ishkashim

Iqbal, the Ishkashim CBDRR project coordinator, got to Faizabad last night. We left early this morning for the 8-hour drive to Ishkashim. What an adventure. Road was washed out, many people waiting, we crossed anyway. Drove through half a dozen flocks of sheep, with the shepherds walking alongside beating them out of the way of the car. Forded ten or more streams. All through a beautiful valley, approaching the snow-capped Hindu Kush. Now in Ishkashim, at the FOCUS office. Saw a great presentation by Iqbal and Ejaz (the DIPECHO-CBDRM program manager). Met most of the staff here. Iqbal and Ejaz both speak excellent English, too, which helps. I would have gone crazy on the drive if I hadn't had someone to talk to, especially someone who knows the area well.

Oh and we stopped at a community where FOCUS has done major work, including a canal to divert water around the village instead of allowing it to seep into the soil and foundations of the houses, where it was making everything unstable. Met the key religious guy there and the head of the CERT (community emergency response team). I'm in a daze. Also, we were as high as 10000 feet today and now around 8500, so that might have something to do with it.

Tomorrow we're going to check out some school trainings and drills and then go up into the Wakhan Corridor to see mitigation projects. For now, time to head out of here and back to the guest house.