One day...in Afghanistan

Today while I waited in the compound of one our valued customers in Afghanistan, a few of them started to discuss how much they hated being in this country and only getting paid six thousand dollars a month to do security detail. The complaining went on for a bit and as they were commenting on finding other firms to work for that paid better, Blackwater was at the top of their list. They then started to lightly discuss how that company is being kicked out of Iraq for “accidentally” killing numerous civilians. When the word accidentally was used, they all broke out in laughter, and another said, “Just like it’ll be an accident, when any F***ing Afghani’s get shot.” The other pilot and I just sat there not sure what do and only aware that this entire situation made us feel very uncomfortable. As I looked around the room, I realized I definitely wasn’t in a MSF house, or OXFAM compound, in one corner were four flak jackets, two AK-47’s were leaning up against another desk, and on the floor was a sniper rifle. As they continued on with their complaints and obvious disregard for human life, we got up and left the room, there was only so much we could take. Unfortunately I was going to have to see them again as one of them was our passenger on the way back.

The lines of humanitarian work have always been crystal clear to me, lately I’m saddened by how blurry they have become and how to some of them it is no longer humanitarian aid work, it’s a profit making business. Reconstruction organizations convince themselves that security is needed for the projects to be successful. If we need security forces to guard us from the very people we are trying to help, maybe there is more to the issue. Who’s gauge are we using to see what success is? Are we looking at a long term community development project where we train and teach local people how to build roads and how to maintain an infrastructure. Or do we look at how quickly we can build roads, houses, and power plants? Sure this has an immediate impact, it puts millions of dollars back into our own pockets, but what about after we leave, who have they trained to maintain and build new projects? No one.

Its no longer about lifting up the community, fighting poverty, or ensuring human rights. Now its about making money off of someone else’s misfortune and imposing our rule on whoever we please. Poverty is now good business.

I still struggle to understand how this all happened

I’ve gone from this

To this.

This was my cargo

Now this is

With these people.

You get the idea.....