Bpeace in Kabul

Yippee...we got to Dubai

2005-02-12T22:10:00.000-05:00

2 days later than we were supposed to, we took off from Kabul for Dubai on Saturday at about 5r:30 pm.

The Kabul airport was sheer madness.

Arrived in Dubai, not a hotel room to be found. Laura took a flight to Bangkok, Gwendy snagged a sofa at a friend of a friends, Paula went in search of a hotel.

Kate, Jim, Toni and Ray slept at the airport.Thanks to the Emirates Business Class lounge, we're showered and ready for our 14-hour flight to JFK. We arrive on Sunday at about 1:30 pm.

Keep checking the blog. We'll post more stories in the next couple of days.

For now, it's time for an Ambien and that flight home.

xxoo

Paula's Magic Lens

2005-02-12T03:59:00.000-05:00

A young Kabul kite runner.

One side benefit of our unexpected extra time in Kabul, is that Paula had a car and translator to herself, to run around Kabul city and snap away.

We're posting these images mid-day on Saturday our time (about 8 hours earlier than we usually do), because we're hoping to leave for Kabul airport shortly for our flight to Dubai.

We're hoping that the next time we post to the blog, we will be in some swanky Dubai hotel. (Of course we could just as well be sitting in the Dubai aiport all night...because Dubai is fully booked.)

Thinking of you all.

2005-02-12T03:58:00.000-05:00

Driving game.

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Kabul mountain view.

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Shoes for sale at Kabul's City Center. We learned that the locals prefer shoes from Turkey, which retail at about $20.

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Debbie Rodriguez, the famous American who runs the Kabul Beauty School, and a private salon--The Oasis--does her magic on Laura, as Gwendy beams.

Rice-free zone

2005-02-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

Still in Kabul
A million miles away from home
Went to a German restaurant
It was a rice-free zone

We miss our you all
And are ready to fly
But the weather is blocking
Our Kabul bye-bye

Depite all the delays
We were very busy
Using every opportunity to network
And gathering names like crazy

We'll post pix in the am
Now it's time for some Tylenol PM

Waiting for a flight home...

2005-02-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

An easier day in Kabul.

We’re still in Kabul. Our flight was cancelled due to the low cloud cover, and it’s snowing again—of course.

Before we knew we were cancelled, Gwendy had a productive breakfast with Beth Gottschling and hatched a plan for an exhibition to sell products on Women’s Day—March 8th. Beth has worked with Latifa in the past, and they will partner on this exciting opportunity to make our SRT ladies better known in Kabul and to put cash in their hands. Beth mentioned that a mutual business contact is looking for talented crochet workers, and we hope to connect three of our ladies with him.

In another big score of the day, Laura connected Zohlayka (a friend of Bpeace who runs a local school) with Hossai, our SRT lady who makes uniforms. Ta da, an order for 200 uniforms emerged.

Jim, by popular demand, taught again at the University of Kabul to a mixed group of our SRT ladies, and members of the Afghan Women’s Business Council. Today’s topic: Balance sheets and cash flow statements. They were so excited, you’d think he was teaching “How to become a millionaire.”

For most of the team, it was a less pressured day than we’ve had. Kate, Gwendy, and Laura went to the National Museum and saw an exhibit of wooden statues from Nuristan (in the north of Afghanstan), and then shopped. Ray and Paula went to the Afghans for Tomorrow school, run by our guide, Najib.

Toni met with a new SRT candidate—Sara—who runs a second-floor dress shop, with 3 workrooms and 12 seamstresses WITH ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINES. Both Toni and Laila were impressed with her products enough to order some clothing. Sara’s shop—7 months old—is having cash flow problems. Foreigners—who had been her customers—stopped coming when the weather got cold. She really needs a sit down on how to downsize her costs, as she is running at a loss every month. Since we’re leaving town, we will try and find someone to work with her in Kabul. In the meantime, Toni taught her a “mini-lesson” on how to request deposits for custom-made garments—which Sara had not been doing.

Paula went back to visit Hamida, to snap some “at-home color.” She came back with several pair of wool hand-knit leggings and some of the great shots you see here. Paula has been tireless in pursuit of photo ops to give a well-rounded perspective to Bpeace work in Kabul. She hopes to present the best of her photographs on Wednesday, March 16 at our Bpeace Afghan Team Meeting in New York. (To rsvp to this meeting contact lhass@bpeace.org, attendance is limited to 50 people.)

Finally, Toni and Laila compiled the final list of ladies to will come to New York for the Style Road Trip. There are 18 in all! During our business assessments, we didn’t eliminate anyone. We still need about $25,000 more to bring them all over. (You can donate now by going to the left-hand column of the blog and clicking on DONATE NOW!) $6,000 covers the cost of bringing one woman here, including airfare, lodging, meals and training by Fashion Institute of Technology. A big nut for us is lodging in New York for 18 women for 18 nights.

Give us a boost here with some dollars for peace. You know your money will be well spent…it goes totally to the cost of the women. Bpeace members pay for everything else (including this mission travel) out of our own pockets.

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Students at the Afghans 4 Tomorrow school.

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Hamida at home with her son and husband.

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Hamida at home by gaslight.

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Nassima, one of our SRT ladies, manages this group of seamstresses who work these non-electric treadle machines.

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Gwendy and Latifa (see more on Latifa in story below).

3 vans, 3 translators, 7 Bpeacers in 13 hours

2005-02-09T13:35:00.000-05:00

Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs Dr. Masooda Jahal and Toni. (We had a hard time finding a photo with Toni's eyes open, and not showing the streaks of mud on her slacks.)

Having trouble with the pix posting software today...so only 1 pix today, more hopefully tomorrow.

More assessments today. We recruited a woman from the provinces—Esmat from Heart, who we invited to join the Style Road Trip. She crochets skirts and doilies that use soda-bottle rings as a base. (Sounds awful, but looks pretty—trust us.) We are thrilled to have a lady from outside of Kabul in the Bpeace program. Esmat is committed to teaching the women in her area what she will learn on the SRT in New York.

While Gwendy was interviewing Latifa at the Afghan Art Gallery, and Paula was photographing, Ray was shopping the gallery. Latifa proudly displayed her unusual dress designs using embroidery accents and is hoping to open her own business with her designs which are popular with the local NGO community.

Laura and Paula visited with Hanifa…a former very prosperous businesswomen from Pakistan. Laura was trying to channel her into using her network to bring higher end fabrics to Afghanistan.

Jim and Laura spent quality time with Bakhtnazera, consulting on every aspect of her dress shop business. The problems are age old….attracting customers and managing cash flow. (Jim has operated at ends of the business spectrum in his career to date…from advising billionaire Ron Perlman on a megadeal to encouraging a dress shop owner on a side street in Kabul. What resume building.)

Kate met with Kamela and her partner Fahima and was blown away by these smart, gutsy ambitious women. They run a construction business which has two different enterprises. We learned of the oldest last June. It is a gabion business which employs 250 men and women who produce rock filled metal cage containers used to retain walls and floods. In the past several months they have launched a training center for carpentry and have trained 20 men and 20 women in the carpentry trade while providing literacy education. Their vision is to transform this school into a for profit enterprise which has synergy with the gabion business. They are working hard to obtain government and private contracts. Our translator was shocked and Kate amazed to see pictures of women running boards through table saws and hauling rocks. In this reconstructing country, Kamela and her partner have developed a business which taps into a real market opportunity. Kamela is so good that she is being increasingly asked to teach business skills to other budding male and female entrepreneurs. A consulting business is being born. Kamela and Fahima are breaking new ground. Bpeace will help them with business plan development and marketing.

