Who are the friends of Kabul Maternity?

The Friends of Kabul Maternity are Eangelica Aton, Behrouz Talai and Wahida Fazli. These three individuals wanted to draw attention to the situation faced by women and children in Afghanistan, to raise awareness and commitment towards sustainable development. Their vision and determination resulted in a remarkable event.

When was the first event held?

This first event was held on December 14, 2003 at the historic Adobe Building in Mountain View, California. Rather than a large, impersonal banquet room, the Adobe Building - with its fireplace, beamed ceiling and hardwood floors - was the perfect venue for an event that was intimate, informative and entertaining. Within thirty minutes this room was turned into a welcoming home for the guests - with tables of Afghan food, candalabra and the bright colors of auction items, tableclothes and rugs. The addition of music made for a glowing spot of warmth in the city of Mountain View on that winter night.

The event was called A Celebration of Light and Children

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness and funds for the Rábia Balkhi Hospital Project. Speakers presented the situation at the hospital in words that did not back off from the truth. This hospital, which serves so many women in the city of Kabul and surrounding areas, needs more medical equipment, more supplies, more of everything.

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Who were the featured speakers at this event?

The featured speakers were Mrs. Nazima Momand, Educator and Healthcare Advocate; Jane Sinense, Founder of the Rábia Balkhi Hospital Project and Rosemary Stasek, Mountain View City Councilwoman. Each provided her insight into the need to improve the quality of care in medical facilities in Afghanistan.

- Mrs. Nazima Momand recently visited Rábia Balkhi Hospital. Her presentation was, therefore, timely and truthful. She described the conditions at the hospital, her voice at times breaking with emotion. The difficulties doctors at the hospital face are compounded by the frustration of promises of assistance made but not kept. There was no avoiding the obvious fact that it was up to all of us in the room to help resolve this situation and this factor added a weight to the evening - we were not there just to be entertained but to help.

- Jane Sinense founded the Rábia Balkhi Hospital Project. She explained how watching a documentary about the hospital motivated her to start the project. She could not turn away from the situation and had to do something about it. Her hopes are that money will be raised without delay so that equipment can be delivered to the hospital, and expressed optimism that the project would be able to expand to encompass more hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

- Rosemary Stasek has visited Kabul two times. Her first visit was as a member of a reconstruction delegation. On her second visit Rosemary instituted a reconstruction project in the women's prison in Kabul. Her lecture and slide show concentrated on the changes that have occurred in Kabul between 2002 and 2003 and she reported specifically on the healthcare situations in the facilities in Kabul which she visited. Sugar water was a primary form of "medicine" and conditions were extremely bad. During her second visit she saw some improvement but, of course, a far cry from any standard of care one would hope for. While highlighting the all-encompassing need in every facet of Afghan society Rosemary also described the strength and hope she saw in Afghans and the unconditional support Afghan woman give to their families.

Rosemary also discussed future plans for her next visit to Kabul. Her website has more information and wonderful photographs - please visit it at http://www.stasek.com

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Featured artists and musicians

To keep the evening a true celebration music provided the spirit:
- Tabla and sitar were performed by Zia Khwaja and Hamid Ahrari,
- Guitar was performed by Brandon Vance,
- Keyboard was performed by Igor Sinyak.

Paintings by Naseem Yar were displayed and made available for the auction.

Total Amount Raised for the Rábia Balkhi Hospital Project: $4,600

This is the direct effort of Friends of Kabul Maternity and was the sum of at-the-door donations, auction proceeds and other donations. This will go directly to assist Rábia Balkhi Hospital.

Sponsors and Acknowledgements

Special thanks go to the individuals who created this most important night. The first go to Eangelica Aton, Behrouz Talai and Wahida Fazli, whose vision and hard work made the event happen.

Very special thanks also go to Katy and Saaed Sarai-Parpour for their fantastic event production. They created a warm and spirited atmosphere for our gathering with every detail anticipated and planned for.

In addition, this event would not have been a success without the generous help of:

- Maryam Shobeiri, who was the Mistress of Ceremonies,
- Mrs. Karima Fazli, for all of her support and assistance,
- Frozan Faizi and Anisa Faizi, who both provided artistic assistance,
- Society of Afghan Professionals (www.sapweb.org),
- A Little Help, Rosemary Stasek's organization,
- Amir Kia, provided poetic inspiration,
- All of the musicians,

and, most critical... FOOD, FOOD, FOOD !

The following sponsors donated their wonderful Afghan food:

Balkh Bakery and Deli
Fremont, California

Mission Paradise Banquet Hall
Hayward California
www.missionparadise.com

Pamir Food Mart
Fremont, California

DeAfghan Kabob House
Fremont, California

Afghan Market
Hayward, California

Afghan Village Restaurant
Newark, California

An important part of the evening was the auction, which featured many valuable pieces. Rugs, artwork, gift baskets, clothing, jewelry, carved tea sets, silver ornaments and more were auctioned. Many businesses provided these items - their help made the auction a huge success.

Rumi Bookstore
Fremont, California
www.rumibookstore.com

Abdullah Popal
c/o Remax Realty Eastbay Group

Hazara Gallery
Oakland, California
www.hazaragallery.com

Brass Act
Fremont, California

Pamir Travel
Fremont, California

Photos from the event

See the slide show here (requires Flash plug-in), with music clips, to get a feel for the night.

Again, I thank all who helped. I hope that many more people have the opportunity to attend future events held by the Friends of Kabul Maternity.

Jane Sinense

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