110. GX Reality Tours

November 11, 2021

110. GX Reality Tours

Over the two decades I spent living and working in Afghanistan, I held many jobs, started a number of my own business ventures and managed countless projects spanning across various industries including human rights, logistics, proposal writing and grant management, media and strategic communications, transportation, import/export, and cultural consulting. Although they have all been extremely rewarding in their own way, the very first gig that took me to Afghanistan will always have a special place in my heart.

Global Exchange, an international human rights organization based in San Francisco, sent me on my first journey into Afghanistan to run their Reality Tours program. Reality Tours are educational tours that Americans who are interested in visiting developing, post conflict countries can travel to as part of an organized tour to learn about programs that they and their communities/organizations can help. The main goal of these tours are to build "people-to-people" ties that foster a sense of giving and gets communities involved in the rebuilding/development of the host country. Many of these "people-to-people" ties lead to long term impactful partnerships. They also allow individuals who are interested in learning first hand about a country and its culture an opportunity to visit as part of a group tour that provides them with the security and comfort of knowing that challenging logistics will be arranged for them and they will not have to go through the experience alone.

After leading one of these tours myself for a group of women's rights activists back in March, 2002, I decided to stay in Afghanistan and host a Reality Tour each month. Each of the tours had a specific theme and I created the itineraries to reflect the interests of the participants. Each tour required weeks and sometimes months of pre-planning where I had to visit different programs and offices to make appointments in a country where honoring appointments and commitments was a foreign concept. I would have to organize drivers and translators and hire the necessary staff at the guesthouse to accommodate the participates. Each tour had anywhere from 10 - 25 participants. To say organizing these tours were a logistical nightmare in a post-war, post-Taliban Afghanistan is an understatement. I came from a culture in the US where we plan everything down to smallest detail and I found myself in a country where planning was a concept that was not only unfamiliar but unwelcome. Afghans did not have the luxury of planning for over 20 years of war and conflict and here I was, the Afghan-American kharejee demanding a date and time commitment for them to meet and speak with other Kharajee's who might or might not provide them with any aid or assistance.

But despite all the challenges, these tours had a significant impact. The connections and partnerships that were made, the friendships that came out of living with absolute strangers in a country like Afghanistan and the stories that resulted from the two weeks that we all spent together in Afghanistan have lasted over two decades. I am still in touch with many of the individuals who came through these tours and am so blessed to even call many of them very good friends.

2002 March - Women's Delegation

Highlights: This was the first Reality Tour I organized from the US. I accompanied the group to Afghanistan on my first visit to the country. The participants included women's rights activities and supporters including an executive from the World Bank, the founders of a Microfinance lending organization, heads of women's health, education and support organizations and Bianca Jagger. In addition to meeting with the heads of womens' groups, the UN, government officials and US military officers, we attended the first International Women's Day ceremonies at the newly established Ministry of Women's Affairs where President Hamid Karzai spoke at. We also met with Internally Displaced Refugees who had been living in the old Russian Embassy compound, visited the Aschiana school for street children, watched a performance of the mobile mini circus, had a picnic lunch in the Shamali plains after touring the destroyed orchards, visited with Mine cleaners and met with families who were victims of the US Bombing campaign.

Visiting IDP refugees at the old Russian Embassy Compound

Photo with one of the Mine cleaners in the Shamali Plains

Touring what was once the site of a village filled with lush green vineyards and orchards in the Shamali Plains

Lunch stop in the middle of rubble in Shamali Plains

I was always my happiest when it was just me and my land.

The first International Women's Day ceremony at the Ministry of Women's Affairs with President Hamid Karzai, the Minister of WA and other high level officials.

2002 May - Afghan-American's Returning Home Delegation

Highlights: This tour was both challenging and rewarding as I hosted a group of 25 Afghans and Americans for the first time on my own. The participants included Afghan-Americans who were returning for the first time since leaving Afghanistan over 20 years ago, many of them as children. It was highly emotional and sharing this experience with them was an honor for me. Many of them were young and so very brave to have made the journey. Some of them stayed after the tour ended or continued to be involved in the rebuilding efforts for years to come. The group visited female students and teachers that had just returned to school after years of not being allowed to get an education. They visited various ministries, NGO's and programs designed to support the development of civil society. We also spent a good amount of time just traveling through major areas of the city and visiting places like the Zoo, Mahipar Dam, the tomb of Nader Shah, Ahmad Zahir's resting site, Marco Polo Restaurant, and the village of Istalif to reconnect with memories and stories we grew up hearing from our parents.

This group flew into Kabul on one of the very first Ariana Airlines flights directly from Dubai that had resumed after the fall of the Taliban

Tour group members playing outside with school children.

Lunch at the famous Marco Polo restaurant in Shahre Now

Visiting the Hearing Impaired Foundation of Afghanistan (HIFA)

Our visit with Former King Zahir Shah

Group Photo outside the Intercontinental Hotel

Group Photo at the Guesthouse

Me giving one of my many nightly lectures to the group.

