5 Things I Learned During My Trip to Afghanistan

I just returned from a trip to Afghanistan. Right, most people gasped when I told them I was going there – why? It’s so dangerous! It’s a lost cause! Who would voluntarily go there?

Well, me, my husband and several other friends. And I’m here to tell you – it’s not a lost cause. It’s a place of incredible drive, hope, love and peaceful people.

Yes, there are bad guys. We saw one. The Afghans know them by their headwear – sort of like a gang banger. But that was 1 out of the mass of humanity we  had the privilege of meeting during our short, but jam-packed, stay in Kabul, the capital, and some surrounding villages and communities.

Yes, they are Muslims with completely different rules about specific things, like what women wear and how they are viewed. But again, while this is different,  and a bit strange to a Westerner, they are still people, living life, just like us.

While I would never claim to be an expert after such a short trip, I know more than 99% of Americans, because I’ve been there. Here are some of the  fascinating things I observed:

They’re just trying to have a life like you are

They love their families and they want a better life for them. In a country that has been occupied by the Taliban, the Soviets, and the British as part of their empire, among others, Afghans want to make their own life, day to day, that is theirs and only theirs.  They want their children to eat and they want to call something their own.

The country is in MUCH better shape now

While I won’t credit this 100% to the US, our presence and that of other peace-keeping countries has allowed the Afghans to get a foothold in their own country again. The building is amazing – everywhere you look someone is building something or fixing something. While there are certainly indigents and beggars, there are way more construction workers and private workers who are working every day to build and rebuild their nation, one brick at a time.  So  the next time you hear someone complain about all the money we, as a nation, have spent on Afghanistan, I hope now you’ll know that that money has given a new hope to a broken people who were lost under the Taliban’s ruthless rule.

Their capitalism is better than ours

We have watered down and regulated our industry and individual capitalism so much, it’s hardly recognizable as such any more. If you want to start a business, there are forms to fill out, fees to pay and rules to follow. In Afghanistan, if you can find an old storage container and scrape together enough to buy some goods to sell, you are good to go.  Everywhere, people are selling things – car parts, clothing, soda and fresh foods. The person who hosted our group drove us through what he called “Afghan Target,” which was a long line of storage containers in which each individual shop owner had something to sell – pottery, sparkly scarves, Adiadas slip-on sandals. You name it – they probably had it. It was captivating.

They live life

When I say this, I want to stress the average Afghan life is definitely different than ours. Their life is much “harder” from our perspective. Their sewage system is primitive, even in the biggest city of Kabul. Things are not shiny and new. Many roads are dusty, mostly dirt and very bumpy. Most people  outside the city don’t have water or electricity (although they do have cell phones). But they love each other, from what I saw. They look out for each other (and for their guests). Their hospitality is like none other. At one point, we were told that if we were ever in danger, the entire village we were visiting would rather die than see us hurt. What community have you ever been a part of that you could say that about?

Nothing you see on TV is correct about Afghanistan

This was a huge eye-opener for me. I had seen the censorship of our media in action when I visited England several years ago, but nothing compares to what we are told about Afghanistan in the media today. To most people, including me until I was there, this is a lawless place full of merciless killers and desolate country.

No.

This is a fascinating, captivating place full of beauty and richness. Yes, there is extreme poverty, like nothing most Americans can imagine. There is sickness, hunger and harsh conditions but they don’t live resentful of what they don’t have. They love what they do have and they share it like it’s everyone’s to have. While many Americans feel entitled to food stamps, unemployment and welfare benefits, Afghans don’t have that mind set. They make it work.

The countryside is lush in some parts we visited – like the most beautiful mountain valley you’ve ever seen, filled with wildflowers and streams, giant boulders and songbirds, all surrounded by a southern tip of the Himalayan mountains. Breath-taking.

The melting pot of Afghans is a mélange of the most beautiful people you can even imagine seeing – the influences of the Far East, the Soviets, the Middle East and their own look. A young shepherd boy who let us ride his camel had eyes made of liquid amber – you could fall into them with one look. We plotted how to bring some of the school children we met back to the US. Their beauty was indescribable.

As we flew back to Dubai out of Kabul, the only thing I could think of was, “When do I get to come back?”