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Shah Visits Afghan, Pakistani Aid Projects
FrontLines - April 2010
LAHORE, Pakistan—
When Dr. Rajiv Shah was
sworn in as USAID administrator
in January, he had
hoped to go directly to visit
major aid operations in
Afghanistan and Pakistan—
but the Haiti earthquake Jan.
12 put that trip on hold.
After leading the U.S.
response to the Haiti quake—
which has reached $1 billion
in emergency aid—Shah flew
to Afghanistan April 6 to
meet with senior leaders, U.S.
aid and military officials, and
farmers, teachers, and health
workers in those countries.
His visit came as the
Obama administration
announced it would request
from Congress almost $5
billion for USAID civilian
assistance programs in 2011
for the two countries, which
are of critical strategic importance to the
United States.
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Administrator Rajiv Shah visited the Afghan Technical Vocational Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 10. Here he
watches as women learn to tie rebar for a career in the construction trade.
|
In Kabul,
Shah met with
U.S. Ambassador
Karl Eikenberry,
Afghan President
Hamid Karzai,
and top U.S. military
and aid officials.
He also held
“all hands” meetings
with USAID
staff in Kabul
and Islamabad,
according to
USAID’s senior
deputy director of
the Afghanistan/
Pakistan Task
Force, Charles
North, who
accompanied
Shah.
From Kabul,
Shah flew April 9
to the volatile
southern city of
Kandahar to meet
U.S. and local
officials. He then
flew to a forward
operating base at
Arghandab that
was the scene of
intense fighting
last year before a change in
U.S. tactics.
Previously, the U.S.,
NATO, and Afghan military
had attacked and driven out
Taliban insurgents, leaving the
civilian aid team to follow up.
Now, the transition from military
to civilian stabilization
activities are coordinated earlier
on, North said.
Shah then went by armored
vehicle to visit a USAID-funded
project called AVIPA
Plus, which is operated by
International Relief & Development.
It gives farmers
vouchers for agriculture
products, provides cash-for-work
projects, and awards
small grants to agribusinesses
and community associations.
(See article, “Marja Farmers
Clean Canals and Get Pumps
After Fighting Ends,” this
page.)
“Shah spent a lot of time
talking directly to the farmers
about seed varieties, pricing,
and agriculture practices,”
North recalled.
Shah talked to other Afghans
about the AVIPA Plus program,
especially the cash-for-work
component that created hundreds
of jobs clearing canals and
building roads. He also spoke
with farmers about the project
spraying a soapy solution on
pomegranates to kill harmful
insects.
Back in Kabul, Shah visited a
vocational training institute and
a government media center to
meet journalists.
In Islamabad April 11, Shah
met with the U.S. Ambassador
Anne Patterson, Pakistan President
Asif Ali Zardari, Punjab
Gov. Salmaan Taseer, and Punjab
Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif. He spoke of a long-term
strategy for a U.S.-Pakistan
partnership to develop the country,
which has been beset with
violence in recent months in
tribal areas on the Afghan border
as well as attacks in its
major cities.
Some Pakistani officials
raised concerns that U.S. drone
attacks had killed civilians or
violated Pakistani sovereignty.
They also accused U.S. aid programs
of spending too much
money on U.S. consultants.
However, Shah assuaged their
concerns by focusing on the
need for a long-term strategic
partnership to address Pakistan’s
priorities in energy, water, agriculture,
and social services.
“Dr. Shah emphasized that
USAID needs to change the way
we work, to be a more effective
and better partner with Pakistan,
and do more with and through the
Pakistani government—and to do
so accountably,” North said.
The Administrator also spoke
about the importance of technology
and innovation and how to
rebuild the Agency. In addition,
during his “all hands” meeting
with mission staff in Islamabad,
he stressed the importance of the
Foreign Service Nationals or
FSNs, saying that they are a
major asset to USAID.
Shah told Pakistani reporters
that U.S. aid would create jobs,
especially in tribal areas. He
noted that the quality ofeducation would be improved
through teachers’ training in
Southern Punjab and other
critical areas.
Shah, a medical doctor and
former leader of health programs
at the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, said USAID
would assist the health sector
by building up professional
institutions and by training
women health workers, paramedical
staff, and physicians.
He also said that the Agency
would invest in research at key
agricultural universities and
improve training of farmers.
The Administrator said that
“President Obama and Secretary
of State Clinton have
launched a new strategic dialogue
with Pakistan to make
sure that our relationship is a
broad and deep partnership
defined by mutual respect and
cooperation in a broad range
of areas, especially energy,
water, agriculture, education,
and health sectors that are
very important for development.”.
★— B.B.
FrontLines is published
by the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development
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by mail to Editor, FrontLines, USAID,
RRB, Suite 6.10, Washington, DC 20523-6100;
by FAX to 202-216-3035; or by e-mail to frontlines@usaid.gov
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