Medical
Report 2005
July 03 Update
March 03 Update
March 03 Journal
February
03 Update
Leadership
Afghanistan
|
July 2003 Update
Memphis
- Afghan Friendship Summit
Since the inception of the
Memphis-Afghan Friendship Summit (MAFS), several teams have embarked on
the journey to
Kabul
in order to continue building the relationships created in October,
2002. Memphians are realizing how important it is to cultivate a
"people to people" relationship. Citizens of
Shelby
County
and beyond are developing a heart for the nation of
Afghanistan. Three branches of MAFS, medical, education and leadership, have
progressed in several ways.
A few weeks ago, MAF Chairman Mark Morris led a team to
Kabul
to ascertain possible new avenues of service for MAF. Mark and the team
traveled from
Kabul
to
Herat
and then to the small city of
Bamian. These cities in
Afghanistan
have received little or no attention from other International Aid
Agencies in the past. MAFS is exploring several possibilities for
future work in one or both of these cities.
While in
Kabul, Mark and his team reconnected with MAFS friends who visited
Memphis
during the first summit. Diplomats from the Ministry of Education, the
Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Irrigation, Water
Resources, and Environment were reacquainted with MAFS members. They
hosted the team on several occasions for tea and for meals. What an
honor to be received by such gracious hosts!
Presently, two Memphians, Steve Moses and Emily Taylor, are working with
a team of students who are on a Student-Exchange teaching English as a
second language (ESL) to university students at the
University
of
Kabul. The team will be teaching ESL in
Kabul
for several weeks seeking to help Afghan students increase their English
skills. While in
Kabul, Steve and Emily will also help MAFS by delivering school supplies and
a skillfully painted piece of art to the
Mariam
Girls
School. These gifts were collected and donated by
Craigmont
High School
in
Memphis, the sister school to the
Mariam
School.
Health Highlights
Medical supplies, including infant formula and surgical instruments,
were donated by the MED. They are in storage until a shipment date can
be established.
·
Medical/Dental Project on the horizon
Project dates are August 29 – Sept. 10. Physicians, dentists,
nurses, pharmacists and others will be working in
Kabul
and
Herat.
Services
include:
·
providing continuing medical education to physicians and other
health care providers.
·
partnering American physicians with Afghan physicians as
they work side by side in the hospitals and private clinics.
·
providing medical services to a village north of
Herat
where there is non-medical facility for miles.
·
Rusty & Carol Griffin and Cindy Taylor are traveling
in late June to
Louisville
,
KY
to meet with a group of Morning Star Development and other Medical
Volunteer organizations at work in
Afghanistan.
· a prominent physician, Dr.
Q.Sediqi, has been selected by the Islamic Transitional Government to
spearhead the continuing medical education in the field of
gastroenterology for
Afghanistan. At this time, Dr. Sediqi is planning on
spending the month of August with Dr. Zack Taylor here in
Memphis
to learn updated procedure techniques and
further his knowledge base..
St.
Francis
Hospital
continues to be a major participant in the medical branch of MAF.
Education Highlights
Leaders from
Crichton
College, University
of
Memphis, the Memphis City School System, and
Oasis
International
Schools
now form the Education Task Force. These leaders met to discuss various
ways to have a direct impact on
Afghanistan's education system. Some ideas include distance learning, teacher
training, and collaborating with agencies that have an impact on
Afghanistan’s education system. In addition, the concept of expanding the sister
school program to Shelby County and other schools, building off the
excellent model established by Craigmont High School, has become a high
priority.
Business/ Leadership Highlights
A meeting introducing Shelby County Mayor, A.C. Wharton, to the leaders
of MAFS sparked great interest into avenues for Shelby County Government
involvement with the Memphis-Afghanistan connection. Mayor Wharton was
delighted to see how MAFS is committed to building bridges across the
world to connect different cultures together and commended MAFS for the
vision that has been cast before citizens of Shelby County.
From
Kabul
Mr. Latifi, Assistant to the Afghan Minister of Irrigation, offered to
help set up a diplomatic advisory board consisting of leaders from
various cabinet ministries in the Afghanistan Transitional Government.
This board will consist of Cabinet Ministers and will provide guidance
to MAF in establishing a Leadership Training Institute for the purpose
of equipping government and business leaders in
Kabul
and in provincial capitals throughout
Afghanistan.
International Friendship Summits
The parent organization of MAFS is International Friendship Summits
(IFS). MAFS is a project under the IFS umbrella. A new website,
www.ifsummit.org,
has been set up for IFS with a link to the MAF website.
Currently, IFS is involved in establishing an Iraqi Friendship Summit
similar to the one held in
Memphis
with
Afghanistan. Several cities have expressed the desire to duplicate the type of
relationship
Memphis
has created with
Afghanistan. A website with this information is under construction at this
time.
In addition to a possible Iraqi Summit, IFS has been involved with the
making and distribution of over 16,000 Family Health Kits to families in
Iraq. Several groups are asking individuals, families, churches, and community groups to
make one or more family health kits that will be personally delivered to
an Iraqi family dwelling. Again, the idea is to build relationships and bridge
the gap between cultures.
To see how you can help with this project, contact:
Rusty Griffin
at
rustyg@pobox.com
Ways to Contribute
MAFS currently has a few things that you may be able to be of help…
·
We need a good size warehouse to store donated items until
they can be shipped overseas.
·
Call Cindy Taylor at 493-2578 to discuss the possibility of
joining a team of volunteers to GO
to
Afghanistan
for Leadership Training, Teacher Training, Medical Work, etc.
·
Involve your social group in adopting an Afghan school.
·
Involve your company in joining this City/County-wide
friendship between
Memphis
and the nation of
Afghanistan.
·
Contribute
financially to the work of MAFS.
::::
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