Toni was out and about with Mercy Corps this morning, visiting a community center on the Kabul fringe. There she met 3 candle makers, working over a kerosene heater, who were thrilled to be creating something of their own. “I wake up in the night dreaming about candles,” said one of the ladies. Mercy Corps is hoping Bpeace will take these candle makers and 3 potters under our wing. While the women aren’t fast runners by our usual standards, they are fast runners in their community.

The entire Bpeace team, along with UNIFEM, and reps from the Afghan Women’s Business Council met with Dr. Masooda Jalal, the new Minister of Women’s Affairs who ran for President of Afghanistan last fall. Dr. Jalal has a strong vision, and was particularly interested in matching Afghan businesswomen with American businesswomen. (Hmmm….we may know of a group who can help with that.)

In between it all, Gwendy and Kate managed to shop…visiting Kabul’s gold district (who knew!). Don’t worry Steve, the shops were closed. They did manage to find a few old and rather fragrant textiles. (Rags for peace.)

There seemed to be a meeting of the Afghan old guard alumni association in traditional dress in the hotel tonight, so we fled for a farewell Kabul dinner at a local restaurant, WHERE THEY HAD WINE!!! That’s all Laura needed to let loose with a laughing jag, which made us all join in. A tradition here is to bundle up any leftover food, and give it to the poor—which of course we did.

Jim teaches again in the morning…called back by popular demand by the ladies to talk more about finance.

Our UN flight to Dubai is sometime in the afternoon, and we hope weather conditions allow us to take off. We’re already dreaming of a scotch on the rocks, and a hot fudge sundae.

Kabul, Bpeace style

2005-02-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Another snowy day in Kabul.

Hello all from snowy Kabul where it is once again snowing on top of themud. Thank you all for letting us know you love us. Keep those comments coming in.

We hosted a lunch for the Afghan women who participated in Thunderbird’s Artemis program—the 2-week mini-MBA program in Phoenix last month. The ladies were radiant and abuzz with tales of the Thunderbird experience. They were so taken with the Thunderbird mentors that they are planning on launching their own mentoring program. In May, Kate and Laurie will go to Kabul to pick up our Style Road Trip ladies and bring them to New York. Kate will teach a workshop on “How to mentor.” Laurie will teach a workshop on business presentation skills.

Toni, Jim and Ray met with the new Minister of Commerce at the Presidential offices. He was most interested in decreasing Afghanistan’s trade deficit by increasing the country’s exports. It was an interesting meeting in that we didn’t always agree on the focus of programs.

Kate visited City Tower which is Kabul's, and therefore Afghanistan's, finest shopping center. No heat of course. So cold that you could see your breath. Male shopkeepers and their unemployed male friends sitting around in their coats under the falling ceilings. Few customers in what looked like construction sites. Beyond improving product, improving retail is a big opportunity for our women.

For the past two days most of the team has been conducting business assessments—benchmarking where the women are with their businesses, and understanding their most critical needs to grow their businesses. During 60-90 minute interviews we tried to gain granularity around their needs for finance, marketing, training and quality standards.

Gwendy, Paula, Laura and Kate spent time with the women in their homes.

Hossai is one of our favorite women and her husband was a delight. She is a pistol. Under the Taliban, she owned a forbidden satellite dish which was almost discovered. She managed to get rid of it by stashing in a neighbors home as the Taliban pounded on the door. Had they been caught, the husband would have had to wear the dish around their neck. Almost laughable until you think about it…that said Hossai and her husband had a chuckle. Today, she runs a successful uniform business. Her critical need: a generator and electric sewing machines, so she can double her production with the same amount of workers. What a woman!

Hamida’s husband was quite the charmer, dominating the conversation with Gwendy, showing her a photo album with all his international friends. Hamida has been selling hand-knit sweaters and gloves to the Embassy and NGO communities, with her husband as her “marketing manager.” He personally makes the rounds with flyers and generated orders for 40 pairs of gloves and socks from the Russian Embassy. In order to exploit the hand-knit niche, Hamida needs design help and better quality materials.

Laila, who is Bpeace’s program manager in Kabul, wants to grow her jewelry business in an innovative way by integrating a jewelry-making school. We have loved the professionalism she brings to our program here. Her big home run--when she found out the Ministry of Women’s Affairs had no heat and we would have to bring our own fuel, she cajoled the University of Kabul into providing us heated classrooms.

Rangina came over for dinner tonight. She was born in Kandahar, left the country with her family when she was 3, grew up in the US. She returned to Kandahar two years ago to work with women who only are allowed to come out of their homes for wedding celebrations. Embroidery from Kandahar is known as the best in the country and she needs help tweaking the traditional designs for the US market, and finding distributors here. Toni ordered a beaded lariat to wear during the Style Road Trip events in May.

Ray came off of his awesome training session as he and Jim had an inspiring meeting with the head of the Kabul Chamber of Commerce who suggested lots of ideas, including that we do some training on radio.

Gwendy and Laura had dinner with a reporter from Bloomberg News, a local architect, Zolaykha Sherzad who is updating traditional Afghan silk into modern fashions. Suzanne Thompson also joined them (an American staying at the Inter-continental with us—her Roots for Peace program helps families revive their orchards).

So it’s 11:30 pm, and we’re still up, doing the blog. We have our second wind. Tomorrow should be our last full day in Kabul. If we can get a flight out on Thursday. The low cloud cover is keeping lots of flights grouned.

2005-02-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Gwendy and Hossai.

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Hamida's workers.

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Ray teaching embroidery transfer.

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Paula, Kate and Gwendy outside the Hotel Inter-continental, Kabul.

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Burka eyes.

We're tired and giddy, and not finished yet

2005-02-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

No pix tonight, and not much text either. Here's what you need to know: Had a great day. Talk to you tomorrow. And post some comments, will you! Except for a few loyal fans (thanks Laurie, Trish, Steve and Mary), there's a big cone of silence out there.

Are the mountains blocking the transmissions? We're on strike until some more of you readers post.

xxoo
The tired, but happy, team

Another 16-hour day...have we only been here since Friday?

2005-02-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

We have their attention.

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Style Road Trip ladies using their new Bpeace calculators.

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Jim's on the floor making a profit. Gwendy's mood boards surround the walls. The integrated wheels of business: finance and creativity.

2005-02-06T13:19:00.000-05:00

On the way to the market, check out the high heels and the handbag with this burqa.

How many activities can you cram into a Kabul day?

Laura, Gwendy, Paula and Kate went to the fabric market with Mahbooba, head of the Afghan Women’s Business Council. There was not a natural fiber in sight.

Jim repeated his stunning “How to Make a Profit” performance, this time to the Style Road Trip ladies. They poured over their new Bpeace calculators, and realized how hard it is to make a profit. Jim’s recurring theme was “unless you make a profit, your business won’t be sustainable.”

Gwendy stimulated their creative imaginations with Keith Recker’s “mood boards”—a series of photo montages on color and design. The lively, fun session had the room buzzing with delight. Turns out our Afghan ladies love green and purple, and designs from China and India.

Ray and Gwendy conducted an embroidery design transfer demonstration. Ray has spend the prior three weeks buying supplies including chalk dust, rulers, tracing paper, Mylar, push pins and had “goodie bags” of supplies for all the ladies. His effort was much like a Thanksgiving meal, weeks in the making, and over in a half hour. He did a great job.

Paula was all over the day like sauce—shooting 600 photos from the market to the end of day’s training wrap-up. (By the way, it takes her an hour every night to download all her photos, and another hour to convert the photos we want to use on the blog. We hope you all are enjoying the photos, because Paula is sure working hard to bring them to you.)

