Main description:

The very mention of Afghanistan conjures images of war, international power politics, the opium trade, and widespread corruption. Yet the untold story of Afghanistan's seemingly endless misfortune is the disruptive impact that prolonged conflict has had on ordinary rural Afghans, their culture, and the timeless relationship they share with their land and animals. In rural Afghanistan, when animals die, livelihoods are lost, families and communities suffer, and people may perish.

That Sheep May Safely Graze details a determined effort, in the midst of war, to bring essential veterinary services to an agrarian society that depends day in and day out on the well-being and productivity of its animals, but which, because of decades of war and the disintegration of civil society, had no reliable access to even the most basic animal health care.

The book describes how, in the face of many obstacles, a dedicated group of Afghan and expatriate veterinarians working for a small non governmental organization (NGO) in Kabul was able to create a national network of over 400 veterinary field units staffed by over 600 veterinary para professionals. These paravets were selected by their own communities and then trained and outfitted by the NGO so that nearly every district in the country that needed basic veterinary services now has reliable access to such services.

Most notably, over a decade after its inception and with Afghanistan still in free fall, this private sector, district-based animal health program remains vitally active. The community-based veterinary para professionals continue to provide quality services to farmers and herders, protecting their animals from the ravages of disease and improving their livelihoods, despite the political upheavals and instability that continue to plague the country. The elements contributing to this sustainability and their application to programs for improved veterinary service delivery in developing countries beyond Afghanistan are described in the narrative.

Contents:

Foreword
Introduction
Abbreviations
1. Go See the Warlord
2. Unexpected Destination
3. Negotiating with the Taliban
4. USAID Comes Back to Afghanistan
5. Going to Kabul
6. Introductions
7. Dinner Conversations
8. Starting Up the RAMP
9. Reality Check
10. Veterinarians in Name Only
11. Street Life
12. Unexpected Adventures at the Ministry of Planning
13. Hiring Dr. Nasseri
14. Veterinary Scavenger Hunt
15. Off to the Zoo
16. Ramping Up
17. Aerial View
18. Samaruddin
19. Growing Pains
20. Cold Chain
21. Progress Report
22. At Home in Kabul
23. The Graduates
24. Life at the Office
25. A Raft of Problems
26. The French Connection
27. On Target
28. A Paravet in Parliament
29. Torah! Torah! Torah!
30. Sliding Down the RAMP
31. Goodbye RAMP, Hello ASAP
32. Hints of Trouble to Come
33. The Ambassador
34. Sorrow in September
35. First Annual Convention
36. Front Row Seat
37. Return to Kabul
38. Dr. Noor Jahan
39. Jinns
40. Bombproofing
41. No Dairy Farmers Here
42. Who Are You Again?
43. Too Close for Comfort
44. Afghanization
45. Ahmad Nasir's Cow
46. ASAP Claptrap
47. A Civil Military Affair
48. Hostile Takeover Attempt
49. Good Dollars, Bad Dollars
50. Letting Go
51. Encounter in Tiangi Pass
52. Yankees Cap
53. Teamwork
54. What Were They Thinking?
55. Return
56. Dreams Deferred
57. Coming Full Circle
Epilogue: Lessons Learned and Applied
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Notes
Index