Nuristan Women celebrate International Women’s Day

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne
Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team attended a shura on International Women’s Day, in the Nengarach village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8.

Nooristani, an engineer from the Do Ab District and one of Nuristan’s most successful women, planned the shura to celebrate women’s rights and equality in the light of Islam. The shura provided an opportunity to build unity among women, Nuristan’s tribes, the Afghan government officials, and Coalition Forces.

The shura was also an opportunity to speak to others about the civic duty people have to protect those who deliver aid and implement development projects in Nuristan province.

Many women and young girls, the village Maliks, Afghan government officials, and the Nuristan female engagement team attended the shura.

“There is nothing better than women in the world,” a representative of the Nurgarm District said. “We should always respect our women.”

The female engagement team leader, Leah Kaplan, of Denver, Colo., the U.S. Agency for International Development representative for the Nuristan PRT, was asked to speak on behalf of the PRT, on her thoughts about International Women’s Day.

“It was great to see government officials, village elders, women and girls coming together to speak about and celebrate this important day,” Kaplan said. “Liza Nooristani is a role model for women, not just in Nuristan, but in all of Afghanistan, and we are so grateful that she took it on her own initiative to plan this event and was kind enough to invite us to participate.”

Nooristani ended the event with a powerful, moving message to all the young girls and women in the room.

“Women can do anything that they put their mind to,” Nooristani said. “You can swim the deepest ocean, climb the highest peak, be a doctor, fly a plane, and face adversity, and still walk tall. Women are strong, beautiful, compassionate and much more. This is your day, as is every day you live.”

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Liza Nooristani, an engineer from the Do Ab District of eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, speaks to a group of Afghan government officials in a shura celebrating International Women’s Day, in the Nengarach village, March 8. The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team attended the shura held by Nooristani to celebrate women’s rights and equality in the light of Islam. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local Afghans and Coalition Forces sit side by side at a shura held in honor of International Women’s Day in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Liza Nooristani, an engineer from the Do Ab District, speaks to a reporter during a shura celebrating International Women’s Day, in the Nengarach village of eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, March 8. The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team attended the shura held by Nooristani to celebrate women’s rights and equality in the light of Islam. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

Nuristan Province’s FET Catches U.S. Attention

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt Natassia Cherne
Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s female engagement team conducted a phone interview with San Diego’s KNSD-TV, an NBC television affiliate on its recent success in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb 24.

Alicia Dean, a military news reporter for KNSD requested to interview the team leaders for the Nuristan female engagement team after reading a recent article of their meeting with women in a village in Nuristan.

Dean wanted to speak with the women in hopes of providing some guidance for the 45 women from Camp Pendleton, California who are going through their pre-deployment training for female engagement teams in Afghanistan in the near future.

Female engagement team leaders, U.S. Navy Lt. Stacey Gross, of Lakeville, Minn., the information officer for Nuristan PRT and Leah Kaplan, of Denver, Colo., the United States Agency for International Development representative, for Nuristan PRT provided insight and advice to the Marines of Cam Pendleton.

“The best advice we can give is take it slow with dealing with the women of Afghanistan,” said Gross. “When working with the women it’s about relationship building and the small things. Don’t promise to solve all their problems at once, we need to understand that this is a long process and we won’t be able to fix everything right away.”

 

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne and U.S. Navy Lt. Stacey Gross with the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, along with Leah Kaplan, Nuristan's United States Agency for International Development representative, are interviewed via phone by Alicia Dean, a military news reporter, on Forward Operating Base Kalagush in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 24. The women are part of the Nuristan Female Engagement Team, who were interviewed to give their perspective on the women and the effect Afghan culture has on their lives. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Leah Kaplan, with Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s United States Agency for International Development, is interviewed via phone by Alicia Dean, a military news reporter, on Forward Operating Base Kalagush in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 24. Kaplan is currently part of the Nuristan Female Engagement Team, who were interviewed to give their perspective on the women and the effect Afghan culture has on their lives. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Navy Lt. Stacey Gross, of Lakeville, Minn., Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team information officer, is interviewed via phone by Alicia Dean, a military news reporter, on Forward Operating Base Kalagush in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 24. Gross is part of the Nuristan Female Engagement Team, who were interviewed to give her perspective on the women and the effect Afghan culture has on their lives. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

Nuristan Female Engagement Team visit village elders

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne

Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Navy Lt. Stacey Gross, of Lakeville Minn., the information operations officer with the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team and 1st Lt. Thomas Reader, of Reno Nevada, the security force platoon leader for Nuristan PRT wait to speak with the village elders of the Nanjerch village, Feb. 24. The Nuristan Female Engagement Team, met with the village elders to ask what their feelings were on the female shuras to promote female literacy and equality. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The boys of the Nanjerch village listen as the female engagement team for Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team speak with the village elders, Feb. 24. The Nuristan Female Engagement Team, met with the village elders to ask what their feelings were on the female shuras to promote female literacy and equality. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The female engagement team for Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team speak with the village elders, Feb. 24. The Nuristan Female Engagement Team, met with the village elders to ask what their feelings were on the female shuras to promote female literacy and equality. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

End of Tour Awards

TIME TO GO HOME!