Toni and Jim met with the Kabul’s tip-top businessmen, the leaders of Afghanistan’s International Chamber of Commerce. We met the top biscuit-maker, and the man who is leading a $50 million hotel development.

Kate had an unexpected learning experience with a visit to the Kabulpolice after her handbag was stolen from one of our vans during a flattire change. Typical Afghan bureaucracy gave Kate ample time to spendwith the middleclass detectives and policemen. Kate's interpreterMaywan facilitated a major cultural breakthrough between these curiousAfghan men and a Bpeace woman. They learned about American women andour projects. Kate learned that these men believe in a growing rolefor women in their society. Indeed they shared pride in theirdaughter's accomplishments. They believe that education and businesstraining is the foundation to keep Afghanistan free from tyranny andconflict, expressing deeply felt gratitude for our work inAfghanistan. The officers thanked Kate's husband for allowing her tocome to their country and look forward to meeting him when heaccompanies her on a future visit.

The entire team enjoyed dinner with Rodolphe Baudeau of Altai Consulting. His firm of more than 200 employees has been in Kabul for three years. Some of his predictions of where big business opportunities are for women, are right in line with our thinking—including hospitality and niche adventure tourism (mountaineering).

Whew…we’re pooped.

And now for a commercial message: if you are reading this blog, and are not a Bpeace member, please add your name to our mailing list. Look in the left-column for our little sign-up box.

Hey Ma, we taught at the University of Kabul

2005-02-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Why didn't we pack those skis? Facing the Intercontinental driveway at 7:15 am.

2005-02-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Do you want to sell 100 handbags at $10, or 10 at $100? Profit margin, an entirely new concept.

2005-02-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

It may look comfy, but for the Americans, does anyone know how to spell chiropractor?

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One exercise involved taking one of Laura's bags, and deciding if they made it, what their costs would be, and what the sales price would be.

When our Afghan ladies had their first “aha” moment today, you could measure the ripple of happiness that went through the Kabul mission team.

Fifteen of our Style Road Trip associates, plus five guests including a representative from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, braved the snow to attend our class at the University of Kabul.

The day started with its one usual glitch. One of our vans couldn’t climb the hill to our hotel, so half of the mission team (the fit half), hiked down the slippery, steep driveway to the van on the road below.

Although the class started late because of the snow, eventually all 15 of our Style Road Trip associates showed, and then the learning began.

Kate led a 4-hour product development lesson, complete with profit exercises, pricing, benchmarking, planning calendar. The Associates grasped these high concepts with vigor. The big moment came when Hossai complained about her high overhead costs, and Kate asked if she ever considered partnering with another woman to bring the costs down. Pop, light bulb, aha. Suddenly an entire Fashion City Industrial Park idea was born. One we hope to explore further on Wednesday with the Minister of Women’s Affairs.

Laura brought Cambodia and Vietnam into this Kabul classroom when she showed real world examples of the embroidered handbags she produces in those countries under the brand Claire V. Laura demonstrated what can go wrong during the production process—everything from inferior fabrics being substituted, to incorrect color ways and stitching.

Both Kate and Laura showed them design cards, and how the specs for a product are clearly defined. This concept was like introducing a bee to a flower. Love at first sight.

Of course Gwendy really set their hearts palpating with visions of what their classes and experiences will be when they come to New York in May. She provided them a list to bring home, to think about, and check off and bring back tomorrow. (From home, Jamie Johnson even provided a questionnaire for their families.)

In the background, Ray was pouring over the passports of the Associates, starting to fill in visa forms to discuss with the US Embassy when we go there on Monday. In the foreground was Paula climbing on chairs and rolling on the floor with her camera. She logged 500 shots today.

And finally, in an entirely separate room, Jim and a different group of 20 ladies from the Afghan Women’s Business Council were enraptured with each other. The class was supposed to end at noon, but the ladies wouldn’t let Jim go. (More on this exciting breaking story tomorrow.)

Marie Greener, this one's for you

2005-02-05T13:45:00.000-05:00

Classroom lunch, Kabul style. China, silverware, rice, chicken, yogurt, salad, bread, lemon squares, served by a waiter. VERY GOOD!

We’re finally in Kabul...even the snow-topped mountains didn’t stop us

2005-02-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

Flying into Kabul.

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Kabul baggage claim.

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Gwendy, Laura, Paula outside Kabul airport. How did Paula take a pix of herself? She didn't. Jim did.

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Kate, Laura and Ray bundled in the van to the hotel.

2005-02-04T14:45:00.000-05:00

Afghan welcoming committee for their friends returning from the Haj.

Tonight, we’re tired, but feeling very fortunate. We know that some of you have heard (because we received anxious emails and phone calls) that a flight was turned away from Kabul airport yesterday because of the weather, and later crashed. There were 104 people on board. We were supposed to fly into Kabul yesterday. Some of the friends we made in the waiting room of the Dubai airport lost staff. Very sad. What more can we say?

We arrived in Kabul about 4:30 pm, and because of traffic gridlock, it took as long for us to get from the airport to the hotel, as it did to get from Dubai to here.

Our van didn’t move for an hour as hundreds of Afghan men swarmed the road leading out of the airport. They were the friends and family of Afghan pilgrims returning on a special flight from the Haj--the largest and holiest Muslim religious event of the year. Almost three million Muslims travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj over a five-day. The men in the street, some carrying metallic and paper festive hearts, were darting between parked cars decorated with ribbons and flowers. They didn’t pay us no never mind. We were just another van in the way of their big welcome.

We finally arrived at the Intercontinental (not part of the chain), but only after one of our vans needed to be pushed up the steep hill. Rooms are adequate, heat isn’t great…we only have space heaters. But we all brought thermal underwear, and Kate bought us all toe warmers.

Tomorrow, our debut at Kabul University, and our first day of training the women in the Bpeace program.

Delayed and Deflated in Dubai

2005-02-03T09:20:00.000-05:00

Four hours later, we're still smiling.

We tried to go to Kabul today. Really we did. Were at the Dubai airport at 7:00 am, and everyone but Paula and Toni went through immigration. Then, those fateful words…flight cancelled because of bad weather in Kabul.

Four hours later, after retrieving Kate, Gwendy, Jim, Laura and Ray (who on paper had left the country), and the luggage, we were ejected onto the street along with 3-dozen assorted aid workers to fight for hotel rooms during shopping month. Luckily, the Le Meridian took pity on us, and gave us our old rooms back FOR 1 NIGHT ONLY. (Our flight better take off on Friday.)

So here’s what we learned while chatting with hardened long-term Kabul-stationed workers.

Even the most experienced NGO workers in the waiting lounge were enthusiastic about the Bpeace mission (and the single women on our team). Although there is party nightlife in Kabul, the more astute aid managers place a curfew on staff to respect cultural norms.

Everyone in Kabul has a cough. There’s the fact that Kabul has the highest airborne fecal count in the world (according to the head of a health-care NGO we met) and the heating fuel of choice is propane and diesel.

According to the Dubai-Kabul commuters we met, this UN Dubai to Kabul flight has never been cancelled before.

Afghans love flowers and often when they are engaged as security guards, spontaneous gardens will bloom.

Music to Bpeace ears--new service businesses are booming in Kabul including pizza delivery and customers are more often local Afghans than local NGO workers.

Tourism is on the way up…we met 3 young ones who added Kabul to their around-the-world itinerary. Is this a harbinger of the next hip destination on the cool trail?

