Yesterday I shared how we were super encouraged by the progress being made at the Adult Training Center which is at the upper end of the emergency-aid-to-long-term-development timeline. Today we spent some time where it all starts – at an IDP (refugee) camp.
This morning we were honored to participate in an emergency food distribution in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) north of Kabul, less than a mile from the Barek Aub village that has been supported by Flatirons Church and our host organization for more than 10 years. The camp was created when more than 200 families – Afghans who fled to Pakistan in the late 90’s – settled here after being forced by the Pakistani government to abandon their homes and return to Afghanistan immediately.
International Disaster Emergency Services provided a month’s supply of flour, rice, beans, sugar, salt, oil, and tea to 200 families living in tents and temporary shelters in the camp since late last year. Our team was invited to help in the distribution and we were honored to take part and humbled by what we saw and the people we met.
When we arrived we found a representative of each family waiting patiently in line for the distribution to begin. About 50 yards away and off to the side, the children of the camp were crouched in one large swarm, eager to see the ingredients for their next month’s meals unloaded from the truck into wheelbarrows and lumbered into their temporary homes. Despite the extremely rough living conditions they’re facing, these children were full of smiles and giddy with joy. Their enthusiasm gave us all hope that their future was brighter than it appeared.
As the wheelbarrows rolled past us to load the bags of flour, beans, salt, tea, and cooking oil, we had sporadic opportunities to greet the heads of household – usually men, but sometimes elderly women or teenage girls or boys. The distribution was well organized, the process proceeded without a hitch, and in less than an hour all families had been served and were on their way.
Except for about a dozen of the male leaders including the two camp elders who remained behind and went to great lengths to thank us. Two things really stood out to me as the chief elder spoke to us: 1) these families are ordinarily self sufficient, able to work and care for themselves, and just need temporary help to survive, and 2) they were especially thankful that we came in person to provide the food, rather than just send the food alone.
Number 1 confirmed something we’ve always believed – that the Afghans we serve are looking for a temporary hand UP, not a long-term hand OUT. And number 2 reinforced one of our core principles – that going in person to Afghanistan and not just sending donated goods or money, is what means the most to those being served and is critical to effecting long term change.
This morning we were honored to participate in an emergency food distribution in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) north of Kabul, less than a mile from the Barek Aub village that has been supported by Flatirons Church and our host organization for more than 10 years. The camp was created when more than 200 families – Afghans who fled to Pakistan in the late 90’s – settled here after being forced by the Pakistani government to abandon their homes and return to Afghanistan immediately.
International Disaster Emergency Services provided a month’s supply of flour, rice, beans, sugar, salt, oil, and tea to 200 families living in tents and temporary shelters in the camp since late last year. Our team was invited to help in the distribution and we were honored to take part and humbled by what we saw and the people we met.
When we arrived we found a representative of each family waiting patiently in line for the distribution to begin. About 50 yards away and off to the side, the children of the camp were crouched in one large swarm, eager to see the ingredients for their next month’s meals unloaded from the truck into wheelbarrows and lumbered into their temporary homes. Despite the extremely rough living conditions they’re facing, these children were full of smiles and giddy with joy. Their enthusiasm gave us all hope that their future was brighter than it appeared.
As the wheelbarrows rolled past us to load the bags of flour, beans, salt, tea, and cooking oil, we had sporadic opportunities to greet the heads of household – usually men, but sometimes elderly women or teenage girls or boys. The distribution was well organized, the process proceeded without a hitch, and in less than an hour all families had been served and were on their way.
Except for about a dozen of the male leaders including the two camp elders who remained behind and went to great lengths to thank us. Two things really stood out to me as the chief elder spoke to us: 1) these families are ordinarily self sufficient, able to work and care for themselves, and just need temporary help to survive, and 2) they were especially thankful that we came in person to provide the food, rather than just send the food alone.
Number 1 confirmed something we’ve always believed – that the Afghans we serve are looking for a temporary hand UP, not a long-term hand OUT. And number 2 reinforced one of our core principles – that going in person to Afghanistan and not just sending donated goods or money, is what means the most to those being served and is critical to effecting long term change.