Ask, Don't Tell.
Major Elfrink is trying a new approach today. He wants to help the Afghan farmers and as a result keep the Taliban out. His new approach is simple.
Ask. Don’t tell.
Major Elfrink, along with Captains Clark and Dickey are from the Missouri ADT III. They are meeting with the Subgovernor of this district in the far northern tip in Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. The team is here looking for projects designed to put cash directly into farmers’ hands called Cash-for-Work. First though, Major Elfrink is trying out his new strategy, he is asking a few questions.
“What are your concerns, your needs for your district?” “What as a Subgovernor have your farmers brought to you?”
Without hesitation, the Subgovernor lists three—all centered on water.
“Karize* cleaned and repaired; ditch cleaning; and check dams.” “All the villages have the same problem—all need the same.”
Maj. Elfrink presses for more “Of these three, which is the most important, if you had to rate these three projects?”
The Subgovernor has a large district with many in need. “These three things are related to each other” “we have nine villages, all have the same need.”
“I can’t afford nine villages; which of these would you give preference?”
Part of the ADT’s new strategy is to keep projects small. By doing so they bypass the lengthy bidding process where contractors receive the majority of the money and farmers see none. Work-for-Cash projects are just one tool.
“Amla” the Subgovernor offers as his village of preference.
“Hamla?” questions the Major. As luck would have it the US Military map has the spelling of Hamla which in Pashto means “we attack you” instead of Amla. The Afghans correct the Americans and the group shares a few laughs.
The Major pauses and then continues. “It would be wrong for me to come here and make promises I can’t keep.”
The Subgovernor is surprised, “I never tell our people ADT comes here and promises.” “I won’t make government a liar because then they will say America is a liar.” “In 26 years working in the government I never promise people.”
Yet, promises have been made to the Subgovernor from the Nangarhar Provincial government. He explains why such promises were made to him.
“Kidnappers took the Japanese, we caught the kidnappers; then Taliban came and caused many problems; we caught the Taliban.” “Because of this the government said they would give us six projects.” Yet, those projects haven’t materialized.
The Major explains, ‘many of the different agencies in Nangarhar don’t work well together’ and is probably the reason why the Subgovernor is not seeing projects rewarded even after taking the bold action with the Taliban.
The District Development Chief has entered the meeting to make his own request. “We need more fruit trees… apple, peach and pomegranate.”
The Ag team wants to know ‘are these varieties what the farmers want?’
The Chief explains “Upstairs here we have a hall, I’ll call the village leaders and they will discuss the fruit trees.”
In the past 8 years of the war, US agencies measured progress by the dollar amount spent. Obama has a different focus—a three-pronged strategy that focuses on security, governance and economic development. He wants to see projects that make an immediate impact on the Afghan livelihood.
The Major came today to learn what projects would make that impact and the Afghans responded. The villages alongside the Missouri ADT will come together and work on improving their lives.
Major Elfrink claps his hands “This is good, very good, makes me happy to hear this.”
- Janet Killeen
*Karize is ancient underground irrigation tunnels, most in disrepair or damaged from the Soviet war.
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