Greetings from Dushanbe, Tajikistan,
Wow what a busy final week I have had here in Tajikistan.
During my last Blog, from Khujand in the North, I reported how very, very, very cold it was last Friday. Well, on Sunday I didn’t leave the Hotel, except for a quick breakfast and looking for some cold medicine and a quick dinner. I was so sick, from the cold weather on Friday, a good batch of head and chest cold, which I have been fighting all week. I was able to get some Theraflu in Khujand, and some expectorant for breaking up the Phlegm in my Chest, but once I returned to Dushanbe, I had the staff get me a broad acting Antibiotic for precaution. I sure didn’t want it turning in Pneumonia. Seems to be helping, but still have a good coughing spell every once in a while.
We left for the airport at 5:30 in the morning, battled the lines and made it back here at the office by 9 a.m. It had snowed quite a bit on Sunday and on Monday morning, and the rest of the week wasn’t much nicer, so it was interesting getting to the office. I am really surprised they flew. Although, today isn’t bad, but still very damp out.
From Monday to Wednesday, there was a consultant here from ACDI/VOCA’s home office working with the staff on a new credit tool. He was working with them, using the model to see what role credit might play in helping to develop the Value Chain for the six commodities the Project is working with. This was a long process to sit through, especially, when part of the staff, including me, had their minds focused on needing to complete arrangements for the various demonstration plots and the voucher programs. I think the tool will be very helpful in the long run, but it put us farther behind from the production standpoint.
Thursday morning we left for a two-day staff retreat at a mountain resort about an hour from here in Dushanbe. This would be a very beautiful area in the summer, as it had a stream nearby, a small soccer area, and nature all around you. Now it was a little chilly. The day was spent in supposedly a team building atmosphere. Most of the time folks enjoyed themselves, but some activities were definitely not received at they had planned. You don’t ask for peoples input and then say this is the way it is going to be. Doesn’t sit well with many, when handled that way. In the evening before dinner and dancing, we all went to a nearby hot springs. The men bonded in one area of the facility and the women in another. What a great way to e w relax after a full day of meetings. Then it was back to the resort for dinner, followed by dancing. The evening was enjoyed by all, I think.
Friday it was snowing quite a bit. When our contact with USAID arrived for the meeting, it was determined that we should probably end the session at noon, have lunch and get back to Dushanbe before the weather turns to bad. The day was focused on looking at the various scenarios from the Monday to Wednesday sessions, and then seeing what needs to be done this month to make those scenarios work. Not what the agenda said we would be doing. Oh well, change is good isn’t it? Shurob, from USAID, wanted to talk with me, since today was my last official day with the project. So I rode back to Dushanbe with him asking me a host of questions about my experience here with the Project. I tried to answer his questions as openly and honestly as I could.
When we returned to the office, I fired up the computer to check my email. There was an email from a Swedish project here in Tajikistan, who I had communicated with earlier about a job they had open, asking if I would be interested in doing another Short-term assignment with their project, from now until the end of the month. They needed help finishing a proposal for which they are on the Short List. Unfortunately, by the time I received the email, two days had already passed and they offered the opportunity to someone else. They are on a strict timeline for submitting the proposal and had to move fast. But I was glad that they asked me. So who knows what doors this Consultancy may open in the future?
Before departing the office, I was thanked for my time here and presented a couple of nice gifts. One was a hand painted clay dish and the other a tree made out of the many stones that come from here in Tajikistan. Both are very beautiful and will serve as an excellent reminder of my time here.
Today I worked in the office most of the day on my Exit Report. I did take time to have lunch with another Short Term consultant that just arrived this morning as part of our Project. She will be here working with the Association of Agribusinesses of Tajikistan. Her role is to assess their capacity for remaining a solvent and operational organization, plus she is to help them organize their International Agriculture Fair.
Tomorrow will be a day of finishing up things at the office, having an Exit Luncheon with the Chief of Party for the Project and packing.
So as you can see, there wasn’t any time to be letting the grass grow under my feet. I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my experiences with family and friends. God willing I will be back in Denver around 10 p.m. on Monday. Then on Saturday, Merry and I will take off for Japan for a week, before heading to Saipan and surrounding islands and maybe a quick trip to Guam. All part of Merry’s job – so I will once again put on my Professional Luggage Carrier hat.
The Internet has been terrible the past few days, so I will have to wait to upload additional photos until I get back in Colorado Springs. Do, check out my Zenfolio site as there will be a lot more photos upload to the site from here in Tajikistan.
All the best.
Ray
