Couldn't have said it better....

No surprise, SPC Archuleta has managed to keep us all in the loop:

Happy Holidays!

Christmas has come and gone and I have so much to catch you up on… We have had so many missions I may have to break this into a couple emails. Talk has started about getting ready to go home and as I write these I think I am still too busy and have too much left to do to go home.

We went on another market walk, but this time to see the “Women’s Market” in Mehtar Lam. This part of the market is where they sell items for women to use. There were rows and rows of beautiful and colorful scarves, material and Afghan clothes.  The area has a two story section that has shops like an outdoor mall. There are several shops full of shoes, sandals, hats, and household items. (tea kettles, pans and dishes) We were surrounded by children and had a hard time walking through the very narrow area. The children were so curious and wanted to be helpful when I asked for something. We spoke with various vendors and found out that women can own their own store, but rarely do. Men rent the space, but women can make or send items to be sold. I spoke to a few women shopping in the area, but they are very afraid. (don’t blame them with my entourage of men with guns) We walked through the chicken farm area and the smell is indescribable. The meat or butcher area is interesting; the cows are much smaller and the blood and parts they cut off are all over the ground. Parts of the market are so dirty and it is hard to believe people eat this stuff. I talked to a shop keeper about the burkas he was selling. They are made in Helmand Province and they are more expensive because they are made of a heavier material. I did buy one and my interpreter and other local national with me said they were very good quality. It is blue like what most women wear here and I have found that most women want to wear the burka and are not forced to other than their own fear of security.  The kids try to talk me into buying all kinds of things. Some shopkeepers will answer our assessment questions with no problem, but the burka shop keeper would only talk if I was buying. I have a good time on these missions learning about how people earn a living, what they are proud of, and the children always entertain me.

The 25 of November is International Awareness “Violence Against Women” day. I was asked to come up with a campaign and display for the FOB. The focus was on Local Nationals living on the FOB and what the laws and rights of women in Afghanistan are. I did a nice display with the law and rights written in English and Pashtu and contact information for various agencies in our Province. I posted color cartoon style drawings of women experiencing violence and forced marriage. It was interesting to watch people read the display (posted in the cafeteria/DFAC area where we eat) and had some positive remarks come from people (local and military) that were not aware of the extent of the rights women have here. I have been working with Brigade Rule of Law and have learned a lot.

We conducted another tour of the Prison. It is always interesting to take people to visit the Prison. This time I took a LTC and MAJ to do their sit down with the Director of the prison and tour the facility. The highlight for me is getting to check on the two female prisoners and two female guards. I get along well with the male guards and they wait to see if I brought them chocolate. The females were doing well and had simple requests for soap and shampoo. I love how excited the young female inmate is to see us. On this tour I learned the process to enter an inmate into the system and how they track them. Also on this trip I viewed the “Insurgent Compound” and hate to stereotype, but these men looked like “bad guys.” They did not look like the other men in the regular compound, with their dark beards and nicer appearance. They are dark and serious looking. (I did not stay in there long) I played with some kids who were there visiting and helped them pump the well to fill containers full of water. We saw the vocational training area and saw the uniforms and clothes the men were making. They have neat old style Singer sewing machines and coal filled hot irons.  The MAJ presented the Director with a sewing machine and we were treated to a traditional Afghan lunch.

We visited the Chief Prosecutors office to discuss anti-corruption cases and the Prosecutors. We took some military visitors from another Province that wanted to know why there is such a high success rate of prosecuting and convicting corruption cases in comparison to the low numbers in their Province. The Chief Prosecutor said it is simple “we just apply the law and don’t listen to the pressure.” They do a great job at meeting and coordinating with all parties involved in the judicial processes at a round table type of meeting. Any one from the Governor to the local police comes to these meetings and the law is discussed. The Chief Prosecutor said he always fears for his and the Prosecutors safety, but believes they are doing the right thing by just applying the law no matter who the accused is. It was interesting to hear the local attorneys speak and see how important their jobs are to them even though they face very serious danger. Judges are blown up or shot or families of the judges and attorneys are frequently harassed and threatened.

