Left the EQUALS Compound for the Kabul Airport at 3 pm Friday (approx 3 am Friday in Portland, Oregon) with the EQUALS security contractor PILGRIMS including our driver, armed security, and unarmed Afghan airport liasion.  When I was getting in the vehicle at the Compound, I was instructed to stay in the vehicle unless directed to leave it. I was also given special […]
Door to Door: 41 Hours and Lots of Security! Read More »
I presented the recommendations of the Governance training participants to the Technical Secretariat today in Kabul. Afghan’s Technical Secretariat for the Water Sector is made of the following representatives: •MEW-Ministry of Energy & Water •MAIL-Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock •MRRD-Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development •NEPA-National Environmental Protection Agency •MUDA-Ministry of Urban Development Affairs •AWSSC-Afghanistan
Technical Secretariat Read More »
Tomorrow will be my last day of the Governance training here in Kabul with class ending about 11 am. I will provide about a half hour of feed back to the Technical Secretariat at 2 pm. The Technical Secretariat consists of all the in-line water ministries so will give me a chance to interact with
After work today, I headed with Glen to Spinney’s, which is the super market adjacent to the Compound, to purchase an Arabic calendar. We are not required to take a security guard with us, but they are posted all along the route and radio each other to follow us on the short walk. The Persian New
March 21- Persian New Year Read More »
In preparing to deliver training in Afghanistan, one of my concerns was being a Lutheran-Christian woman teaching Moslem men. I wondered if I would suffer any prejudice? Or, if the men would direct their questions to the translator, instead of me? I am pleased to report that every man both in and out of  class has treated
Teaching in Afghanistan Read More »
On Friday (Holy Day), Elizabeth arranged for Paul, Galeb, Arzi, and I to go out to brunch and shopping at a local women’s artisan market in Kabul. As usual, the entrance to security approved locations required a wanding, walk through a metal detector and a hand search through my purse. Apparently, sometimes you are required to show
Brunch Out & Shopping at Ganjina Read More »
Saturday through Thursday constitutes the usual work week in Kabul. Between Saturday and Tuesday, we work at the Ministry where we have marvelous meals that are cooked for our team there in our own kitchen nestled between the offices and the bathrooms! During my trainings our chef plated each meal–I should say we had two plates
The streets were filled with hand carts today. I wonder if the carts are manned by a certain ethic group as most look more Asian that other peoples on the street of Kabul. A step up from the hand carts are the donkey carts hauling bigger loads.
Transportation in Kabul Read More »
On our daily “site seeing” trip in the armoured SUV with the driver and Omar our armed body/security guard, I noticed a big blue building signed as an Afghan-Dubai Wedding Center.” Omar told me that Afghan weddings include over 1,000 guests! The party is traditionally paid for by both sets of parents, but because his
Weddings in Afghanistan Read More »
Mohammad Taqui Amini acted as the translator today for the first day of the Public Administration class. While we had about half of the 15 students than we expected, I believe that the class went well covering the basics of Public Administration. Teaching in this culture and with a translator requires a bit more time
Teaching with a Translator Read More »
Travel from the EQUALS Compound to the Ministry of Water & Energy is about a 40 minute drive through Kabul City. Our work hours are the same as the program staff whose transportation to and from the Ministry Offices is provided by the government. I was told that the work hours change depending upon the time of year.
Travel in Kabul City to Ministry of Water & Energy Read More »
Glen & I were escorted at 7:15 am through Kabul traffic to the Afghan Water Ministry’s Offices where we arrived a bit before 8 am. After introductions to the local staff, we met with a basin director and later the Deputy Minister of Water to discuss our planned trainings that will begin on Monday. Between our meeting, Glen told the
First Day at the Water Ministry Read More »
 Enjoyed a quick one and a half hour trip with security to Chicken Street. I didn’t take any street shots but it could be best described as a back street in China pre-Olympics except that the cement gutters were more like small six inch culverts that ran open between the walks next to the shops and the dirt street.Â
Shopping on Chicken Street Read More »
Friday is Holy Day in Kabul, Afghanistan so the cooking and cleaning staff at the compound have the day off. We’ll have a brunch at 10 am this morning, but cold meats and cheese later according to the ex pats living here with me. The dining room is adjacent to my living quarters (bedroom with
Safi Airlines required me to arrive at the Dubai airport 3 hours before my flight today leaving at noon–time to do additional reading in preparation for my governance and public administration facilitation! The flight from Dubai to Kabul was a little over 2 hours and now I’m another half hour time zone distant from Portland,
The history of Dubai begins in the mid-1800’s with a tribe settling here for fishing and pearls. Later organized as the United Arab Emirates, tribal leaders of the collected provinces worked together to build their future. Desalination plants now provide 97% of the water used in Dubai, a City whose wealth is moving from oil
Arrived in Dubai after a four hour flight from Portland to DC, a short layover, and a thirteen hour flight. Warm here at 83 degrees until the sun went down shortly after I arrived at my hotel. The long lines as passport control (visa on the spot) gave me a view of a very mixed
Transfer at Dubai Read More »
Preparing for deployment for a USAID consulting mission to Afghanistan provides a few additional challenges than the usual international work. These included security briefings, determining and purchasing culturally appropriate clothing, and considerations of appropriate teaching methods. The US State Department/USAID contractor that I am working for is IRD: http://www.ird.org/Â Â My introduction toIRD came through Azad Mohammadi,
48 hours Before Deployment to Afghanistan Read More »
With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 to accelerate progress towards the MDGs Visit the Summit website! Laura’s work with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) hopes
UN Secretary-General Calls Summit on Poverty Goals Read More »
Alex Russin, MCC’s resident country director in Armenia, met with Laura Schroeder on Wednesday providing a status of he Armenian government’s adoption of agricultural policy and legislation. Later, Laura met with Arusyak Alaverdyan, the World Bank Rural/Irrigation Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Unit for the Europe and Central Asia Region, to discuss the possible development
Armenian Agricultural Policy and Legislation Read More »
