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Dear Friends of PARSA:

As we pause to review this year of change I find myself amazed at the foundation we have builtand what we have accomplished. Last week, PARSA directors and staff helped me sponsor aluncheon with four members of the House Democracy Assistance Commissionhttp://hdac.house.gov/

Rep. Lois Capps, Rep. David Price, Rep. David Drier, and Rep. Earl Pomeroy joined 27 womenfrom the Parliament for lunch in my house. Yasin, Palwasha, Aisha, and Gulam helped me hostthis group and the two worlds that I have been working in this past year joined finally. As mostof you know, I have been working with my colleague, an Afghan American, Mahbouba Seraj,with the parliamentarians through UNIFEM for the last nine months as well as supportingPARSA as the acting executive director. Mahbouba and I decided not to renew our contract withUNIFEM. We will be working with a small number of parliamentarians in a very hands onapproach, mentoring them as they work on very specific development projects. Our first twoprojects will be helping a parliamentarian from Ghor province, Ruquia Nayel, find emergencyservices for one of her districts that is experiencing drought. We are also going to be workingwith the head of the human rights commission, Saima Khugyani, as she addresses the issue of

trafficking of women in her province of Nanagahar. Mahbouba and I are very excited to finallyintegrate our work with PARSA and our work with the Afghan Women parliamentarians.

This is my first week of being able to focus on PARSA completely and I am so proud of ourdirectors and staff. I have been basking in their humor, competence and appreciation and I feelexcited about the year 2007.

PARSADiscovering the Afghan Spirit

December 2006 Newsletter

Naheed, Palwasha, Marnie,

Zarguna and Dawn

Red Crescent Staff (RCS), Jim, RCS,

Wasse and Yasin

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News: PARSA is the beneficiary of two buildings donated by Mrs. Firestone., member of the

US/Afghan council. I have had the privilege of corresponding with Mrs. Firestoneover the last 6 months. She is savvy about Afghanistan, committed to Afghan womenand children and she has been an uplifting inspiration to me. We will be moving into

the buildings in February, inshallah (God willing). This allows us to expandprograms, as well as for most of our staff to be housed together. We cant wait. Thepictures on the first page are of the staff at the Marastoon site.

Moving Pictures Magazine (www.movingpicturesmagazine.com) has adoptedPARSA, awarding us a $40,000 ongoing advertisement in the magazine. Any ofPARSAs supporters wishing to subscribe for the Moving Pictures Magazine willbenefit of a reduced rate of $10 instead of $23 per annum. PARSA will receive $3 foreach subscription ordered by PARSAs supporters.

Dawn Erickson, who has shared management of PARSA with me this year, is almostfinished with our new financial system. We have projected expenses for year 2006and included information in this news letter. We all are so grateful for Dawns work.

We have started a new line of Afghan style home furnishings in our gift shop and ourorders exceed our expectations-all from Kabul which allows us to employ Afghanartisans to produce.

We had a fundraiser in Seattle, and raised $3,600, for our Vulnerable Childrensprogram. Thank you, Jean Opplinger, Theresa Molyneux, Bonnie Berry, GuruSewak, Ross Hartung, Jack Shryne, Tracie Biddle and my husband, Norm Gustavson.

A special thanks to Betty Tisdale, HALO foundation, for her ongoing support of thisprogram. It costs us $1,400 for the start up of this program (we are writing grants forthe full program) and HALO covers $1,000 a month of these costs.

Aisha and Nazifa at work

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Well, it is my ambitious goal to fund the basic programs for organization by the end of this year.As a result of our excellent directors, Yasin Farid, Palwasha Madomi, Zarguna Hashimi andNaheed Sharify and Dawn Ericksons work we have excellent reports on our programs and afinancial system that handles the challenges of doing work in Afghanistan. We so appreciate ourPARSA donors. Your donations have allowed us to survive difficulties of working here that

simply would not happen in the US (such as non-payment on contracts through the UN).

This next year we hope to focus on our programs to produce innovation and excellence in ourwork. We are also going to push to have functional and well funded offices in the Hazarajat. Wehave our work cut out for us. Yasin and I visited the ministry responsible for orphans yesterdayand spoke with the deputy minister. We need their endorsement to continue our work inAllahoddin. In the discussion with him, he assured us that the national orphanages were wellstaffed and had adequate facilities and supplies. I had to hold Yasin back he was so angry as heand his staff have encountered tragic neglect in Allahoddin Orphanage. The deputy minister alsoinvited us to apply for a capacity building grant to train the ministry, and orphanage staff whichis a welcome invitation to us and an opportunity to really make an impact.