I visit with the Director of Women’s Affairs regularly now and I have started a joint mission with ADT, BDE Rule of Law, and the PRT. This has eliminated the Director being able to play mom against dad when we are all in the room together. We can all hear her needs and concerns at the same time and each does our part to support her and her efforts for the women of Afghanistan.  BDE has hired a female local national attorney and she has an office at the Directors Office. We (females) will be mentoring the Director and the female attorney to build relationships and work together. The meetings are always interesting and I believe the Director is on the right track with the programs she has established for women. I hired a female Cultural Liaison “Basraj”. She is a young woman who has come to work for the PRT and live on the FOB which is a risk for her since men don’t think women should work for Coalition Forces, but she is great and we have just begun working on her building a relationship with the Director of Women’s Affairs as well. Maybe Basraj will have a future career when the PRT leaves country. I am blessed by the women I have met here and the odds they are up against to work or gain their independence.

Myself, CPT Love, SSG Carlson, and a small group of our SECFOR flew to Alishang to live in the village for four days. We stayed in a police headquarters building that is still under construction and is close to the District Center.  We were able to walk over and meet with the Sub Governor, Line Directors and the Prosecutors. We quickly made friends with the local police and they were very nice to us and said we could stay as long as we wanted. We spent time with different people discussing their day to day jobs and we visited the local market. I made a lot of friends as soon as the kids realized I was the only female. The kids are very poor in this area and I watched them from the tower as they played soccer or with a plastic bag tied to a string and found other ways to entertain themselves all day in the dirt. We bought food from the local “restaurant “and our interpreters cooked for us. We had some really good meals of rice, potatoes and bread.  The Contractor and his employees working on the building we were living in spent time with us. He served chai for us on a hill in the sun and taught me how to pray and why they wash the parts of the body they wash to be clean as they present themselves to God.  He showed me his pictures of his recent trip to India when he found out I want to see the Taj Mahal someday. We had a very relaxed atmosphere to work in and talk to people. I got to shoot mortars in the middle of the night and had sleepless nights of tower guard then sleeping on the floor in a room together with the guys. I have no problem being the only girl on these trips and I can hang with the boys, but next time will choose a room that does not echo so bad and have 15 or so guys snoring. It was a great experience and I love living off the FOB and seeing new people and places. The danger is real, but we had the local police there and our guys to do their job as CPT Love, SSG Carlson and I talked to the people and assessed the capabilities of the District Center and local Government in this District. It is always interesting when you get dropped out of helicopter in the middle of nowhere and go into a village riding in an Afghan Police truck or jingle truck, a choice of MRE’s or local food and watching people live their normal lives around you. It was very cold at night (30’s) but the stars were amazing.  Good times!

CPT Love, CPT Delatorre and Myself went to Qarghayee with the USAID representative to assess some smaller markets. The area had a bunch of cauliflower fields and some were much larger heads of cauliflower than in the US. The markets sold similar items like the one in Mehtar Lam, but they sell more local things rather than products from Pakistan and India. More prepared food was sold and the SECFOR guys tried the Afghan version of French fries. I love the local bread called “non” and bought a bunch to take back as well as a bag of sugar candy that is so good. I had one little girl hold my hand as we walked down the road and stopped to see the prices of items being sold. We always pass out candy and play with the kids for a bit. We visited with the locals and ask about where things come from, how their business is going, and what currency they use. (most Pakistani Rupee, not Afghani)  I got to talk to some females about going to school and the beautiful scarves they were wearing; most are very shy or afraid. The young girls in this area seemed more open to coming up to me or joining the large group of boys following us. This area is along the river and is much greener than Mehtar Lam. The people were friendly and there were huge flocks of sheep walking through one area of a market we were in. The roads are narrow and the shops are close to each other, but they all sit and talk to each other and seem happy.

