Sunday, July 11 - 6:05 am
Counter Insurgency vs. Sustainable Health Outcomes
is this the way to think about our goals here? Or are the provisional reconstruction teams who have so much money, who work fast and are looking for immediate results offering something valuable to the effort at getting a sustainable health system.
The Afghanistan health picture is a challenge. It is a wicked problem with more than one cause and more than one solution. Not only is there a rift between Afghan tribes, but the donor community is divisive. The Military community is divisive and everyone agrees there is a need to coordinate efforts - but they don't. Add to it the rogue charity groups who don't want to coordinate with anyone - who simply want to roll out their own plans ... and what does Afghanistan have?
If we can think creatively about what is good for Afghanistan - and who is good at what -- there is hope. Well, there is always hope. God knows the Afghans are the definition of hope.
But perhaps there is hope for a new paradigm - a way of working together. Today I am setting out to meet with other projects. other donors and other stake holders. Wish me luck.
Showing posts with label in Kabul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in Kabul. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Starting our Work - Remembering my Colleagues
July 11, 2009 - 1:20pm / Kabul, Afghanistan
After a restless night of non-sleep I managed to get myself to the fitness room in the other building of the compound. If I can get a routine going it will be great. There is an Indian guy here who leads a yoga session every night at 6:00pm. I think I'll go.
Today we had our planning meeting with USAID. It went extremely well. They are asking us to be smart and creative in our recommendations and project design. I'm so excited about this. The Afghans on our team are amazing. We have three doctors on the project who are smart, strategic, organized and visionary. They have great ideas and are committed to finding ways to get immediate help to those who need it - and are determined to an approach that will be sustainable.
I spoke with our Afghan USAID contact about my late colleagues. He took me to a special room where their photos are hanging. We both stood silently - but I finally couldn't hold back the tears. I told him about how I recruited Amy Neibling from my home town and how I had met her mother. He wants to write a note and asked me to deliver it to Amy's mother in Omaha. We both kept looking at their photos and then we were both in tears.
He kept saying "... We will always love these beautiful women who came here to help us ..."
After a restless night of non-sleep I managed to get myself to the fitness room in the other building of the compound. If I can get a routine going it will be great. There is an Indian guy here who leads a yoga session every night at 6:00pm. I think I'll go.
Today we had our planning meeting with USAID. It went extremely well. They are asking us to be smart and creative in our recommendations and project design. I'm so excited about this. The Afghans on our team are amazing. We have three doctors on the project who are smart, strategic, organized and visionary. They have great ideas and are committed to finding ways to get immediate help to those who need it - and are determined to an approach that will be sustainable.
I spoke with our Afghan USAID contact about my late colleagues. He took me to a special room where their photos are hanging. We both stood silently - but I finally couldn't hold back the tears. I told him about how I recruited Amy Neibling from my home town and how I had met her mother. He wants to write a note and asked me to deliver it to Amy's mother in Omaha. We both kept looking at their photos and then we were both in tears.
He kept saying "... We will always love these beautiful women who came here to help us ..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)