Bpeace in Afghanistan

This message of empowerment from two of Bpeace's members, fitness freaks Jeff and Julie Castaldo, has a whole different meaning here in Afghanistan.

Steve and Kate visited Venus Fitness Center today, the fitness center run by Nargis a young attractive fit woman. Bpeace flash: Women’s fitness is news in Kabul. Soon after our arrival a camera crew arrived from Afghan National Television! They are doing a piece on women's fitness. Venus is of course the feature.

How did Venus happen? Nargis went to the US in March 2005 for an educational program at Ohio University. She visited various gyms, worked out herself and was inspired to start a fitness center which has now been open one month. She is eager to learn how to improve her and the staff's knowledge of physical fitness and we dove into the American Council of Exercise books which her mentors Jeff and Julie suggested as her base library.

Education is a critical need and Nargis jumped on Steve's suggestion that she and her mentors work by email once a week as she reads her way through the key fitness manual. Another key need is developing ways to produce more income from her center. Tube classes? Don’t know what they are? See below. And while the television program will help drive additional business, Venus already has 10 customers and another came in to check out the facilities as we were meeting. Kate was over the top with happiness to see that all of the customers were Afghan women.

Kate and Steve demonstrated the tubes which are long rubber ropes that can be used to provide muscle tension for all sorts of exercise (Kahlil, Steve's trainer will be happy to know that he used the ball AND the tube -- very fancy) and all of the women tried them out as well. Lots of laughter and definite interest in getting more of them for the center, particularly when Kate showed off her biceps, producing more laughter. Nargis sweetly ended our session by saying that she knew she would not fail with our help.

Marla and Laila's day has been jam packed and began with lamb and french fries at 9:30am while visiting Mahbooba and the Afghan International Chamber of Commerce. The meeting was focused on her guest house business plan and in particular the amazing financial model built by the Cornell School of Hotel Management. The most fun was looking at a map of Kabul and envisioning a future with Mahbooba’s guest house as home away from home for visiting women from the provinces. The challenge was realizing the cost of Kabul real estate. Mahbooba’s dream site of 18 rooms is on the market for $600,000! Mahbooba has major work ahead to complete the financial model but the result will allow her to approach financial investors with a coherent and well documented understanding of what is required to operate a successful guest house. Show us the money! Marla is helping by interviewing the Hotel Heetal staff!

Neelab was next up for Marla and Laila. Bad news is that she has been ill the last few months. Good news is that she getting better and wants to jump back into her market research business with Bpeace’s help. But is their demand? Bpeace needs to help her assess market environment and if ripe then develop the business plan and the marketing strategy. We are on the search for a co-mentor who has started their own consulting company. Anyone out there?

Steve and Kate went on a drive to western Kabul taking in the local scenery arriving at Hanifa Askar Ali’s workshop where they were quickly overwhelmed by business entrepreneurs. Hanifa our Bpeace associate is a religious teacher to over 35 young boys and girls. She has been an instructor for over 15 years and did so in hiding during the Taliban. Of course she also has a business which is crocheted women’s apparel. Her biggest need is to improve her product design and of course obtain better raw materials (Nylon today. Ugh) Her new mentor will need to tackle improving its design to attract better customers. Big job ahead.

Hanifa introduced us to Aziza Akberi who runs a government funded “nursery” which is our “day care” center. Aziza wants to take it private and is asking for our help. She has over 60 children who are with her 6 days a week from 8am to 3pm while their mothers work or take care of their homes. We hope that she can be a spring Bpeace candidate.

Then unbelievably Aziza and Hanifa shared with us that their daughters are members of the Afghanistan Karate team who just beat Pakistan and Kuwait in a September competition. They want to open a Karate Studio! Their mothers asked Bpeace to assist. Great new candidates for the spring team. Toni . . .we are finding them for your mission!

GREAT NEWS . . .Paula and Athena have arrived and are receiving the big debrief while this blog is being typed. Catching up on two days is taking a great deal of time. Steve is sharing the dust and dirt reality with Athena, Paula and Marla are revising the schedule to get new shooting in and Paula is shouting out questions to the typist here (Kate). Susan remains a little under the weather with the stomach grunge and of course is very unhappy to be missing some of the action.

p.s. the Bpeace team had some official US government MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) the other night at Rosemary's when she served us the dessert course from these US government meals which you can purchase off the street for $5.00 a case. Tasted good but loaded with hydrogenated oils and all the bad sugars. Government issued poison!