“Right now there are still problems,” said Ayabe. “We've no place to work. We have stability, but no place to work. Our work stations are in a house with no room right now. We're missing communication between the district and provincial govt.”
Once the communication center is complete, Ayabe said the right officials will have a place to conduct the people’s business. A new building is only part of Ayabe’s plan for the future. He made more than one reference to having multiple computers and technology at the communication center for the younger generation to be active in the govt.
The Panjshir government has been actively changing recently. In late March through late April, the prov. was without a governor. Former Gov. Bahlol left the position in March. Dep. Gov. Kabiri filled the position until Gov Keram officially took the office, March 26. There was some political tension during the transition period, but it was a peaceful and orderly transfer of authority.
The transfer of authority from one governor to another with minimal tension speaks volumes about the stability of Panjshir,” said AF Lt. Col. Curtis Velasquez, Panjshir PRT cmdr. “When you get out and talk with the leaders, the people, and even the children, you hear them talk about a bright future. That is extremely motivating. It shows us that the people want better governance, rule of law and development. More importantly, their actions have shown they're willing to work for it.”
As soon as an injured man was located in the accident, AF Senior Airman Shannon Crump, Panjshir PRT medic quickly evaluated him and rendered first aid. Through the help of the interpreter, Crump cleaned the man’s wounds and bandaged him to stop the bleeding. She sent him to the hospital with clear instructions.
A woman giving medical care to a man in Afghanistan is not common, and isn’t always permissible, said Jamil, a PRT Panjshir interpreter. He said during Taliban rule in Kabul, it was strictly forbidden.
“One time I was sick, and my mother took me to the hospital in Kabul,” said Jamil. “Ten women passed by me until one woman stopped and asked me what was wrong. You could see I was sick. If the Taliban were in charge, that couldn’t happen.”
A govt official promising more impressive governance, a peaceful transition of power, a female medic rendering first aid to a male, and a young girl planning on becoming a doctor, could all be signs that the Panjshiris are looking to lead the rest of Afghanistan into a stable future.
Headmaster Abidah mentioned that students are still getting sick. “After that happened, a few of the students became dizzy again. I don’t know if they're scared or if there is still an issue.” The classrooms were not full when the Ghazni PRT females toured the school. Many desks were still empty. The school staff is still baffled by the incident. The Afghans do not have proof that the room was poisoned, and test results could take at least 7 to 8 months to find anything. “We don’t know how this happened. Even our security dept couldn’t answer this question,” Abidah said. “We're sure it was not food or water. We just don’t know how it happened. So this is still very difficult. We didn’t smell anything, we didn’t eat anything, we didn’t drink the water,” she added. The staff worries that if this happens again, they won’t be able to return to the school.
Story and photos by Spc. Roland Hale