If you've read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen, you'll find this book especially interesting. (And if you haven't read Three Cups of Tea, I recommend that you do!)
In 2002 Deborah Rodriguez was a member of a CFAF humanitarian mission in Afghanistan. A beautician among doctors, nurses, and therapists, she felt like a water boy--supporting the team, but not contributing anything of real value. She soon discovered, however, two areas in which she excelled. First, she had a real gift for befriending the local people. Second, her skills were called upon by Westerners who hadn't had a decent haircut for months and by Afghan women who took great pride in their appearance--even under the burkhas they were required to wear. Thus was a dream born: to train women of Kabul to be capable beauticians and thus support themselves or supplement meager family incomes.
Back in the U.S. after the mission ended, she began to tell her dream t friends and to corporate executives. Contributions began to roll in, by the handful and by the truckload. Storage, then shipping, eventually worked out, and she was on her way back to Afghanistan to begin her beauty school.
There were problems, of course: language barriers, culture differences with some embarrassing and even dangerous missteps, uncertain funding, pressure from the Taliban...One step at a time, she met those challenges and worked through them. Eventually, Rodriguez is introduced to and marriage is arranged with an Afghan man who has power, position, and wealth to see her through many crises.
This is the compelling story of a woman who gave up security and the comfort of familiar surroundings to help others. And isn't that what life's all about?
Check status at GPL or place the book on hold.
No comments:
Post a Comment