Mine Dog Detection Center

Today was a turning point in my experience of Afghanistan. I woke up to a nice cup of coffee and scrambled eggs (prepared by Tariq, who just arrived with some fresh tandoor bread - "naan", after an hour of flying our uncle Mohammed's racing pigeons). We then set off with a de-mining specialist from Bosnia and a dog-training specialist from Australia to UNMACA's Mine Detection Center and training facility for mine detection dogs. I was extremely surprised to see that my simple email request to visit the facility had not only been approved but a complete three-hour tour had been organized in which we met every manager, director, specialist and doctor on the entire compound. We were treated like royalty, and enjoyed every minute of it. UNMACA estimates that there are between 7 - 10 million mines of 500 different varieties planted in Afghanistan. In fact, Afghanistan has the most mines of any country in the world. The mine detection center has 286 working German Shepherds who are carefully trained for 12 months before they are ready to be deployed to sniff out TNT in mined areas. The dogs are thousands of times faster at covering large tracts of land on demining expeditions and much safer - with the use of dogs under the right conditions, demining staff are much safer than if they would be using metal detectors alone. We also visited a hospital on site that specializes in treating mine-related injuries. For those unfortunate to step on them (often children and women), mines tend to impact the legs, arms and eyes first. I was shocked to learn that the Afghan medical professionals working in the hospital were doing so on a volunteer basis. I immediately thought of my friend Shaina (a nurse) who would have not only loved the German Shepherds but the hospital on the site. We were both overwhelmed by the excellent organization of the facility, the commitment and the bravery of the handlers, trainers, dogs and doctors. Later this afternoon, I met with the Director of a research organization in Afghanistan - a wonderful French woman - who warmly treated me to an excellent cup of coffee and a frank chat on her extraordinary experiences in Afghanistan. I am starting to feel like this city might be a friend... slowly, I am starting to see the personality of the weather, the streets, the shop-owners, the people on the streets. Admittedly, for most of my time here I have seen the ugliness - now, I am starting to see the magic: the way the men touch their heart with their hands in greeting, the bright clothing of the women, the resilience, the humour, the perseverence in the face of all odds. What a humbling process for me.