Tomorrow at 7:00 am, we’ll try the whole thing again. We do have options…see departure board below. (Geography quiz, where are the last 5 destinations?)

The departure board in Terminal 2 on our way to Kabul.

What's a nice boy like you, doing in a place like this?

2005-02-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

Jim Reitzig tells his story.

We are doing well on our first official “full” day of our mission, or at least better than we looked last night upon arrival in Dubai. Tomorrow morning we leave for Kabul on a UN flight.

So why has a single guy from NYC signed up with a formerly all-female volunteer organization, and why in the world am I going to Afghanistan?

It’s a question I get nearly every day…so here’s the answer…No, it’s not to find a wife (although Mom would be happy). First, a bit of background…after 8+ years at JPMorgan, the last couple in the Mergers and Acquisitions group, I decided to leave corporate life for a short bit. The main reason is a promise I made to myself after September 11th to volunteer for an organization that is attempting to have a positive impact on previously neglected people in the Middle East. My thought is that hopefully a contribution (however small it may be) may help prevent another tragedy like the one we experienced. After much searching and many conversations with various organizations it took just one meeting to commit to Bpeace. Right away, I could see that the people of Bpeace were no-nonsense, energetic, fast-movers that actually accomplish goals that they set.

That’s how I got here, now what will I be doing in Afghanistan?

My primary focus is business development (although I look forward to teaching, benchmarking the businesses of the women in our program, and detoxing with a week of no alcohol—though I refuse to give up my chocolate). It’s my job to figure out which industries in Afghanistan will have the most job creation in the short and long term, and in which of those industries will women be able to play a leading role? I’ve spent the last few months reviewing existing research and speaking with as many knowledgeable business development people as possible. Did you know, for example, that Afghanistan used to be one of the world’s leading exporters of raisins?

In Kabul, I will be spending the week investigating current economic conditions and interviewing people who know Afghan economic development best. I will finalize my work with a full report on the future role of businesswomen in Afghanistan to Toni and the Bpeace Governing Board, and celebrate my report by shaving my beard.

Extreme makeover anyone?

2005-02-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

Paula, Jim and Gwendy, dazed from their 12-hour flight.

Too bad it's shopping month in Dubai, and not spa or makeover month. The second wave of Bpeacers arrived in Dubai tonight, looking a little worse for wear, despite the fact that Paula said Emirates Air was a fabulous experience, and Gwendy slept through it all. They looked so bad, even the orchid ladies in the airport wouldn't give them anything. Jim wasted no time in getting to his room to groom his new beard (grown especially for Afghanistan).

Laura arriving in an hour or so, but we're not waiting up. Kate rolls in tomorrow morning.

It takes a village to mount a mission

2005-02-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

Dubai's award-winning duty free.

Toni and Ray were the first to arrive in Dubai. Why Dubai? Well you can’t fly direct to Kabul from the US. As stopovers go, you couldn’t ask for better. We got off the plane at 9:30 pm, and there were about 20 greeters in international festive garb giving out big smiles and orchids to weary travelers stumbling up to immigration. (Better than that old Mickey Rooney poster greeting you at JFK.)

Next morning, there was not a cloud in the sky and we delighted in Dubai’s balmy 70 degrees (last June when we were here it was a stifling 106!).

As we rest up a bit, getting ready to fly to bone-chilling Kabul, we’re thinking of the entire Bpeace Afghan team back home. It’s quite a cast with a lot of moving parts. What is truly amazing about this team is that we are all volunteers. In fact, Afghan team members together volunteered a total of more than 280 hours in January! And the 7 members of this Kabul mission are also paying their own way. There is no non-profit organization that can afford that kind of talent.

Dear blog readers, let us give you a sense of what an amazing team they are...

Mary Jane, Jennifer and Mayada made us smart about microfinancing; Wendy keeps us focused on our Fast Track program, not just the Style Road trip; Susan offered ideas on how to keep the husbands of our Afghan ladies (Bpeace associates) supportive. Nancy is unwavering in her passion to start the guild; Parinaz is arranging for the entire team to get together upon our return; Rachel gave up vacation time to drive to Phoenix to meet our associates who participated in the Thunderbird program; Donna advised us on Afghan security and restaurants.

Samira and Sarah spent days working with our associates in Kabul to improve the quality of their embroidered accessories; Sharon’s Academy subgroup including Judith and Steve equipped us with professional and clear training modules; Judith wrote an excellent communications lesson; Marla prepared assessment questions so we could benchmark our associates and their businesses; Amini provided the WIBO lessons that are the basis for the “How to make a profit” class Laura and Jim will teach; Amy and Christina designed the PowerPoint templates used for Kate’s product development class (with the help of Kim and another colleague at Coach); Jamie prepared excellent orientation materials to prepare our associates for their trip to NYC. She even wrote a little survey for their families so they have a say in how the trip shapes up. Natalie created an embroidery transfer manual that Ray and Gwendy will teach; Laurie arranged for the video crew to record all our training so it can be repurposed in Afghanistan for years to come.

Loretta and Wendy are on top of the complicated visa process to bring the associates to the US; Mary still keeps fundraising front and center; Manizha has already priced air tickets for our associates (according to the State Department they must arrive in NY on a US carrier); Roshana and Roberta are doing extensive prep work; Carmen is orchestrating a translation strategy; Mary and Sylvia are already thinking ahead to the graduation party for the associates. Ellen and Mara are waist high in PR preparation.

And a big thanks to Masuda for her valued guidance; Carole for being the first team member 18 months ago to say we have to go to Afghanistan; Celine for sourcing donors; Grace for advice on USAID; Esther and Joan for their reality checks; Sylvia, Corinne and Ann Evans for their very generous financial support; Laurie, Cheri and Jennifer for the video promos that help us persuade donors.

If we forgot anyone…chime in! (You’ll be hearing enough about the seven of us on the mission team in the days ahead, we thought it important to recognize the many people who are the engine of the Afghan team.)

Baby it's cold outside, even with a burqa

2005-01-29T18:22:00.000-05:00

Our friend Beth Gottschling, who is working on a project for Women for Women International, arrived in Kabul early in January 2005, a few weeks ahead of the Bpeace mission team. She emailed Gwendy to bring her an extra sweater, and sent along these burqas in the snow.

Some women in Kabul (Afghanistan's capital) still wear the burqa. They come in many different styles (lengths and colors) and materials (georgette, cotton, polyester) but all share the common goal to cover all but the eyes of the face. Inside, a mesh-like embroidery drapes the face. Those of us who have tried one on, find it very claustrophobic.

None of the associates in the Bpeace program wear the burqa. They've moved on.

While you're waiting for this blog to go live....

2005-01-29T18:17:00.000-05:00

Afghan American fashion designer (and Bpeace member) Samira Takesh sent along this link to some lighthearted humor--Afghan style.

Click here: http://www.afghanland.com/entertainment/lookalikes.html

A better way to spend money from Sarah McLachlan

2005-01-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

Bpeace member Ann Evans sent around this music video. Check it out for some images of Afghanistan, and as Ann says, "A great message and a great gesture for the world."

http://www.worldonfire.ca/

$6,000 covers the cost of one Afghan woman's participation in the Style Road Trip training--providing her with on-the-ground business, English and computer training and bringing to New York for three weeks of technical training, including classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Ann's foundation knows where to put its money. The Matsuri Foundation is sponsoring the cost of one entire woman in the SRT program.

Above is where the February 2005 Mission startsBelow is where the June 2004 Misson ended

2005-01-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

The posts below reflect the blog created in June of last year when the first Bpeace mission team went to Kabul

2005-01-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

2004-06-20T18:27:00.000-04:00

The women we met in Kabul are looking for a hand-up, not a hand out.

