Herat Part II - Ambassador's Small Grants Program

 So the trip to Herat had several purposes - meeting local leaders,  talking to students who had participated in U.S. Government exchange programs, and visiting several recipients of the Ambassador's Small Grants Program.  The ASGP gives money to projects that directly benefit women.  We flew up in a huge yellow helicopter (I gave up trying to know all the different types of transportation we use), and then drove around the city visiting various sites.  It was inspiring to meet women who are taking small amounts of money and building successful businesses.  We visited a bread making factory first.  The women there make hundreds of loaves a day and have customers in hotels and restaurants throughout Herat.   The factory was in a basement but it was clean and well lit and had great equipment.  The journalists who came with us (I travel to bring them along and help them get stories) took the time to interview the Ambassador about the small grants program.  Ambassador Eikenberry genuinely lit up when talking about this program.  He deals with a lot of complicated and difficult issues on a daily basis (we all do) and to see something positive - to see money
we give go directly to women to better their lives - well, it makes the days a little easier.   

We also visited a cooperative of silk weavers - we saw the whole process, from the dyed silk, to the women weaving on looms, to the final products.  The women who worked there also had their daughters there, and that was the most heartening thing of the whole trip.  I hate to say this, but you don't often see a group of women smiling in Kabul, but these women were happy.  Meeting them made my day - and I got two beautiful scarves (and three carpets) to remember my day.