Problog

Hello and welcome to my blog. It is a blog about an Air Force Physician that was reluctantly deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan for 6 months.

I have to admit, I did not exactly volunteer for the deployment, and I was a little anxious about how it would all turn out. I ended up making the best of it, and surprisingly, I actually had a pleasant, life changing, experience.

I decided to keep the blog up and running because I kept on hearing, "Why is it that you only hear the bad news coming from Iraq and Afghanistan." I figured that I was helping spread a positive message about what we are doing over. Even more important, I wanted to continue to spread the word about the plight of the Afghan people, 99.9% of which are the most incredibly friendly people that you will ever meet. The title picture is a great example of that. I have never encountered such genuinely warm and friendly people. It was so strange to see so many people with so little material objects, yet at the same time, filled with so much of the joy that comes with close family ties, abundant friends, and a close knit community. We could definetly learn a lot from them.

You may notice, as you read the blog in its entirety, my arc. I shift from focusing on myself and my personal comforts, to shifting my focus on the Afghan cause. It is very easy to get distracted by the hustle of daily life and the comforts that the U.S. provides. It is really a challenge to awake from that coma and to start to care and think about the welfare of other people unrelated to you. I think it really took me about 4 or 5 months before I really opened my eyes and became personally affected by what I was experiencing. I hope I was able to recreate it.

I have tried to keep the blog squeaky clean so as to not offend anyone (or get me in trouble-I am still in the military). Even though I am a political junky with very strong personal opinions I have been steadfast in keeping this site free of any politics. I was called to do a job and I tried to do it to the best of my ability regardless of my political stance.

I recreated the blog to read more like a book, or should I say blook (get used to the corniness it only gets worse from here) just to make it an easier read. I have removed some names and pictures just to keep it more anonymous. I hope that it helps in making it less about me and more about the cause.

Lastly, in the spirit of the blog, I decided to include the Chipin Widget that I used to raise money for Nazia. If I get any additional money I will send the funds to The Women of Hope Project and someone over in Kabul will discretely give it to her (unless I hear otherwise). You can also contribute directly to the Women of Hope Project website. They are a wonderful cause. If you enjoy this blog then feel free to contribute. I am sure that once you read her story you will be very moved.

So kick back. Get ready to hopefully laugh and definitely cry.
If you like what you read then post a comment. I will be continuously editing this site in an attempt to improve it. Who knows maybe one day it will become a book!

Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

-Shazdoc

Today Show Clip

Chipin Widget

Monday, February 11, 2008

Education

"Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave. At home, a friend, abroad, an introduction, in solitude a solace and in society an ornament. It chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives at once grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage."
-Joseph Addison

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
-Aristotle

"Education is the movement from darkness to light."
-Allan Bloom

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
-Will Durant

"Only the educated are free."
-Epictetus

Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men -- the balance-wheel of the social machinery.
-Horace Mann, Twelfth Annual Report of Horace Mann as Secretary of Massachusetts State Board of Education.(1848)

As we approach the new millennium, we see how much remains to be done to give our young and future generations a better world to live in: a more peaceful society with a healthier, cleaner environment and a pattern of sustainable development which seeks to eradicate poverty. Education is the single most powerful means to improve the quality of life... the single most powerful weapon against poverty and intolerance. Education builds a culture of peace ... it empowers human beings, both young and adult, to be effective in their chosen sphere of activity ... education in its essence, opens doors to both personal and social development.
-Federico Mayor, Address at the Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education Seoul, Republic of Korea, 26 April 1999

The main aim of education should be to send children out into the world with a reasonably sized anthology in their heads so that, while seated on the lavatory, waiting in doctors' surgeries, on stationary trains or watching interviews with politicians, they may have something interesting to think about.
-Sir John Mortimer

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
-William Butler Yeats

"Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world's work, and the power to appreciate life."
-Brigham Young

Just to give you guys an update on the Nazia Fund. I have been trying, through the use of an interpreter, to open up an Afghan bank account for her. I wrote a letter to a bank president and the interpreter has gone there in person but I have not had much luck. I have been told that she or her guardian needed to be present. I have also been trying to get in touch with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The interpreter told me that they help with these sort of things all of the time. I have a contact name and email. I will keep you posted.

The reason why today's post is education themed is because Adam and I were talking yesterday and we thought that the only way for Nazia to break her cycle of poverty and dependence on a male figures would be for her to get a proper education. We were thinking how wonderful it would if a family in the U.S. were to sponsor her. When she gets a little older she could use the money that we have raised to go to college. I have contacted a few organizations, such as HelpAfghanWomen.com, for some advice and help. Let's see what happens. By the way, great job on raising so much money!! Let's keep it coming.

More on the importance of education. I really believe that education is power. I wanted to highlight a school program that was started by a wonderful man named Mohamed over here in Kabul. I included a short documentary on his school program Aschiana. He decided to build a school to help bring street kids in off the street and provide them with a good education and vocational skills to break their cycle of poverty.



Last November the VCR program visited a couple of their schools and also donated a large number of school supplies. I know that a lot of my readers have donated to the VCR program so some of your school supplies may have gone to an Aschiana school.

Here is what one of the schools look like.



Here are kids learning how to paint.


Making dresses.



Woodworking.



And music.


Isn't that just wonderful. They are not just giving kids a handouts, but rather, they are teaching them skills so that they can eventually support themselves. What a great program.

Again, if anybody knows of any church programs out there or if you know of a good family that could take Nazia in then please let me know. My email- GPH13040@gmail.com.
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Here is another video on Afghan Children. I hope you have a fast computer because I don't. It is worth the wait of the download.
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Thanks for reading.
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