2004-06-20T18:26:00.000-04:00

It's startling to see logos like these amongst the rubble and reconstruction in Kabul.

We're Home--Now the Real Work Begins

2004-06-20T18:19:00.000-04:00

Masuda returned to New York Wednesday night, and now we’re all back home. We’re already circulating our emails—ok, how do we organize our next phase of activities?

Those of us who traveled to Kabul are preparing for our meeting with the broader Bpeace Afghan team on July 15 when we will present our findings and the videos of the women we interviewed. The outcome of that meeting will hopefully be personal development plans for each Afghan woman we interviewed. We also need to decide which 10 women should come to the US for the three-week Style Road Trip. An important need we identified while in Kabul—how can we provide ongoing training in Afghanistan without compromising our personal safety.

In the meantime, dear readers, there are some ways in which you can help. As we hoped you have realized reading this blog, Afghanistan may be one of the poorest countries, but they are sitting on a huge reserve of natural resources ready to boost the nation’s economy. Women are Afghanistan’s veiled reserve, and if foreign companies are seeking talented, resourceful, ingenious and persistent employees to tackle the business challenges in Afghanistan, women are their best investment.

In Kabul we met women trying to eke out a living in the traditional Afghan way: through handicrafts, embroidery, carpet weaving, and dressmaking. They demonstrated a hunger for training in everything from product design to how to write a business plan. These women did not have their hands out, looking for simple financial assistance. They crave a transfer of business knowledge that will provide them with the tools to grow sustainable businesses. They know this is the way out of poverty for themselves and their families.

Kabul women want to work, but opportunities are still limited. It is tough to run a business when security is an issue and when conservative attitudes relegate the women to sell their wares in the less trafficked women’s only markets.

Foreign corporations have a significant role to play in addressing these obstacles and building specific opportunities for women. The women already know to express a preference for hair color by L’Oreal and Clairol. Afghanistan is a big open market for these and other brands. These multinationals should create jobs in safe environments for women as easily as they create brand preference and customers.

New hotels like the Hyatt and the Serena are going up in Kabul. Rather than import their workforce, these successful hotel chains have an opportunity, perhaps an obligation, to create hospitality schools to convert the local workforce into paid hotel workers. In Kabul, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of non-governmental and aid organizations from the United States, Italy, Japan and Germany, among others, tackling microfinance and vocational training. But some of the training is done in a vacuum and there needs to be better direct collaboration among the multinationals and the NGO’s so that the skills developed can actually fill the jobs that may exist.

There are foreign companies, operating in Kabul, and it is startling to see the logos of DHL, FedEx, Bearing Point and PricewaterhouseCoopers in the midst of Kabul rubble and reconstruction. While it will be more difficult for these companies to provide women with the same job opportunities they do in other parts of the world, we hope they persevere. Providing extra training to women can be considered “a give back” to the country for the opportunity of getting in on the ground floor, but as importantly, these companies would be benefit from having a pool of motivated, ambitious employees.

In the eight days we were in Kabul, we heard three things over and over from the women: 1) Thank you for coming here and teaching us. 2) We need more training. 3) Can you help us find more customers?

Afghanistan is ground zero a world away. It is a country where there is no where to go but up. The women, 65% of the population, are poised and ready for the rise. They are not looking for a hand out, they are hoping for a hand up. Business, not governments, should shake on it. It is an investment that will yield a solid return for companies, for the women and their families, and for the stability of the country.

For further info on how you can help, email: tmaloney@bpeace.org

2004-06-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

Our guide Wahid, our driver Daud, and our other guide, Najib--all enlightened Afghan men.

2004-06-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

Unlike US airlines, Ariana (the Afghan national airline) serves food.

2004-06-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

The glue that kept our team together: Sara, Masuda's 18-year old sister, and Ray, Toni's husband.

2004-06-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

A typical Kabul Intercontinental (not part of the chain) room.

2004-06-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

Bakhtnazara and her family. Notice the "We love our customers" hanger. Wendy gave this to Toni to use in her class, and Bakhtnazara won it as a prize. The hanger is now a prized piece of object d'art in her home. This makes us all feel good.

Day 10: Goodbye Kabul, Hello Dubai

2004-06-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

You know you've been too long in Kabul, when you start noticing the difference in burqas.

We stumbled upon a VERY BIG opportunity in the past few days. One of our shiny apples--Bakhtnazira--won over Laurie and our guide Wahid with her initial interview because her work was very good, she was innovative with her needlework designs, and she was a very poor Pashtun (where the Taliban came from). She really shined through her tough life. In Toni's class she was also the "A" student, the one who always had the answers and asked the right questions.

During the course of our interviews with local influentials, we found out that CARE had issued an RFP for a local woman to run a dress salon and manage 30 seamstresses for a year. CARE will pay the rent, the salaries, the cost of fixtures, furniture and materials, and the cost of a business consultant to help the local woman learn to run the business. At the end of the year, the local woman will own the business. This is the equivalent of winning the lottery for a local Afghan woman. We met with CARE and they were happy to hear of our involvement in Kabul and our ideas. As a result, we are submitting Bakhtnazira's name for the program and Masuda stayed behind in Kabul to help her work through the proposal and business plan. The deadline is tight, but we're confident we'll submit it in time.

So this morning, Laurie, Ray and Toni left Kabul for Dubai. Masuda and her 18-year old sister Sara are still in Kabul till Wednesday.

While trying to negotiate our way through immigration line at the airport, we met a young woman with Bearing Point, who works in the Afghanistan Ministry of Commerce. After we introduced ourselves to each other, she said, "Oh, you're Toni Maloney. I've heard so much about you." Toni demurred, however, Laurie gloated with pride that in less than 1 week, Ms. Maloney has made a name for herself and Bpeace in the highest level of influence in Kabul. Not bad for a bunch of neophytes.

As we write this, we are elated to be safely in Dubai, having been greeted at the airport by an air conditioned Range Rover and a driver with cold towels for us and ICY cold water. Heaven.

Try as we might, we couldn't find any gold jewelry to buy today so all of you out there who are expecting something....you're not going to get it. Sorry. No one wanted to bargain with us today. As Afghani's, we have learned how to be expert bargainers...but if no one wants to play ball, there's nothing we can do.

By now, Corinne and Wendy are home. We called Masuda and all is well in Kabul. Those of us in Dubai are going to have a REAL DRINK and a light dinner, and go to bed early in our AIR CONDIDTIONED rooms. Tomorrow, Monday, we fly home to JFK.

We'll keep adding to this blog over the next few days. THANKS FOR READING. We really appreciated your support. It meant a lot to us on the first official Bpeace mission to Kabul. Because as determined and as tough as we were, it was comforting to know you were rooting for us.

xxoo

2004-06-12T14:37:00.000-04:00

The gabion factory--really.

2004-06-12T14:30:00.000-04:00

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more. Masuda refuses to sit in the back seat again.

Day 9: Our Last Day in Kabul

2004-06-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

Wendy and Corinne left for Dubai this morning. The rest of us wish we had too. It was another hot, hot day in Kabul. The heat is so dry. The air so dusty. And not an ice cube in sight. And our bottled water is always hot from being in the van. Whine, whine, and no wine. We're ready to come home.

It's really hard to write this blog tonight. We're tired, and punchy and still have to pack.