On my recent survey trip in the Hazarajat, I encountered two little girls and a sick donkey. Thegirls were beating the donkey trying to get her to go up the mountain with a heavy load of flour.I stopped to inquire and ended up getting involved as I argued with them about the uselessness ofbeating a sick donkey. The girls were two of six girls and a widow from the war with theTaliban. They occupy a small hut, high up the mountainside, (squatters) where water and foodare almost impossible to come by. As usual, I was greeted by sweet smiles and invitation to tea,after my ordeal of trading donkeys and my breathless climb up the mountain to meet the motherof these orphans. The circumstances that these families live under are unimaginable. I amexhausted by the effort of surviving here and I live better than almost all Afghans. I do not knowhow the people manage to get through the days as the poverty and hardship are so soul draining.

A couple hours later, I had a list of six families headed by widows, I had distributed my perdiem from my trip to the families, negotiated for a community school in the home of one of thevillage leaders, and promised to be back in the spring to get a school and some embroidery workgoing. I also spoke with the local Wali (leader) about the situation in his valley. He told me thathe has tried to help-he even offered to marry a local handicapped woman but she wouldnt havehim. I asked for some land for a Widows Garden and he accepted. I usually resist such urgesto help like this because I can get spread too thin and risk not being able to follow through but Iwas so inspired by these people, I decided to follow Mary Ms lead and push to open smallprograms in the Hazarajat. (underserved because of traditional prejudice against the Hazarapeople). Dawn and Jim had a similar experience in Panjab. Your partnership and continuedsupport gives us the confidence to do this. Thank you.

Marnie Gustavson

PARSA Executive Director

P.S. Van Auburn continues to update website at www.afghainstan-parsa.org and I have startedupdating our blog! THANK YOU, VAN!

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Afghan Parliamentarians and U.S. House Democracy Assistance Commission

November 27, 2006

This week, our organization, PARSA hosted a

lunch for the Afghan women parliamentarians tomeet US congressmen from the House DemocracyAssistance Commission.Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), Rep. David Price (D-NC), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Rep. Earl Pomeroy(D-ND) attended an informal affair in my homewhich is furnished Afghan style with floor pillows.

Sitting on the floor, eating lunch made the meeting unexpectedly intimate. The ensuingdiscussion was affirming to both sides. We expected 12 women to attend and 27 came. TheAfghan MPs spoke to the US representatives about the challenges facing the Afghans as they

see it. Security is their number one concern. As they expressed it to Rep. Lois Capps,development money spent is going to be of no use if we cannot secure Afghanistan.

Dawn with Rep. Lois Capps, CA

MP Shukria Barakzai, Kabul and

PARSA artisan, Aisha

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They had a short hour with the US representatives, who arein country for only 48 hours but MP Rahila Alumshaheclosed the meeting by saying Please tell the Americanpeople that the Afghan people cannot express enoughgratitude for the sacrifice of Americas sons and daughters in

our poor country as we attempt to make peace.

I was deeply moved by her sentiment, as I know Americansnever hear this in the media. And after being immersed inthe Afghan political scene for almost two years, I was struckby the graciousness and compassion expressed by our fourUS representatives-I find myself proud of both of ourpeoples. Marnie

MP Najila Dekhen, Herat, with Marnie

PARSA Bedroom Furnishings

Thanks to the following PARSA donors:

Linda Allen, All State Giving Campaign, Basima Anani, Van Auburn, BonnieBarry, Rita Jean & Fred Butterworth, David Carroll & Mary Enright, WalterChapman & Elena Argomaniz, Patricia Colarossi Tucks Memorial, JoanCampagna, Mary Deford, Margaret Greene, Helen Heidenreich, Danny Hilario,Anne, Howe, Family Services, Marc & Alene Fisher, Charles F. Holmes, KabulRestaurant Seattle, Marsha Kalina, Sat Shakati & Andrea Khalsa, KandaceKillarzoac, Dorothy Menousek, Microsoft Giving Campaign, New HudsonFoundation, Nicole Nannery, Henry & Janet Perry, Leila Poullada, S. PeterPoullada & Nancy Sheppard, Gerald Pruziner, Robert & Donna Raforth, Paul &Sheroo Rusby, Ruth Samuel, Debra Solomon, William and Jan Steifel, BettyTisdale HALO, Dr. Kevin & Dr. Barbara Tye and special thanks to those whoparticipated in the Seattle fundraiser!

November pictures by Marnie Gustavson and Dawn Erickson

Editing and Newsletter Layout by Marnie Gustavson and Dawn Erickson

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PARSAs new yoga instructor Molly startedclasses at the orphanage in October. The classesgive the children a chance to exercise and relaxindoors. Since it is snowing in Kabul now, the

opportunity is much appreciated. The boys taketurns being in the classes which are always full!

Molly Howitt, works with Turquoise Mountain,she is an Elementary School Teacher whospecializes in Yoga for Kids.

