Archive for February, 2010
Update on “the boy who shakes my hand”
A few people have asked me to get a picture of the “boy who shakes my hand” from a previous post. You’ll recall he’s the little boy who always runs up to me to shake my hand. He calls me “Akkai Hello” (Brother Hello) because all the neighborhood children flock around me and say “hello! hello!” to me whenever they see me (it’s the only English word they know).
I finally managed to take Mohamedjon’s picture. Here are some more pictures of him – my mom sent him some Montreal Canadiens gloves, which he seemed happy to get (he tore off the tag, put them on, and ran off promptly).
The shopkeeper and his new language disc
Today (Dec. 13, 2009) I paid a visit to the shopkeeper from whom I often buy bottled water. A few days before, I had given him an English language learning DVD (for Russian speakers). Not having access to such materials locally, I was able to find the disc’s content on the internet. Yes, I realize the copyright issues involved, but I’ve devised a sound rationale for my actions: My Tajik neighbours are far from wealthy. What they lack in material possessions, many of them make up for with a remarkable thirst for knowledge. However, due to both price and availability, English language learning materials are quite dear to them. If I can access these materials and distribute them to co-workers, friends, shopkeepers, etc. what’s the harm? They would have never been able to afford them in any case – a good quality English language DVD could cost upwards of 2-3 months’ salary.
The shopkeeper had been asking me for months to find him a DVD to help him learn English. I’ve always been impressed by his desire to learn, and his command of several other languages. So, I had promised him that I would find him a DVD as soon as possible. Today, I asked the shopkeeper whether or not the DVD I had given him worked well. He told me that it worked well enough, but that his house lacks consistent electricity. After so many months of promises, and after coming through for him, he was still being held back by circumstances beyond his control.
Car accidents in Kulob
The walk back to work from the bazaar takes me past Kulob’s biggest intersection, the same one that separates home from work (see previous post here). I dread crossing it multiple times a day. On December 12, passing by it and not through it, I heard the screech of a car coming to a quick stop. I noticed somebody limping behind the car, out of my line of sight. The car driver and passenger got out of the car to investigate, and a somewhat heated conversation ensued. It appeared as though a small boy – of no more than 6 or 7 years old – had been walking across the street with an older man (presumably his grandfather) when he was hit. The boy seemed uninjured, reducing tensions.
The number of car-related accidents I’ve witness in Tajikistan (and at this intersection in particular) is striking. I can’t even remember seeing one back home (thank God). Off the top of my head, I can’t count over 5 here in Tajikistan.
Later that evening, following a Saturday spent at work, I began walking home with Gulmorod (I had been invited for dinner). With rain falling on a darkened Somoni Street, we witnessed yet another car accident. What caught my attention this time – apart from the screech of the braking car – was the loud thud of the car hitting a pedestrian. I looked in the direction of the accident just as it happened. While crossing Somoni Street – at a pedestrian cross walk – the pedestrian was hit hard on the left side of his body. He fell, but surprisingly managed to get up quickly and walk to the sidewalk with no obvious injury. Gulmorod and I stopped to see if anyone needed help. By that time, the car had pulled over and the driver was about to discuss the matter with his near-victim.
Gulmorod and I walked to his house, and I made sure to keep extra distance between myself and every passing car from that point on.
Case study in Shuroobod
On Dec. 11 and 12, 2009, I visited Sari Chashma in Shuroobod district. See pictures here.
I, along with the other MSDSP staff, was there to produce a case study regarding the introduction of drip irrigation technology to local agricultural practices. Drip irrigation permits farmers to grow crops on lands that have traditionally been difficult to farm; in this case, it has been applied to slope lands, which are quite common in Shuroobod. Drip irrigation technology also helps farmers to conserve water, but it requires significant financial input at the outset of a project.
Case study in Muminobod
On Dec. 8 and 9, 2009 I visited Muminobod district to conduct a case study on an MSDSP enterprise development project. See pictures here.
I, along with another MSDSP staff member, attended a village organization meeting the morning of Dec. 8. It was unrelated to the case study, but, since we were in the area, we felt it would be good to pay a visit. The meeting’s purpose was to identify the village’s development priorities. Villagers first spoke about the challenges they face, then a vote was taken to decide how some funding (which they had recently been offered by an international development organization) would be spent.
In order to complete the case study, MSDSP staff and I visited beneficiaries, local experts, and other for interviews. The Business Development Centre is the product of 3 years of MSDSP support and funding. It’s an interesting project, and seems, from my perspective, to have helped people become small business entrepreneurs successfully.
A trip to Panjakent
I took a trip to Panjakent in early November (7,8) 2009 with Ninoska and Rafik, two Canadian friends of mine who also work for the Aga Khan Development Network. See the pictures here. Panjakent is known for being one of the stops on the ancient Silk Road.
The trip to Panjakent takes about 5 hours by road under normal conditions. However, as soon as we left Dushanbe heading north, we encountered increasingly heavy snow. This didn’t stop us, however, and we made the journey in about 6 hours. We didn’t stay long, but we still managed to visit Old Panjakent (the site of ruins dating back to the Silk Road days), re-enact some silk trading, and hike around the area around 7 lakes (it was quite foggy).
It has taken me a while to update this blog, due in large part to being busy at work and the post-fellowship job hunt. I’ll be playing catch-up for the next few posts, which should cover developments up to early February.
