Trust In Education Newsletter
September 2008
Greetings!

                                    SUMMER IS GOING, GOING, GONE!
      
    Is it just me or did the pace of life just rev up to 78 rpm from 33 1/3rd? Actually, no one I know drops below 45. In Afghanistan they seem to enjoy life at speeds below 33 1/3rd.  It's a cultural difference, Westerners living in Afghanistan more often than not internalize. It's much easier to throttle down than up.
    Earlier I wrote to you that two Bay area volunteers, Matt Van Etten, and Asma Nemati, went to Kabul to work for TIE.  Matt returned, unharmed, enlightened, battle worn, and tested. Both he and Asma, working together, moved so many TIE programs forward that I have had trouble keeping up. I'll fill you in with a few newsletters.
    I asked Matt to write about his impressions and observations. By way of introduction, Matt graduated from Acalanes High School and Amherst College. He taught English and World History for a year in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He is now attending the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where next year he will receive a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy.
     Matt, unfortunately, is not very bright. He forced himself on TIE, ignoring my numerous attempts to dissuade him from going.  He traveled outside Kabul to areas where other aid workers won't or can't go. He took charge as program director and performed well beyond my expectations. Matt  was well aware of how the Taliban have made a concerted effort to drive humanitarian aid workers out of Afghanistan.
     Where did Matt go wrong?  Shouldn't he be accumulating wealth now and giving later?  In spite of his Don Quixote ways, his powers of observation are developed well beyond his years.  Below are a few of the insights he shared with me;

            My Experience in Afghanistan - Matt Van Etten
     Entering Afghanistan is like stepping into another universe, where Americans can take none of their values and customs for granted.
Friends and family interact with an amazing degree of warmth and openness. Even as an outsider, I was consistently treated with a feeling of hospitality like I've rarely experienced before.
Hard times bring people together, particularly in a war torn country, where all that remains are people. Their communal bonds are reinforced by their reverence for the teachings of Islam. Islam influences all aspects of their lives.
    On my second day in Kabul, a co-worker, Maiwand and I parked a van in front of a shop to purchase a table. Maiwand haggled nimbly with the shopkeeper to lower the price, albeit with a considerable disadvantage, an American by his side. A police officer began banging on the side of the van. He  decided we were parked in an illegal spot. At first Maiwand tried a small bribe, usually the most successful tactic in Afghanistan for avoiding trouble. That didn't work. As Maiwand returned to the shop, the officer screamed and then proceeded to stab the back-right tire with a screwdriver. There are no repercussions for an officer who takes the law into his own hands.
     Trust in Education can be particularly proud of its successes, particularly with the women of the villages it serves. One of my most striking memories is of me sitting in a small classroom where over thirty women were crammed in, to experience what was forbidden to them during the years the Taliban reigned. A co-worker, Asma Nemati, and I worked together for six weeks. We made amazing strides in broadening and improving TIE's long term impact. Asma, a progressive Muslim woman, educated in the United States, has already found a way to bring a family planning program to the villages. The program is approved by the Afghan government and religious leaders. I look forward to following her progress.
   I am incredibly grateful I had an opportunity to work with TIE and spend time in Afghanistan. It's an experience I will always remember.

                                  
Matt and Asma
Clothing Drive
     Matt and Asma coordinated another clothing distribution day at TIE's office in Kabul. Teachers were asked to invite children from the neediest families. Many walked for more than two hours to reach the office. We provided whoever came a bus ride home. To see more photo's, visit TIE's flikr account at TIE's photo's and click around. It's not entirely user friendly, but it's not bad. Those under 30 will do fine. They can text message in their sleep (send and receive).

man with seeds














To see more photo's go to TIE PHOTO'S
Sincerely,
 

Budd MacKenzie
Trust In Education