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Global Activism: Reviving Orchards in Afghanistan
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Dana Freyer — Founder, Global Partnership for Afghanistan
Roger Hardister — Executive Director in Afghanistan, Global Partnership for Afghanistan
It’s Thursday and time for our Global Activism series. Each Thursday we hear about an individual who’s decided to work to make the world a better place. We’ll continue today with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan used to be known as the orchard of Central Asia. But over the past two decades, 70 percent of Afghanistan’s orchard trees and vineyards have been destroyed.
Dana Freyer is founder of the Global Partnership for Afghanistan, and Roger Hardister is Global Partnership for Afghanistan’s Executive Director based in Kabul. The organization works to rebuild the “vast network of farmer-owned fruit nurseries, orchards, vineyards, and woodlots that have long formed the backbone of Afghanistan’s economy.”
So far they have planted more than 2.5 million trees and have improved the lives of over 12,000 Afghans. Dana Freyer explains how the Global Partnership for Afghanistan got started.
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Sher Agha "Hamkar", Saydkaram, Paktya // Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 8:08 AM
Dear all,
My name is Sher Agha “Hamkar” resident of Saydkaram district Paktya Province, I read college during the day and after study I come to field and help with my father in field activities, GPFA made also one demonstration for us, and we are working in that, yesterday the GPFA extensionist Mr.Rahmati told me that GPFA start one Radio Program in Chicago, he gave me the web site and I found a chance to see it.
The way that radio program is arranged by GPFA is very nice and attractive for the information of the donors and the people who wants to help Afghans poor and sad families, as you know that Plant a tree today to help return Afghanistan to a productive natural environment. Your contribution will help Afghans to feed themselves, restore eroded soils and build a future. so I specially request from those people who can help GPFA should not late and come to help GPFA that GPFA become able to continues help and contribution to support Farmers and revitalized the infected orchard and trees back in Afghanistan and stop the plantation of poppy, whatever GPFA did in Afghanistan is very useful and helpful for Afghan farmer and poor families and a better way of income for poor families, I can give you a live example of it but please do not be bore and read it in detail because it is a real and true story in our village, Read the story step by step and then think with yourselves that how many others family will live in Afghanistan such as following,
Subject: Story about Gul Mullah
Gul Mullah from district Saydkaram 52 year’s old man” He has (two sons, two daughters, three Grand Childs, one is his daughter-in-law, Gul Mullah and his wife), He says when I was child I could not get education due to economy issues, I was working with my father as a farmer, and we had about 3jerib agri land. Which were planting by Grapes, fruits such as (Apple, Apricot, Plum) and cereal crop, we had also a cow and two sheep’s, at the end of the year we were Special treated dried meat for winter-consumption, that this procedure is being still continues, Gul Mullah says after my father death, when I become the owner of 3 jerib agri lands so I removed the old trees from the orchard and replant the new fruits trees. So my life was going well. We were making raisin from Grapes and were selling fresh Apple and Apricot.
He says unfortunate Russia and Mujahideen started fighting near the main road of our village, the Russian bombarded many villages, our village is also bombarded and suddenly one bum felt down in my orchard, that one of my 14 years old son and two other Childs from village who were in the working in the orchard at this moment martyr( shaheed) here, the orchard is also infected all the trees are fired and few number of them are damaged, the reorganizing of the orchard was not interesting for me, because when I was going to orchard I was missing my dead son, anyhow it was important for me to reorganized the orchard , I prepared the infected land again and planted new fruits trees of Apple, Apricot and Plum, that I could able to find the source of income for my family, After that again my life become good and the time was passing well, the income of the orchard was good enough to fulfill our family requirements and the life become again normal, In addition of orchard I had two cows, two shapes, 30 Pigeons, and others types of birds, after fighting with Russia the Mujahideen started the fight with each and other, but this fight was not more in our area, After Mujahideen stop the fight Taliban started the fight, the fight was so dangerous, all the people in our area were escaping to peaceful area, I also along with my family come out from the house during 12 clock at night. and left the full house of goods and other family equipments, we could not able to take anything with ourselves even we left cows, sheep and birds, we went to Panjshir one Province of Afghanistan, so we had not any information about our house, cows, sheep and orchard. After some time we had not anything for eating, some NGOs were helping us, however in 2001 when Taliban government finished and I returned back to my house, when I saw my house it was totally fired, and there were nothing even one room was not ok, after that when I went to the orchard there was also same condition, even one tree was not green all the trees were damaged. Only dried trees were remain in the orchard, during this time I wept a lot and was very unhappy, that how I will rehabilitate my house and orchard, but after some time an NGO of CARE made 4 rooms for us inside house, I become very much happy in addition they gave me some money too, after that I thought about the replanted of the orchard so me and my two sons start work on it. First of all we removed the draught wood from the orchard and prepared the land for plantation the new trees. During (2002-2003) we could not able to find the fruits trees and plant it again even we did not have much money for it to buy, in 2004 I informed that one NGO called GPFA come to Saydkaram and give the trees by loan to the farmer so when I heard it become very happy, so I met with district shuras and asked them for trees they told me that we introduced you to the NGO (GPFA) extensionist, so I become more glad, when I meet with GPFA extensionist they mentioned already my name in the trees distribution list so I become more happier, GPFA extensionist visited my land and they gave me about 50 Apple trees. The GPFA extensionist planted the trees in my orchard on a better and new method than it was before in the past. I also remember my bad time that I had been in the past, now I am happy from Allah that my life became normal again, I have good life, cows, sheep and some other birds and the orchard have good fruits. So now I have very happy life. Thanks from GPFA contribution and support and hope that GPFA continue this process in the future.
Thanks
Note:- Now think about the above story and concern that how many others families need to help and support so if you People do not help then who will help, and also I gave one idea to the GPFA members that if you start such kind of Television or Radio Program for farmer men and women information related Agriculture, GPFA Activities, Procedure and more in Afghanistan it will be useful and great but now this program need fund, how we will find this fund, if the organization I and you do not help do not give money to GPFA so how they will able to do it, Thanks at the end I specially request to those people and organization who want to develop and work for poor people please come and do it together with GPFA, that many family like Gul Mullah get separate from this kind of trouble, and become independable,Thanks very much from Dana fryer who is the founder of the GPFA and Roger Hardiister Executive Director based in Kabul, to provide such an useful information on Radio Program, which was really nice and Inform able for the people, hope to continue this program in the future.
Best Regard
Hamkar
Mob :( +93) 799 61 82 93
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