Day trip to Istalif

2002 June - Interfaith Delegation

Highlights: This tour started out as a controversial one but ended up being one of the most impactful ones in the entire series. Participants included leaders from different faiths as well as family members of the victims of the September 11th attack in NY city. Although I was afraid of how Afghans would receive them, they were welcomed with open arms. Their kindness and their sincerity showed every Afghan we met that we are all human and we all share in each others pain and triumphs. I organized meetings between the victims of both the 9/11 families and the victims of the US Bombing campaign where they comforted each other and showed the world everyone on both sides of the globe were affected by these events. There were lots of prayer sessions, sing-a-longs, story-telling, laughter and tears. There was also a mango eating competition that lead to some serious stomach aches. In addition to visiting various programs and NGO offices to learn about the different rebuilding efforts, the group donated over $40K to rebuild a mosque in the Shamali Plains that had been destroyed by US Bombs.

Attending the ceremony to celebrate the 1 Millionth mine that was cleared in Afghanistan.

Group Photo at the guest house.

One of our nightly sing-alongs.

Family members of 9/11 victims visiting with Afghan victim of US Bombing campaign who lost her family.

Family members of 9/11 victims visiting with Afghan victim of US Bombing campaign who was severely wounded.

Last day of the tour.

2002 July - Health and Healing Delegation

Highlights: I don't have too many photos from this delegation because I lost my camera at that time but this delegation was one of the busiest ones with an itinerary that covered every health and medical program in Kabul. The participants included medical professionals from all over the US who were able to take back the information they gathered on this trip and provide lasting support and assistance through financial and equipment donations as well as training programs for medical staff in Afghanistan. Some of the highlights from the tour included visits to the Kabul Physiotherapy School, Ali Abad Mental Institution, Institute for Intermediary Health Care Professionals, International Medical Corps, tour of clinics in Maidan Shar, Wardak Province, Save the Children, USA, Malalay Maternity Hospital, International Orphan Care, Shewaki Rehab Clinic, Chaharasia Hospital and finished off with a lovely dinner with Alberto, the Director of ICRC Rehab Clinic for Mine Victims who had been living and working in Afghanistan since the 1980's and through the Taliban era.

Taking a break while visiting a local clinic south of Kabul

Visiting a make-shift hospital in Logar

2002 August - Education Delegation

Highlights: Aside from the scorching sun shining over Kabul, the month of August brought with it a delegation of educators from all over the US who met with students and teachers at a number of elementary and high schools as well as at Kabul University. They organized a massive book donation to both the pubic library and the Kabul University library. Many of these educators were able to bring messages and donations from their own schools and their students to share with Afghan students. They also visited the Aladdin orphanage and Aschiana Center for Street Children.

Donation to Kabul University

More book donations

Group photo at the guesthouse

Visiting the orphans at Aladdin Orphanage

Visiting the Tomb of Nader Shah

Group photo in the guesthouse

2002 September - Discover Afghan Heritage (Art and Culture) Delegation

Highlights: Although this tour started off with half the group being detained at the airport as they flew out on the 1st anniversary of 9/11, they were able to finally make it to Kabul to participate in one of my favorite tours of the year. The participants included artists, photographers, designers, journalists, and professors who had a deep appreciation for the arts and culture of Afghanistan. They had a strong historical understanding of the region which led to some fascinating discussions during our meetings with the individuals they met with. The itinerary included meeting with the Minister of Information and Culture and visits to the Kabul Museum, National Archives, National Gallery, the Intercontinental Hotel Book Store, CHA Art Gallery, Ghulam Maimanagi Art Center, the Department of Fine Arts – Kabul University, Afghan Film and RTA Studios, National Library and day trips to the Shamali Plains/Istalif, Qhargha and Paghman's Taqh-e-Zafar.

View from the Intercontinental Hotel parking lot prior to visiting their famous book shop

Visit with the Head of Afghan Film, Siddiq Barmak

National Archives Visit

Music Night at CHA Art Gallery

Stopping to meet with Mine cleaners in the Shamali Plains

National Gallery visit

National Gallery Visit

Pottery shop in Istalif

Serious chat with one of my favorite professors in the group

Katrin and I at Kabul University

Kabul University visit

2003 March - Women's Delegation

Highlights: As the Iraq war dominated the news and less people felt like traveling to Afghanistan, I hosted my very last Reality Tour for a delegation of women's right supporters in March of 2003. The participants included women from all walks of life who wanted to find ways to help Afghan women build and sustain their lives. One year after the my first Women's delegation, it was fascinating to see the progress that Afghan women had made but sobering to also realize how far they still have to go. The group visited the Minister of Women's Affairs and attended International Women's Day celebrations. They met with female heads of NGO's working toward empowering Afghan women.

Group Photo at the Guesthouse

Repeat customer - she was on my first women's delegation the year prior.

Meeting with students at a girls high school.

Learing about mine cleaning efforts.

Amazing lady who went on to become a huge inspiration in my life.

Sharing the tradition of walking on grass on Afghan New Years (Nowroz)

We decided to have a make up session - I really needed it after a year in Kabul.

My favorite Eleanor. This group would have been a lot less entertaining without her.

Parwaz Microfinance Lending launch and ribbon cutting ceremony. The founders started setting up this organization when they came on my first women's delegation the previous year.