We leave in the morning, so we thought you would like to read our packing list:
1 burqa
2 rugs
30 or more scarves, embroidered (of course)
6 beaded necklaces
2 wooden pears
1 wooden divided Seder plate!
Koochi jewelry (don't ask)
2 teacher's uniforms
turquoise beaded see-through top
Lapis frog
Lapis box
Tablecloth, embroidered (of course)
Bed cover or tablecoth (your choice) with embroidered peacocks, embroidered (of course)
Book mark, embroidered (of course)
2 place mats, embroidered (of course)
6 paper mache painted spoons????? (delivered to Toni in a clear plastic bag so she wouldn't think it was from Al Qaeda...true story)
Beaded pen, in American colors
2 traditional little girl dresses, embroidered (of course)
31 completed candidate profiles
80 video tapes with shots of embroidery on them
6 audio tapes talking about embroidery
embroidered greeting cards

Today, Toni taught her final class to another 30 women. We have Toni on film crying when one woman described how Afghan women in the provinces are beaten by their husbands every day. Undeterred, she taught them about brands and the power of networking.

And speaking of networking, Laurie, Masuda, Ray and Sara visited dead Russian tanks because of making a connection on the Ariana flight to Kabul.

Businesses we invented while we were here:
Maternity dress shop
Plus-size dress shop
Ladies-only gym
Window dressers
Beauty supply distributorship
New bakery partnership
Jewelry/packaging partnership

Businesses we did not invent while we were here:
Embroidery

Food we ate while we were here:
Rice

Food we did not eat while we were here:
Lettuce
Ice cream
Wine

Most valuable thing we brought with us:
Anticeptic wipes

Most useless thing we brought with us:
Books

Awards for:
Best dressed: Corinne
Best hair: Wendy
Best shopper: Corinne
Best networker: Wendy
Best way with kids: Corinne
Best note taker: Wendy
Best coffee drinker: Corinne
Best early riser: Wendy
They are missed and are in their nice cushy beds in Dubai as we write this.

Our guide Wahid, anticipating our departure in the morning, told us we were the most difficult group he had ever handled...and he has brought through dozens of women's missions. He said we did in 6 days what most people would need 10 to do. (Of course...most of us were from New York, and he doesn't know from New York women.) I think he and Najib (our other guide) are simply exhausted. Wahid is a college professor and is very well connected in Kabul as well as thoughtful, informed and patient. Najib is charming in every potentially difficult situation. They are the reason we felt totally safe here in Kabul. Our 2 drivers were amazing, navigating over potholes, with only 2 feet of road on either side--if there is a road.

Laurie finally saw gabions today...imagine women braiding wire into giant boxes. Eventually these boxes are filled with rocks. And the women are thrilled to have the work. It's all poor women who are employed in the gabion factory (loosely put). See photo.

Well, dear Readers, tomorrow night you'll hear from us in Dubai.

--Masuda, Laurie and Toni

2004-06-11T14:27:00.000-04:00

The best Afghan band in the world.

2004-06-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

Presidential candidate Dr. Masooda Jalal, Laurie, and Dr. Jalal's very supportive husband.

2004-06-11T14:24:00.000-04:00

Kabul overview.

2004-06-11T14:22:00.000-04:00

A young shopper at the women's garden.

Day 8: Contrasts in Kabul

2004-06-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

Back to last night for a moment. Wendy and Masuda returned home safely from the US Embassy party at the Elbow Room, where they met South African poppy erradicators--well everyone has to make a living somehow. Wendy and Masuda were clearly the hottest ticket in the room, but they easily and dramatically managed to fend off their male suitors by donning the chador (their omnipresent head scarf).

Today, Friday, is the weekend in Kabul. Most everyone has the day off, and we tried to have one too...but not really.

Several of us went to Nader Shah's Tomb, the highest point in Kabul for a bit of sightseeing. From there we saw 2 sand tornados--pretty incredible.

Later we went to the women's garden, a place where women can have shops, and ONLY women can shop. We visited the shops of a couple of Toni's students, and we bought several things to bring back to the Bpeace Afghan Team. However, in our first use of Afghan money, we totally overpaid for some of the scarves. No wonder the scarf lady looked totally perplexed by the transaction. We can only imagine the shopkeeper going back to her classmates and saying, "Remember that American businesswoman who sounded smart...forget it...she didn't even know how to count money."

Throughout the week we met a number of expats working at the World Bank, UNIFEM, USAID, and other NGOs. We were continually stuck by the energy of these people, knowledge and committment. These are modern day adventurous intelligencia. They were all generous with their time and contacts. They immediately grasped the Bpeace concept and didn't just give us lip service. Over and over we heard that what we are doing is much needed, and that there is definitely a need to train the top tier of business women in Afghanistan.

Lunch was in a Kabul fast-food joint...nine of us ate for $21--in total. (And this was in American money, so we don't think we messed up.) Laurie had a veggie burger. Later we went to Afghans 4 Tomorrow (our guide Wahid's guesthouse) to use their conference room for a 90-minute debrief on the entire trip. We hired a young Afghan woman--Mahbooba--who is home from vacation from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Until she goes back to school in August, Mahbooba will be our Kabul ground coordinator for our Afghan activities.

We waited all week to shop on Chicken Street--supposedly the one shopping street in Kabul where tourists are made to feel welcome. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We were the only tourists in Kabul, and the only ones on Chicken Street. Laurie tried to apply some of Toni's proven negotiating techniques, and wouldn't pay any less than two and half times what one shop keeper asked for. Wendy spent $14 and the rest of us passed. It was about 96 degrees in the shade today, so we didn't feel like trying on any of the fur coats.

Sweaty and grimy we rushed to to a guest house (disguised as a construction company), where Masuda and Women for Afghan Women were hosting a dinnner for us...with live music--the best Afghan musicians in the world...and they don't have a recording contract or even a CD. (Business opportunity anyone?) They were really good, and there were some Bpeace members shaking their booty.

Most importantly, we were honored by the presence of the most important woman in Afghanistan, Dr. Masooda Jalal who did and is running for president of Afghanistan. She spoke to us for about an hour about how economic empowerment will the basis for women's rights in other areas.

In the end it was a weird day. We weren't so tightly scheduled as we had been, it was very hot, it was Wendy and Corinne's last day and we could feel that. And the week-long pend-up demand for Chicken Street shopping was a bust.

Wendy, Laurie and Toni

2004-06-10T15:12:00.000-04:00

32 families live in a moat of filth in this squatter's camp in Kabul.

2004-06-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

Beautiful eyes in a place of ugliness--a squatter's camp in Kabul.

2004-06-10T15:05:00.000-04:00

This painting was done by a street kid at the Ashiana Art School.

2004-06-10T15:02:00.000-04:00

Kabul's ground zero where 30,000 people were killed. See who operates the shack in the photo that follows.

2004-06-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

What does an out of work actor do in Kabul? This is the truth...above is the actor who played the evil mullah in the movie "Osama." Today, he cashes in on his celebrity by running this caged cigarette stand in the middle of Kabul's ground zero. Laurie thinks he could use Toni's marketing course on location, location, location.

Day 7: Today it's all about the kids

2004-06-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

The children are much loved in Afghanistan. Parents try to put their kids first. But the poverty of the country puts kids at risk, not just today, but for their future.

We split up into different teams today.

Laurie and Corinne spent the day filming for the documentary. They started at Ground Zero of Kabul where 30,000 people were killed by Soviet bombs, civil war bombs, Taliban bombs, US bombs, bombs by people who hated the Taliban. At one time, this was the richest area of Kabul, with the most beautiful homes. Today, it's a pile of dust.

