Esmat and family are still in the community of Pole-Khomri which is south of Jeloucha (I'm not sure how far) and is working toward moving to Kunduz which will be much closer to Jeloucha. The current position is partly a function of maintaining contact with the authorities and partly a function of communication.

Esmat now has an administrator (male) who has agreed to work as a volunteer until an office is set up all dependent of getting in place communication, transportation, space and reporting procedures. Esmat is also trying to hire a woman to help with office chores. All of this is happening to satisfy the requirements of the Afghan government to ensure HOPE has a physical presence in the country.

In Jeloucha the community organization work has started with the lining up of labour and commitments from workers to work once a week on the school and the medical clinic. Esmat has been working with the community and the government authorities to ensure a smooth start to work. The villagers are keen and a bit anxious (just as HOPE is) to get all of the physical work underway.

Winter has set in but work will be able to proceed , although at a slower pace. One of the prioities is for Esmat to purchase a truck to transport the required materials into Jeloucha. This has probably happened since Esmat's report. On a personal note, after seeing the pictures of the road into Jeloucha, I hope they have good bush mechanics!

Remember you can support the rebuilding of Jeloucha through Hope International Development Agency, Box 608, Station Main, New Westminster, BC V3L 9Z9 or by dropping off a donation at the 100 Mile House United Church clearly marked for South Cariboo Afghanistan Project. Tax receipts are issued by both groups.

I thank you all for your support.

Jack

Oct 18, 2005

First I am glad to report that the recent earthquake that has so devastated Pakistan and Kashmire did not effect Jeloucha. Although Jeloucha is not effected if anyone is looking for a way to help the victims of the earthquake HOPE International has strong partners in Pakistan so donations through HOPE will get to effected areas very quickly. Check their web site for up to date information.

Much of Esmat's time over the past two months has been devoted to clearing the red tape of the Afghan government for permission for Non Government Organizations (NGO's) to operate in Afghanistan. This is a new requirement that has been brought in to ensure the government knows who is working in the country. John King of HOPE says this is probably a good thing as it ensures some order and lessens the possibility of duplications of effort.

During the September election Esmat's brother, the Chief of Jeloucha, ran for a seat in the Afghan parliament. As of now the results have not been confirmed as the ballot counting is taking a long time. Part of the problem has been finding about 300 polls (1% of all polls) that may have been contaminated by fraud. In any case the final results are to be announced the last week of October. It is to the credit of the Afghan people that, out of 12 million elligble voters, over 8 million defied warlords and internal problems and voted. (With all our safety and freedom we have a hard time getting a 66% turnout!)

HOPE is trying to get Esmat set up with an e-mail system to facilitate communication. When that happens I think we will get more current information.

Last week I sent just over $1800 dollars to HOPE. This was money contributed through the 100 Mile House United Church. As I have no idea who gave this support all I can do is offer major thanks for your support for the people of Jeloucha.

Jack

For those of you who made it to the May 14 choir concert at Martin Exeter Hall you will know what a treat it was to have the Magee School Choir from Vancouver perform. They were wonderful. Only about 80 people showed up for the evening so our fund raising after paying for the hall and some smaller expenses did not work out all that well. The total appears to be somewhere around $500 but I will have a full accounting of that in a couple of weeks. There were several envelopes picked up for direct gifts to Jeloucha through Hope International. I have asked Hope for a total of funds raised to date so I can let you know.

You may not know but Dennis Tupman had arranged for the Magee choir to travel to Williams Lake and present their music at an afternoon concert in St. Andrews United Church. That concert raised approximately $900 in addition to whatever has been sent in by direct donation. I have asked Hope for those numbers to be included in the report back to us.

At the May 14 concert Esmat Nazaryar, who had just returned from Jeloucha, presented Mayor Donna Barnet with a letter of friendship from the Chief and leaders of Jeloucha. In addition he delivered letters from the school children in Jeloucha to the children at Bridge Lake school and the children of John Whidon's class in the 100 Mile Elementary School. This means that one of our original aims of building a bridge of friendship between our two communities is now established. Our fund raising will help Jeloucha rebuild their community but the communication exchange will do even more as it slowly builds understanding between us.

While Esmat was in Jeloucha he worked with the community to complete the necessary paper work to ensure that the Government of Afghanistan would support the school and the medical clinic when they are built. So our support can now access their national government support once the two buildings are in place. Esmat secured the ministerial signatures so the commitment is solid.