One very interesting mission I went on was the visit to a cheese factory and a henna factory. We drove to a village down south and found the location of the cheese factory. It was hidden away in a farming community and inside this little room was equipment to make cheese.  The owner explained to us the process and how 20 families bring in cow’s milk and the women rotate in groups to make the cheese. The process is very simple and we were able to sample some of the cheese along with hot, sweet milk. After that we found the henna factory. It is currently under construction but people were still working on filling bottles of hair products. The owner showed us how they package the henna that women use in their hair (like hair dye) and the talcum powder they also make at this facility. Women make the products and the men package it. I sat and helped the guys fill little glass bottles of hair softener. They said I did a good job, but was too slow. I wish there were more paid jobs for women and opportunities for these programs to reach a larger area. On this mission we also visited a bridge and a river project. The big blue bridge is impressive and I got some neat pictures. But, once the Engineer was telling the local contractor how he had bolts upside down and how the planks could just fall off, I took that as my queue to get off the bridge. The area where we looked at the canal and river project was very pretty. We stood on the hill overlooking the river and got to sit for a bit holding security. It is an area where there are no houses or people and reminds me of back home around the Rio Grande River.

The visit to the court house to look at their filing system was fun. They do well and I found it funny that they rely on the Prosecutors office for all files. The Prosecutors start the file then the courts use it until the end of the case and give it back to be stored by the Prosecutors office. They use straight pins instead of paperclips and it is so simple that you have to wonder if we have over complicated our systems in the States. There is hope for a new court house to be built since the one they are working out of is small and falling apart. I enjoyed listening to the Prosecutors tell me what they are doing and how proud they are of the training they have been through. They all smile a lot and like to take pictures with me.

We had lunch with the Director of Women’s Affairs (DoWA). They made us Afghan rice, chicken, beans and bread. I take a group out to meet with her every couple of weeks and on this visit we were able to sit in a women’s workshop teaching management skills to adult women. The 30+women in the room were preparing to get their certificates for completing the course and the DoWA addressed them then asked me to speak. I congratulated them for completing the class and encouraged them to continue learning and building a future for the women they are an example to. I am very proud of the women who strive to better themselves even though their families are threatened and just walking to the workshop have to run from harm. It is hard to listen to their stories, but I am in awe of the determination. We have an Afghan female attorney that is now working out of the DoWA’s Office. I am looking forward to see how she can help the DoWA spread the rights women have here. It will take years to make change, but I am hopeful that the right people with the right resources can bring some light to the truth of equality here. The DoWA tells me there is hope because she has already seen less legal cases when people know the law and their rights. I study the Quran and laws here and it is clear on paper, but the culture is very set on the way they believe women should be treated.

Christmas Eve was very different for me this year. I spent the day filling 388 back packs with personal hygiene items, notebooks, candy, toys, pens, pencils, crayons, stickers, bracelets, and books. I organized 16 different donors from the states and 100’s of boxes of items they sent. I ordered the bags from my PSYOP counterparts. I did get some help at first, but ended up doing 300 of the bags myself. I appreciate the group of interpreters that helped me carry groups of 5 bags tied together by grade and fill 4 tri wall boxes with all the bags. I did not mind the quiet time with my Christmas music and putting it all together.  For my first Christmas with out the big tree, presents, and family, I must say I was blessed with the love and spirit of the holidays when we took the bags into the classes and watched the girls look through the goodies and thank us for caring about them. I fight the tears as they hug me and squeeze me tight. They pose for pictures and started a board of pictures in the hallway so they can be reminded of the people in America that love them.  

We are starting to prepare for our replacements to come and I have worked hard to document all the things we have done and people I have met. The next group will be in my prayers. At times I feel like I haven’t accomplished much, but other days I know I have encouraged a handful of women to believe in themselves and continue to get an education and beat the odds. They live in a place where women don’t count and get beat or killed or imprisoned for trying to better themselves. Sometimes all you can do is care, listen, try to reach the men who need to open their minds and encourage the young ones that may be the future leaders of their country. And of course, I hug them all!

 

Sabrina

Things are going as well as can be expect at this point.  Everyone is eager to get home, but it is a bit to far off to get excited over....too many things to get done before the long flight home.



CPT Love