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[Oggi scrivo in inglese. Così, per cambiare 🙂 Ma prima ci tengo a ricordare a me stesso che non sono qui per cercare la verità; tanto non non uscirà mai, perché ce ne saranno decine diverse. Ne’ sono enormemente interessato a statistiche, numeri, performance, dati, etc.  Sono qui per riuscire a leggere tra le righe. E non è una cosa che puoi fare solo con le fotografie; la fai con le sensazioni che impari ad avvertire con anni di viaggi e di rapporti con la gente. Da queste parti i gesti degli occhi hanno dei significati tutti loro, ad esempio. E le foto non lo raccontano. I silenzi dei militari possono avere un significato, e le foto non lo raccontano. I lieve cenno di una madre che ti guarda e acconsente di fotografare, con dignità, la figlia ferita dai Talebani…non si racconta semplicemente con una foto. Ma con parole ed emozioni. Non è giornalismo questo; è racconto di vita quotidiana. Io non un giornalista. Viaggio, guardo, cerco di capire e lo riferisco. E lo faccio a modo mio; istintivo, non ragionato (a volte purtroppo!), non riletto, non mediato da informazioni ufficiali; magari troppo emotivo ed empatico. Ma che ci volete fare, sono fatto così… Bene, e ora il racconto di quest’altra incredibile giornata in Afghanistan alla ricerca di belle storie]

I’ll blog in english today. I’m sure you get it. If not, please let me know and we’ll try to find a solution 🙂

I’m back in Kabul (interesting, you get a sense of home-away-from-home here when you are all day around the country in difficult scenarios) and there’s a party going on in the garden. The place is packed of intl journalist….a band is playing Amy Whinehouse songs…wine is abundant…. Surreal

But I guess this is the way it MUST be if you live here and outside is hell.

It was a very good day. It really was.

We flew to Ghor Province where we touched base the F.O.B. Shield, operated by Lithuania troops.

I admit I never paid too much attention to Lithuania presence in the ISAF Operation and so I was incredibly surprised to see how much nice, good and skilled those guys are! They really are.

 

I mean, take a Forward Operating Base and set it up and running in the middle of nowhere, in one of the poorest and most remote areas of Afghanistan (that’s not really ranking in the top position in the World countries….).

Populate it with highly skills lithuania military troops and add a great chef. Undertake outreach initiative for the local People and make sure their hospital cooperate with the village clinic and give health treatment to those who seek it.

No, I really mean it. Those guys are simply great and apart riding around in armored vehicles with armed escorts they know how to add a human touch to their job. And,  besides, the food is excellent.

Ok, that was the military part. Important also because I could not move around without them.

As for the stories I’ve met today, I must say it was pretty intense.

First, a local school for young girls. A colorful place, a peaceful and relaxed one. Colored windows, crowdy classes, dedicated teachers and a century years old woman – at the entrance – watching after the girls.

A normal school?

Not really, if you think the literacy percentage is incredibly low here and that many People do not send their young daughters to school after 10 years old…otherwise they would loose their market value.

So, this is NOT a normal place. It’s a oasis. And it’s one of those social front lines where Afghanistan is actually fighting one of the toughest fight: the one for its own future in long term.

No matter what you think, the future of Afghanistan is strongly linked to security, economic development AND education. The combination of efforts (both with top-down and bottom-up local initiatives) will drain out human resources once easily attracted by terrorist.

And afghans can eventually, and finally, get full control of their country and of their future.

I’ve asked a senior teacher of the school what do those young ladies dream for themselves and for their country.

‘They want to become doctors, engineers, lawyers. This is what this country need. And they want to grow up in a secure environment, free to be themselves’.

Guys…believe me…I got a shiver in the back.

After enjoying some pictures of their classes from the last seat (the girls where way to shy to be willing to be portrait…but one picked my camera and tried to shoot me a photo…but forgot to press the release button!) we moved on to Ghor provincial hospital Directorate.

They are doing pretty well down there and Dr Juma Gul Yaqubi seems to know well what he is doing. But there are still many issues to tackle: first, transportation. If you do not have fast and reliable means of transportation…it’s not easy to save lives.

Second: they need women doctors. They do a lot and they do it well (birth rate within the Hospital facilities has increased since they are operative) but they need more doctors.

I could walk around the rooms and visit the patients. I’ve met this young girl who has been just shot by Talibans a few days earlier…  The family was around her all the time…

The light was beautiful…perfect… she was aslept…the parents wore nice dresses…. I could not resist, I shot a few photos.

Same thing for two little brothers lying on the same bed. Probably one keeping company to his younger bro.

And finally there was this kid, on the opposite room. He was sitting in the middle of the room, staring at me, and having bandages around his arm. He was alone and looked sad. I shot him a few photos and showed them to him. He gave me the most amazing smile…

I know, my rule is not to shoot kids in difficult situation but I could not resist. I do not know if I’m ever going to use those photos but I’ll keep them as memories of a beautiful place at the same time filled with sadness, sorrow and hope for the future.

Going to take a shower now. I have to wipe away the sand from literally everywhere on me and on my cameras.

I’m still having hard times having a good sleep since I arrived in Afghanistan, but I understand why. The very first day I asked  – at dinner – a single shot espresso and what I go was an entire italian moka coffee machine! I could not resist and I drunk it but…here I am…days after it and with still all the caffeine in circulation! 🙂

Will tell more about this incredible day in the forthcoming week.

So long guys! Over from a distant Land

A

PS enjoy this beautiful song of Amos Lee: Learned a Lot. I think it makes perfect sense today…. And I dedicate it to my new friends at FOB Shield. You guys rock!

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