Molly Teaching Yoga

Yoga at AllahoddinGirls Saying Hello

RemindersPayPal, PARSA Address and Your Address

Van Auburn has set up the PARSA Website at www.afghanistan-parsa.org under thedonation section so we can receive donations through PayPal, as some of you haverequested.

Also, note our new address in the U.S. is:

PARSA3246 39th Avenue SW

Seattle, WA 98116

Moving Pictures Magazineplans to put out a PARSA advertising campaign in oneof their upcoming issues. If you are interested in receiving a complimentary copy ofthe magazine, please Email your hard mail address to derickson_afa@yahoo.com

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Paghman Literacy & Early Childhood Development

Director of PARSA Literacy Programs Naheed Sharify forwomen in Paghman has worked for PARSA for six years.She taught in secret schools for women and girls for Mary

during the Taliban years when the Taliban forbid theeducation of females. Funded by Catholic Relief Services,the donor has acknowledged this program as being one ofthe best programs that they fund. The literacy programserves people in 20 Paghman villages. The women andgirls in the programs are of all ages. An early childhooddevelopment program lets children come to school withtheir mothers.

For many of the women who did not have a chance to goto school during the Taliban years, the opportunity to

attend small classes in their community allows them to goto school through sixth grade. Over 700 girls, women andchildren participate in this PARSA project!

Going to School with Mom

Pa hman Earl Childhood Classes

Learning to Play Together

Second Grade Reading

Walking to School in a Burqa

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Panjao Project

In November, James Springer and I took the road fromBamiyan to Panjao to see PARSAs project. As we neared

Panjao and crossed one small well-built bridge, we wereimpressed with the progress made on the road until we came tothe next crossing. To get from Bamiyan to Panjao the road isthe river in approximately 10 places making the wayimpossible in the winter months for all but the hardiest ofvehicles. On the way, as there are few trees we saw thefamilies gather small shrubs for winter fires and collectingdung for patties that they piled on their roofs. As there is noelectricity, no grocery stores, or even travelers passingthrough, for many of the farmers that live in this region, theonly goal for the four or five months of winter is to have

enough warmth and food for their families survival.

Tahir and Zora run the PARSA projects in Panjao and this year Zora taught over 200 women toknit items for winter with donated wool. The women made sweaters, socks, mittens and otherclothing that were distributed to poor people in Panjao to help keep them warm.

Wishing you and your families, warmth, friendship and love for the holidays!

Dawn Erickson, Kabul, Afghanis tan

Tahir and Zora

Road to Panjao

Childs Sweater

And Mittens

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Sunrise in Lalsarjangel, notes from Marnies trip to the provinces on survey:

Sunrise in Lalsarjangel, in Ghor provincehome of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.Home to the Ghorids thousands of years ago. Last week I visited to evaluate a civil rightstraining program. Lal is one of the largest districts in Afghanistan with 600 surroundingvillages and maybe 250,000 people spread out through the mountains. It is also primarily of theHazara sect, a minority that has traditionally been persecuted at various junctions inAfghanistans history. The people of Lal have experienced a severe draught this year and facestarvation this winter. Emergency efforts have by passed this place because no one can agreewhich province it belongs to for such services-Bamiyan or Herat. Recently, the leaders ofHazara tribe approached the governor and other officials about the lack of services in theirregion. They remarked that they are paying the price for being a peaceful people as the warringtribes are getting the international attention and development projects. Should we startfighting? Should we commit suicide bombings to get attention from the internationalcommunity? They inquired.

The reality of life for these people is hard to grasp for people in Kabul, or Washington DC, orFrankfurt or London. It is difficult to mobilize responses to the myriad of emergencies thatAfghanistan faces. But in Lal I found a little girl that reminded me of myself when I was a childwith an extravagant and fanciful hairdo. I caught a glimpse of her in the street driving by andstopped the car to see if she would let me take her picture. It seems that I initiated a groomingritual that embarrassed her acutely. I enjoyed being with her and her family however as I lovethese simple human family experiences that penetrate the rhetoric and redundant phrases used todescribe Afghanistan and its people today. I love seeing myself and my family in these people.The pending starvation is not for me now one of many projects but has the face of a smallrefugee family.

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I met with Ruquia Nayel, Afghan woman parliamentarian, a Hazara from this Lal today to see ifwhat we could do together to get this district back on the emergency map. She knew the namesof this family. As I start to talk to people about the problem I find that it is not that people areindifferentit is just in the face of the enormous job of reconstruction in Afghanistan one loses

sight of the faces of the people and reminders that they are like us. PARSA hopes to open anoffice here in 2007.

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LalSarjangal.Ghor Province

Ruquia Nayel, parliamentarianfor Ghor province