and vigour.
So what might KABUL stand for today ? maybe Kerzai - the interim prime minister representing the constitution and future government. Administrative centre - the commercial and civil capital of the country. Buildings being restored – a symbol of hope. United Nations agencies and other international NGOs working with the government. Logistics – the enormous amount of resources needed to rebuild the country.
In this complex context our partner agency, has been working throughout the war years, almost non-stop since 1966, dedicated to serving the people of Afghanistan. It has won the respect of local people, who have witnessed the dedication of the workers and their commitment to the country and its peoples.
Oriental Wisdom
Our partner agency in Afghanistan is made up of over 25 member agencies, who supply people and resources to run the various projects. There are a currently around 160 expatriate workers, with around 60 children, plus over 500 local Afghan workers. 10% of the expats are from CMS, working in every sector of the organisation – the central administration, as well as the projects. They serve in a variety of roles and responsibilities which reflect the huge variety of the organisation as a whole:
Afghanistan has been devastated by over a quarter of a century of fighting. Asia has suffered a massive heart attack! The wars left a country in ruins, with hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions of refugees. The infrastructure destroyed, along with many of the natural agricultural resources. It remains the second most mined country in the world.
A cartoon in the Frontier Post in 1992 suggested that KABUL stood for Killing Assassination Bloodshed Uncertainty Looting. I have travelled to Kabul a couple of dozen times now. I have been struck by both the wanton destruction, with half of the buildings destroyed, as well as the resilience of the people who made shops out of containers and cups out of coke cans. Life has a way of going on.
Today there are many signs of hope, lots of traffic on the roads. Men, bearded and unbearded, and women, veiled and unveiled, walking the streets again. Shops and businesses re-opening. And of course all the rebuilding - with a new energy and vigour.
So what might KABUL stand for today ? maybe Kerzai - the interim prime minister representing the constitution and future government. Administrative centre - the commercial and civil capital of the country. Buildings being restored – a symbol of hope. United Nations agencies and other international NGOs working with the government. Logistics – the enormous amount of resources needed to rebuild the country.
In this complex context our partner agency, has been working throughout the war years, almost non-stop since 1966, dedicated to serving the people of Afghanistan. It has won the respect of local people, who have witnessed the dedication of the workers and their commitment to the country and its peoples.
Oriental Wisdom
I love the tales of Mullana Nusradin. These tales from Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, attributed to Sufis and dervishes, illustrate aspects of human nature and religious insight. The Mullana can be naïve and nonsensical, sensible and sanguine, a blundering fool and a wise sage. A wonderful blend of folly and wisdom.
I like the story of the lost key. Mullanan Nusradin is seen on his knees looking for something in the light of a doorway. ‘What are you doing?’ he is asked. ‘I am looking for a lost key!’ ‘Where did you lose it?’ ‘In the basement, but it is too dark to see anything there so I am looking where its light!’ In a sense that describes the state of many who have lost the key or lost their way and are looking in the wrong place, searching where it is more convenient.
For me the key is committed service, a practical expression of love.
For me the key is committed service, a practical expression of love.
Our partner agency in Afghanistan is made up of over 25 member agencies, who supply people and resources to run the various projects. There are a currently around 160 expatriate workers, with around 60 children, plus over 500 local Afghan workers. 10% of the expats are from CMS, working in every sector of the organisation – the central administration, as well as the projects. They serve in a variety of roles and responsibilities which reflect the huge variety of the organisation as a whole:
a Primary Mental Health project, teaching English to nationals, a pharmacist working for the National Eye Care programme, managing a school for the visually impaired, logistical support, communications, teaching children of expatriate team members, mother and child health, community development, and disaster management.Maybe just one project can illustrate the potential impact of this work.
Superflour
The country's war-torn recent history has left many widows, as well as men unable to work because of ill-health. Chronic malnutrition affects over 50% of children under five, according to the world food programme. The disaster management project has introduced the concept of 'Superflour' to local people. The words 'simple' and 'genius' might have been invented to describe this idea, first developed by Miriam Krantz, a Mennonite worker in Nepal.
The recipe is simple: two parts grain, one part pulses. A nutritious flour results, which can be produced by local women using local ingredients: here they use corn, rice and chickpeas. With water and a teaspoon of oil, it makes a 'super-porridge’, which both tastes good and helps children to recover from malnutrition. Add a little wheat flour and you can make bread and cakes too.
The country's war-torn recent history has left many widows, as well as men unable to work because of ill-health. Chronic malnutrition affects over 50% of children under five, according to the world food programme. The disaster management project has introduced the concept of 'Superflour' to local people. The words 'simple' and 'genius' might have been invented to describe this idea, first developed by Miriam Krantz, a Mennonite worker in Nepal.
The recipe is simple: two parts grain, one part pulses. A nutritious flour results, which can be produced by local women using local ingredients: here they use corn, rice and chickpeas. With water and a teaspoon of oil, it makes a 'super-porridge’, which both tastes good and helps children to recover from malnutrition. Add a little wheat flour and you can make bread and cakes too.
The project is entirely run by women: a local project officer and two supervisors work with 34 others to produce the flour - they are all the main breadwinners for their families. "The women clearly enjoy working together and they have enjoyed the other training in literacy, health education and numeracy that we have given them," says one CMS worker.
So does Superflour really have super powers? It sometimes seems like it: "It changes the lives of those who prepare it as they gain confidence and self-esteem," says the CMS worker, "their neighbours ask them about health issues and their husbands (if they have them) include them more in decisions that affect the family."
So does Superflour really have super powers? It sometimes seems like it: "It changes the lives of those who prepare it as they gain confidence and self-esteem," says the CMS worker, "their neighbours ask them about health issues and their husbands (if they have them) include them more in decisions that affect the family."
It is hoped that the project will grow into a women's co-operative and spread throughout the country. Meanwhile, the project officer now gets introduced to young children on the street by their mothers with the words: "This woman helped you get strong!"
Yoghurt in the Lake
Yoghurt in the Lake
One day Mullana Nusraddin was sitting by the side of the lake, putting Yoghurt into the water. The people came and asked him ‘what are you doing?’ ‘I’m putting starter in the Lake to make Yoghurt’ he replied. ‘But you can’t turn this whole lake into Yoghurt!’ they protested. Nusraddin smiled and replied ‘I know its impossible, but what if I succeed!?’
All these activities may seem straws in the wind or yoghurt in the lake. But simple ideas or actions can so easily spread and have a huge impact.