Our guide--Wahid--is Education Director of Afghans 4 Tomorrow which run a vocational school for 160 girls including a handicapped class for kids maimed by bombs. Two teen girls were weaving a rug, which Laurie bought on the spot. Her purchase will help equip the entire school with tables and chairs. (Dear Readers....let us know if you want a rug.)

In another part of town, Wendy, Ray and Sara visited the Ashiana Art School for street kids. In a city where there hasn't been much joy, the school was bursting with creativity and life. Wendy observed that the paintings of adults showed expression and detail that far exceeded the age of the young painters. Ray dropped off some art supplies and watched a few classes, and bought a few things. (Dear Readers...let us know if you want to mount an art show for these kids in the US as a fundraiser for the school.)

Back to Laurie and Corinne who went to an apartment building to visit the home one of the women we are considering for our program. As they approached the building, a woman came out screaming that her 5-year old son had been snatched from under her nose. (Child kidnapping is a big issue in Kabul...the children are killed for their body parts and sold in Pakistan, or else sold into child labor...also in Pakistan.) The horror of the moment was so intense, Laurie had the feeling she was watching it from outside her body. (Dear Readers...we don't know what you can do about this except say a prayer that this boy is lost and not kidnapped.)

.....Ok...shift gears....change of tone......

Remember the mother-daughter embroidery team of a few days ago? Laurie and Corinne went to visit their home...quite lovely actually. Surprisingly, the teenage daughter had her own room, a computer, posters of pop stars, twinkle lights...just teenage stuff all over. Unlike the teenagers we know, her favorite book was "Physician's Anatomy of the Human Body" because she wants to be a doctor. She takes 16 courses at her girls high school. She showed Laurie and Corinne her favorite Indian music video with a couple dancing through a field. (Dear Readers...you can help send this kid to medical school by buying her embroidery...Corinne and Laurie have a few tablecloths to sell you.
Here's the Dutch translation: Sas,ik heb hier je verjaardagskado gekocht!)

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Wendy, Ray and Sara are touring a handicraft center with the Director of Marketing for Afghanistan Exports.

....Shift gears again.....

Just down the road, Laurie and Corinne accidently came upon a squatters camp, and decided to enter. A moat of filth in which 32 families and dozens of children were trying to live. Corinne said this was one of the few times in her life she hasn't wanted to hug a child. The stench was unbearable. These families had been refugees in Pakistan, and for the past two years have been refugees in their own country.... Yet, people were gracious...showing Laurie and Corinne where they bake their bread. Flies were everywhere on the filth, on the food, on the kids. (Dear Readers....here's a link to donate: www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/afghanrefugees/)

In another part of town, Toni, Masuda, Sara, Wendy and Ray lunched with Mary MacMakin, an American who has been in Kabul for decades, before--during--and after the Taliban. She operates a physical therapy clinic and programs to help widows support themselves. (Dear Readers....Mary could use your help...she's having trouble with the bills these days...here's their web site: www.parsa-afghanistan.org/)

Onto the World Bank, where we had a great meeting with Carol Le Duc...more later, but lots of great info and contacts for Bpeace.

Toni's class had a great new business idea today....create a line of Afghan maternity clothes...no one knew of any here, in a country where the average family has six kids. (Dear Readers, if you want to invest in this new venture, or have experience designing maternity clothes, contact Toni.)

In the evening, UNIFEM hosted a lovely outdoor dinner for us all, with music and great conversation. Masuda and Wendy took off for "Happy Hour" with the US Embassy staff..but they should be home any minute, as the Embassy has a 11 pm curfew.

Till tomorrow all...
Corinne, Laurie and Toni

2004-06-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

How beautiful are these school girls?

2004-06-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

Another busy day in Kabul.

2004-06-09T14:11:00.000-04:00

So, we told one of the local officials that a secondary market for burqas could be for women in the US recouping from plastic surgery. Shsh, no one will ever know.

2004-06-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

The Bpeace morning Kabul commute.

Day 6: Good Day for Gubouns

2004-06-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

If the first day in Kabul we felt out of control, and the second day we felt we were business as usual, by the third day we're offering ideas to high level government officials--and they even like some of them.

The big learning of the day was--gubouns. We interviewed an amazing woman who employs 250 women who make gubouns....otherwise known as gubounettes. A prize to any of our faithful readers who knows what a guboun is. Hint, bigger than a sandbag and smaller than a levee.

We heard our first bird today....and saw our first tree with leaves. The city is really rubble and scrub brush.

The main roads....Groups of cute little school girls, no older than 8 years, all wearing black, with white scarves, dodging traffic as they cross the street. Lots of men sitting around, doing nothing. Small open storefronts selling piles of tires and used auto parts. A man on a bicycle and a woman in a burqa in back riding side saddle. Three men to a bicycle. Pushcarts selling Park Line cigarettes.

The multinationals are here...Nestle water in the hotel, Coke, Pepsi and Fanta. Big DHL building. FedEx trying to make inroads and advertising.

We had a brief dust storm yesterday and today. There are hand-operated water pumps on every street.

Corinne scored a carpet, mangos and a bottle of white wine today. We had to pour it in cups underneath the dining room table. (No liquor is served here.)

Laurie started home visits today....bringing our film crew to the homes of some of the women we think might be our Apples. 15 people lived in one apartment. 15 people to a bathroom with no running water. These people were so poor, but so generous in spirit. Laurie was choked with emotion.

The city on the whole is very poor and we understand Kabul is much better off than the provinces. A major infrastructure overhall is needed. We can't imagine where they will get the money, and how long it will take to accomplish. Water, sanitation and electricity needs to be addressed in a major way.

Yet, generally the people look hopeful, dare we say even happy. We have heard more than once that they've been set free. But that's here in Kabul.

The good news of the day is that Wendy and Ray went to the US Embassy as part of our research how to efficiently get visas for our Apples to come to the US. The meeting went so well, that Wendy was later invited to Happy Hour with the Embassy staff.

Oh by the way, Toni's students did show up today again...the chatter continued...but there was standing room only.

Till tomorrow...
Corinne, Laurie, Wendy, Masuda and Toni

2004-06-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

Did we mention embroidery?

2004-06-08T14:21:00.000-04:00

Laurie's Shiny Apple Mother-Daughter team (see story below).

2004-06-08T14:19:00.000-04:00

Our female film crew: Mary and Meria. They make a great team with our male cameraman Habbib.

Day 5: Embroiderers Anonymous--A 12 Step Program

2004-06-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

If yesterday we felt totally out of control, in a mere 24 hours we got the hang of it, and today was business as usual. More beadwork, more embroidery, oh, did we say more embroidery? Seriously, the women do beautiful needlework but it reinforces our assumption about the lack of differentiation and appeal of the current work to western markets. They need the Style Road Trip.

Today we interviewed 2 mother-daughter teams--one were real stars (Shiny Apples we're calling them because we want to bring them to the Big Apple, see their pix above). And the other mother-daughter team, well, Laurie will have to tell the story but the punchline is "Mommy Dearest."

The big excitement of the day was Toni taught her first workshop to about 40 women at the Ministry of Commerce. She tried to manage the unruly bunch with the concept of a meeting where only 1 person speaks at a time...but they didn't seem to get it. So everytime 2 people started talking to each other, Toni just stopped until there was silence. (They may have liked it better that way?) Toni had been asked by the Ministry to teach "How to Write a Business Plan," but since some women didn't have jobs, or were in the non-synergistic businesses of (furniture making and health care and embroidery at the same time), the wiser course was to shift the curriculum and stress basic business principles of centering your business around the customer.

