Bpeace in Kabul

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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.)