It just so happened that one of the women from Doris's school is a mental health therapist. So after the Ministry of Health meeting, we traveled to her clinic and learned about the programs they have in place there.
There is alot of severe mental trauma experienced by the native people here due to the war and other incidents. We sat in a room with a group therapy session listening, while the patients explained some of the things which led them to the mental health facility and how it is giving them hope to continue on.
Doris then gave words of encouragement through Dr. Hadi (to translate for them). Doris has such a way with words, it was a very emotional time for everyone in the room. Out of the blue, one of the women stood up and walked toward Doris with a handful of documents with pictures them of her late husband and children. The woman explained her husband was the victim of a suicide bombing who died recently. The entire room welled up with tears, Gip started praying, Doris embraced the woman and I turned on my camera...I think my media brain kicked in. I think it's the only way I'm able to not get caught up in the moment.
Afterward, we traveled DEEP into the Hazara district with our local contacts to meet the military for some relief effort planing and to view the 2 schools for children there.
The government doesn't fund any education programs or schools, so the one or two local literate people there are teaching the children during the day. There are hundreds and hundreds of children there.
Then we headed out through the narrow, winding alleyways to the Mula's home. When we arrived, they motioned for us to go upstairs, then we sat on the floor to wait for the military to arrive and drank orange pop. After quite some time passed, I started thinking to myself "yep, hurry up and wait"....(I was in the military so I guess I can say that). Long story short, they made it, and we managed to figure out a good location for the relief effort, then left to check it out.
The actual relief effort date is kept secret and will occur later. Telling too many people in advance causes issues.
1 comment:
You were lead down a narrow, winding back alley? Was there a Blues Club at the end. Maybe you are in Erie? Plus, they say "pop" up there in stead of soda.
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