I am asking Hope for an update on the budget and I will distribute that as soon as I receive it. I would still like to see folks in the community who have a particular interest see about raising funds to be directed at particular sectors. For instance maybe someone who is deeply involved with forestry might be interested in taking on a project to raise funds for the reforestation and the building of the nursery. Or it might be agriculture and raise money for seeds and animals or education to raise funds for school materials. I really don't know but I do know the South Cariboo is full of people with talent and passion and here is an opportunity to direct that energy to a people who need help.

I will try to have a money raised and budget update to you before the end of June as I will be out of touch for much of the summer.

Jack

Last evening I spoke with Esmat Nazaryar. He returned from two months in Jeloucha, Afghanistan last Thursday. He told me that the time in the community went well. The community leaders are very happy with the idea of a pact of friendship between their community and ours. Esmat will be delivering a letter from their leaders to the Mayor and council of 100 Mile House at the Concert May 14.

The letters and pictures from the school children here (John Whiddon's class at 100 Mile Elementary and Bernice Enns class at Bridge Lake) were well received. Esmat is presently translating the Jeloucha children's replies and will bring them to us May 14.

I did ask about the building of the health clinic and school and Esmat told me that he found, when he got to Jeloucha, that he had to complete a great deal of government paper work in order to ensure the Afghan government would support both the clinic and the school. If building started without government approval then there would be no commitment on the part of government to support the work in Jeloucha. ( Reminds me of some other government's I have encountered!).

Esmat also told me that the German Embassy in Kabul has been training local Afghans in the production of professional film work. Somehow he talked the Embassy into using Jeloucha as a practice work and so a German film specialist will be doing a story on Jeloucha as a training project with the Afghan students. Esmat will have the completed work to share with us later in the year.

If you can, try to make it to the Concert at Martin Exeter Hall May 14 for a chance to speak with Esmat and Matthew Redekopp from Hope International. The opening of the concert will highlight Esmat's presentation to the Mayor and Council, the delivery of the letters to the children, an update of what is happening by Esmat and all of this, thanks to the support of our local detachment of the RCMP, supported by a constable in Red Serge.

I hope to see everyone May 14.

Also if you have friends who would like to be added to this e-mail list please let me know and I will add them.

Jack

I have just had a long conversation with Esmat Nazaryar, whom many of you met at The Taste of Afghanistan evening. Esmat is off to Afghanistan Feb. 25. He assures me he will be back in time for a visit to us in May with a full update of what is happening in Jeloucha.

He is taking with him letters and pictures from school children in 100 Mile House and Bridge Lake. He is also taking greetings from all the people of the South Cariboo and, more specifically, will be spending time with the leadership of Jeloucha helping them understand what a friendly and official relationship with our agricultural area through the Mayor and couincil of 100 Mile House means.

I was reminded this morning of your steadfast support for Jeloucha as I listened to a report on the CBC  about how governments around the world have failed to live up to their pledges to help Afghanistan. Because of 20 years of war and the slow pace of support from other nations Afghanistan has the lowest educational levels in the world (less than one third are literate); among the lowest health services and virtually no infrastructure. When one considers the natural way things happen in our world most aid and support goes to large population centres, and that makes sense but it leaves the small and rural for folks without support unless it comes from people like us. 

Please mark your calendars for May 14 for a major fund raiser at Martin Exeter Hall.

As I hear from Esmat and Hope International I will pass on the information to you.

Remeber you can continue to support by sending funds to Hope International Develoment Agency, Box 608 Stn. Main, New Wesminster, BC  V3L 9Z9. Or you can drop of funds marked for the South Cariboo Afghanistan Project with the United Church on Dogwood in 100 Mile. That money will be consolidated and forwarded. Remeber both groups issue tax receipts.

Thanks again for all your support.

Jack Witty

A sort of end of year up-date!

I have just sent off a cheque for $1779.10 representing gifts left with the United Church for the South Cariboo Afghanistan Project.

I have also been in touch with Esmat (our Afghan friend) and Matthew Redekop from HOPE International. Esmat and Matthew  are planning a trip to Jeloucha village around the end of January so we should have a good update on their return. They will be there about two weeks.