There were some aha moments (although they were in Dari, so we're really not sure if aha doesn't mean something else). These came when Toni suggested that they offer a free ice cream cone with every pair of trousers (makes sense to us), and to offer a selection of fabrics when making furniture.

The women had some great insights, and most responded with spot-on questions. It was very gratifying

3 more days of teaching to go. Hopefully Toni won't start tomorrow's workshop by getting tangled up in her headscarf again.

Masuda and Toni had a great meeting with USAID professionals--smart women with lots of ideas and there may be some real opportunity to partner with them.

In a country of no alcohol, we found some alcohol free-beer in the hotel coffee shop, and managed to get a buzz. We're desperate.

Thanks for checking in. Keep those cards and letters coming.

Masuda, Laurie, Corinne and Toni

2004-06-07T14:10:00.000-04:00

Ready for a day's work in Kabul. Would you take advice from these people??? From left, Toni, Ray, Laurie, Corinne, Wendy, Masuda, and Sara down in front.

2004-06-07T14:01:00.000-04:00

Wendy spent a few hours last night learning Dari, and insisted on teaching us.

Day 4: Safe and Dusty in Kabul

2004-06-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

So what's it like in Kabul? We got right into the rhythm today, like we were part of the city's life. Kabul bustles, well into the evening (of course, only the men are out and about after dark). There's traffic, traffic cops, shops and restaurants with bright lights, pushcart vendors, women in burqas with babies hailing taxis. Everyone's shoes are dusty, but no one minds.

For our families and friends: we feel very safe, but we're also being cautious, and are not taking any risks.

Picture how we started the day. Four high-powered business women (us), flipping out because we knew we had no control over the forthcoming interviews--our very reason for being in Kabul. Screw this up, and we've wasted a lot of people's time and a lot of our own money. Would the women show? Would we ask the right questions that would open them up? Would we relate to each other? How would we work with the translators? How could we do all that we needed to with interviews scheduled every 30 minutes?

In the end, it went pretty great. Yeah, there were some big potholes in the day (and in Kabul that's saying a lot), but we feel inspired by what we heard in the interviews, and the quality of the women. And, we did a good job ourselves.

We completed 13 interviews with Apples and Reeboks at the Afghan Women Business Center.
We operated like we were in a conference room anywhere in the world, even with the pizza we had delivered (which was very good by the way). The only difference was that we were all barefoot (as is the custom). Ray, Masuda and her sister Sara, kept us moving and sane.

An advantage over American conference rooms was our little house man (about 4-feet tall), who kept us plied with hot tea, cookies, clean cups and a big smile all day long.

We all feel buoyed as we go to sleep tonight.

Wendy, Corinne, Laurie and Toni

2004-06-06T13:28:00.000-04:00

Remembering those luxury days of Dubai.

2004-06-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

We arrived on June 6. The first official Bpeace mission.

2004-06-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

Flying over Kabul.

Day 3: Kabul...A full day of real work

2004-06-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

It was a very full day and despite the fact that we're dragging, we're taking the time to post this blog to our friends and supporters and avid readers.

The day started at 3:30 am. In the Hotel lobby to leave for the Dubai airport at 4:15 am. (Everyone was on time!) Manageable lines at the Ariana counter. Plane was packed with Afghan ex-pats going back after 20 years away; Afghan business men returning from a biz trip in Dubai; Europeans doing who knows what in Kabul; little screaming kids in party dresses. No goats, no chickens. Ariana served us a hot breakfast of kabobs, a lamb chop and potatoes. Very nice.

We arrived in Kabul a bit behind schedule and the luggage situation was madness. The belt didn't work, and luggage was passed head over head, hopefully to the right owner. We thought we would be there for 4 hours...but were out in about 40 minutes. Theft did not seem to be a threat at all.

Wahid and Najib from Global Exchange, and our own film crew met us. As we donned our head scarves, and we left the terminal, we were struck by the dry wind, the montone of the landscape. Everything is beige, with very little distinction between the sky and land. (See the photo above shot from the plane.) The drive to town reminded Ray of Japan after World War II. Rubble, streets of shops selling spare car and machine parts, little shops--more like huts--selling fruit and household supplies. But every now and again is a store with a nice glass storefront selling party or wedding dresses.

The Intercontinental Hotel is fine. The hotel's resident manager said we brought him luck because King Zaher Shah came to hold a meeting here.

We lunched with Carolyn McCool and Shireen Kahn from UNIFEM, and later went to the UNDP compound to meet the rest of the staff. They work out of very cramped quarters, 2 and 6 to an office. They all loved the Coach purses, lipstick holders, lipsticks and the knitted scarves from Rwanda. We were heroes.

Our last appointment of the day was with Mahbooba who heads the Afghan Women's Business Council. It was a good meeting, except it's clear the concept of mentoring doesn't translate. In fact, after explaining the concept 6 ways to Sunday, we still don't have a Dari word for it. But we're all working on it.

The film crew is great, and Mehria (our female camera person) is tenacious to say the least. She stood up to a UN security guard twice her size. What a spitfire she is. She will be a real asset.

Tonight, we skipped dinner and spent about 90 minutes again rehearsing how we were going to interview our 39 women on the next 3 days. We'll leave you with this teaser...Masuda is our Ed McMahon to Laurie's Johnny Carson. Corinne and Wendy are the guest stars expected to carry the show.

Good night. We need some sleep. We start our apple and Reeboks tomorrow.

--Laurie, Masuda and Toni

DAY 2: Dubai...and the living is easy

2004-06-05T12:35:00.000-04:00

Hot, hot, hot. Man is it hot here! 106 in the shade.
Shop, shop, shop. Did we need anything? No, of course not. Didn't stop us from buying jewelry, lemon salt, and water. (It was the lemon salt that really got us into trouble...see what happened to Corinne below.)

Masuda let us go off on our own for an hour, and Toni fell into the street, and missed getting run over by a bus. (She's absolutely fine, mom.) In a tiny spice shop, Corinne got into a near fist fight with a woman in black from Oman. Laurie and Ray saved the day.

Wendy and Susan arrived from Newark. Susan immediately took to her bed, and Wendy found an unbelievable Saks Fifth Avenue sample sale right in the hotel! There was some business, however, we pushed through an hour-long rehearsal on interviewing our Afghan lady candidates.

To wring everything out of Dubai we could, we hired a driver to take us to the most expensive hotel in the world, where clearly they had heard about us and wouldn't let us in. So, we went to the second most expensive hotel--Royal Mirage--and they were happy to serve us as many drinks as we could handle. (Remember, there's no liquor in Kabul.)

Right now, Ray is plying us with snacks as we write this blog. Yes, life is tough on these Bpeace missions. (But then again, we do have to be in the hotel lobby at 4:15 am for the taxi to the airport, for our maiden flight to Kabul.)

--Laurie, Corinne, Toni

2004-06-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

Day 1: DUBAI

Masuda, her mom, and sister, Corinne (from the Netherlands), Laurie, Toni and her husband Ray met up in this incredibly modern desert city. Dubai is sort of like Las Vegas without the razzmatazz. (In the photo above, Masuda and Corinne check out the silk at the Meena Bazaar in Dubai.)

In our planning, we were all so focused on Kabul, we really didn't give a thought to Dubai, and yet here we are in this wonderfully welcoming city. We will definitely spend more time here in the future. We're enjoying a day or two of luxury before we leave for Kabul on Sunday. Susan and Wendy arrive Saturday morning.

INTRODUCTION

2004-05-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

Dear friends and family of all of us on our first official Bpeace mission to Kabul. Every day we will try to post something here--Kabul Internet connections willing. You can also let us know how you are doing by making a comment to our posts.