The Foreign Service Journal, March 2007

every day. We encourage this, as it is much easier for people to come see us than for us to go see them (in an armed convoy). Often they request material assistance, or ask if we can address an injustice. Each PRT is meant to be the face of the United States in its province, and in our case, the commander is very well known and respected by Afghans all over the province. Because we are besieged with valid and urgent requests for assistance, many more than we can fulfill, there is always a need to prioritize. Lack of electricity, lack of employment, lack of education, lack of health care, lack of roads, lack of decent housing, lack of secu- rity, etc., etc. How does one decide which needs are most important and most urgent? Making a Difference What would I do differently regarding U.S. involve- ment in, and support for, Afghanistan? First of all, I would place more emphasis on education. When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, I saw how that country is still benefiting from the work of the Thomasites, a group of pioneer American teachers sent by the U.S. government to the Philippines in August 1901 to establish a public school system. While that may have been done for the wrong reasons (to exert our influence by establishing an American school system), the rewards and benefits have been great, as the country has a highly educated work force that sends professionals and skilled workers all over the world. Certainly there are still many problems in the Philippines, but education is not one of them. So I believe that providing funding and security to send a multitude of teachers here would benefit Afghanistan for years to come. Despite the frustration of our not being able to help everyone in Jalalabad, I can list many different accomplishments: district centers, roads, schools, flood control projects, agriculture cooperatives, etc. But, the “crown jewel” is the Construction Trades Training Center, which is a model for USAID/PRT F O C U S 46 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 0 7