The letter from the Mayor and Council of 100 Mile House to the Chief of Jeloucha about the idea of a form of twinning our communities has been translated and has gone to Afghanistan. As soon as we have a reply I will be letting you know the result of the letter exchange.

Have a happy and blessed Christmas and we will look forward to 2005 and the beginning of restoring the village of Jeloucha!

Jack Witty

Most of you have heard that we raised over $4000 dollars on the evening of our 'Taste of Afghanistan'. Since that evening there have been several more contributions going directly to HOPE Int. or dropped off at the 100 Mile United Church. The only count I have at the moment is that this additional amount is over $1500. I will try to put together a good report on this at the end of the month.

However, this report is to give you a copy of the current budget as developed by HOPE in conjunction with the expressed needs of the community (attached). I have also had some new material from HOPE.

Esmat (whom many of you have now met) will be travelling back to Afghanistan and Jeloucha in the spring to meet with community, community leaders and his family to determine (confirm) the priorities and to see the work started. Project activity will begin in spring 2005 (only a few months away). In the meantime HOPE will work with the village to identify families who are currently threatened by a landslide in a part of Jeloucha. Should it be required temporary shelter will be provided  to house the families (approximately 25 families) in a safer location during the winter until more permanent structures can be built in the spring.

At the moment HOPE thinks that the funds raised here will be going as a first priority toward the health component for the community. Establishing primary health services within the community is an entry point to the community. Ensuring there is primary health care meets an urgent need of the community and builds goodwill among community members that shows that we are concerned and committed to the people of Jeloucha. The government of Afghanistan is willing to provide a doctor on an ongoing basis and have the clinic fall under their auspices. HOPE has made contact with a local doctor who was inspired by Esmat's original commitment to the people of Jeloucha (some of you will recall the story of Esmat travelling to the larger community and convincing the doctor to go to Jeloucha if Esmat paid for the costs. This was the first doctor anyone had seen for several years.) This doctor is willing to volunteer his time and expertise twice a month. To do this the conditions are that 1) there be a clinic in Jeloucha, a physical building with space dedicated to health services, and 2) that this clinic be equipped with the appropriate/necessary equipment and supplies. This can be done at a relatively low cost. HOPE is budgeting $13,555 Canadian over 3 years, much of which will be spent in the first year to cover construction costs. The clinic will serve a minimum of 1500 households.

As many health issues are related to clean water work will also start on access to clean water as soon as possible. However, because the water table is quite deep, this will be one of the most expensive aspects of the three year program.

Tree planting and the regeneration of the forests is an important component. Many of you who saw Esmat's pictures will have noted the lack of vegetation. Higher up in the mountains are stands of trees that provide important resources, both timber and non-timber products. These stands are dwindleing.

The following plan is being set in motion:

Esmat's family owns some land within the community of Jeloucha. He has agreed to donate some of this land for the project. A tree/plamt nursery will be established on this site. The nursery will be used to grow seedlings (pistachio trees and other varities to be determined, fruit trees and vegetables) which will be distributed at subsidized cost. The nursery will also provide seedlings for community reforestation efforts in the threatened woodlots within walking distance of Jeloucha.

Because the location is central, the nursery makes for an ideal place for demonstrating to the communities plants that are viable in Jeloucha, given the soil and climate conditions. New ideas (techniques, varities, etc.) will be diseminated from here. Vegetation appropriate for the area does not require much water. However, water will be needed to establish the seedlings. A pump with tubing will be purchased to bring water from the nearby river.

Before people can move out to work with the woodlots an assessment of the threat of landmines must be made hence the budget item for landmine detection.

And one last item. Last Tuesday evening (November 9) the Municipal Councel passed a motion to explore establishing a somewhat official relationship with Jeloucha. This is similar to the twinning that goes on between cities around the world where recipricol relations can be set in motion. This relationship would be one of shared caring and goodwill with no expectation of some sort of quid pro quo arrangement. We will have to see how this works out over time.

Remember that if any of you have any questions or ideas you want looked at just drop me an e-mail.

Also remember that donations can be sent to HOPE International Development Agency, Box 608 Stn Main, New Westminster, BC  V3L 9Z9 (remember to mark the cheque (for Jeloucha or for South Cariboo Afghanistan Project) or you can drop a donation at the United Church in 100 Mile. Make the cheque to South Cariboo Afghanistan Project. Both these bodies will provide tax receipts.

Jack