Nuristan PRT Visits ANP

By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins
Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs


NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Allen Marshall of Reno, Nev., assigned to the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s security forces, provides security while U.S. Navy Cmdr. Russell McCormack of Hampstead, N.H., the commander of the PRT, speaks with the Afghan National Police chief in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 15. The PRT visited the ANP in the Nurgram District center to discuss future plans of reconstructing their living and working quarters. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

Nuristan PRT conduct civil assessment in Mangow

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne

Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

 

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Stacey Gross, of Lakeville, Minn., the information operation officer for the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, spoke with a local teacher about the education in the Mangow village in the Alingar district, Feb. 18. Nuristan PRT conducted a civil assessment with the local villagers to assess education, the economy, and security within the village. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local elders for the Mangow village in the Alingar district pose for picture with radios that were given by the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Feb. 18. Nuristan PRT conducted a civil assessment with the local villagers to assess education, the economy, and security within the village. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local merchants from the Mangow village in the Alingar district smile after the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team purchase goods from their shop, Feb. 18. Nuristan PRT conducted a civil assessment with the local villagers to assess education, the economy, and security within the village. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local blacksmiths from the Mangow village in the Alingar district work on handcrafted knives to sell to servicemembers of the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Feb. 18. Nuristan PRT conducted a civil assessment with the local villagers to assess education, the economy, and security within the village. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2Lt. Natassia Cherne, Nuristan PRT)

UNAMA Military Advisors visit Nuristan PRT

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne

Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Military advisors from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan visited the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 4 and 5.

Swedish Army Lt. Col. Eric Svensson, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, and New Zealand Army Lt. Col. Simon Williams, a native of Wellington, New Zealand, are the United Nations’ military advisors for the Kunar, Laghman, Nanaghar and Nuristan provinces in eastern Afghanistan. Their job is to relay information about security in the provinces and facilitate communication between the United Nations and International Security Assistance Forces.

UNAMA’s main goals are to manage the UN’s humanitarian relief, recovery, reconstruction and development activities in coordination with the Afghan government.

Both Svensson and Williams visited the Nuristan PRT to achieve these goals, and to get a better overall picture of the issues facing Nuristan.

“We gained a lot of insight as to the programs and development of sustainable activities taken on by the PRT,” Williams said. “We now know the extent of influence of the PRT and maneuver units have in Nuristan.”

During their visit, the advisors met with many of the departments in the PRT.

The advisors and PRT departments were able to discuss several pressing issues in Nuristan, including what the military situation is, what type of projects are being implemented in the province, and what kind of programs are used by the PRT to reach the local people.

“This visit was a good example of the relationship that should be shared by UNAMA and ISAF,” Svensson said. “It’s within our mandates to support each other. Nuristan PRT modeled how to do this.”

Williams and Svensson were surprised by the challenges Nuristan faces compared to other provinces. Due to the terrain of the region and lack of roads it is very hard to reach many parts of Nuristan, including the capital in Parun.

“We didn’t know the difficulties that Nuristan has in terms of outreach because of specific conditions and security in the region,” Svensson said.

Both men hope that through this visit they can express to their civilian counterparts the importance of the Nuristan PRT’s mission and help provide any assistance they can to Nuristan and the PRT.

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Swedish Army Lt. Col. Eric Svensson, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, and New Zealand Army Lt. Col. Simon Williams, a native of Wellington, New Zealand, military advisors for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, speak before a meeting in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 4. The UNAMA military advisors came to Nuristan to meet with the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, and to see the issues facing Nuristan. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Swedish Army Lt. Col. Eric Svensson, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, and New Zealand Army Lt. Col. Simon Williams, a native of Wellington, New Zealand, military advisors for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and Leah Kaplan, of Denver, Colo., a representative of the U.S. Agency for International Development, speak with local leaders in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Feb. 4. The UNAMA military advisors came to Nuristan to meet with the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, and to see the issues facing Nuristan. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)