Peshawar trip 27 NGOs

NGOs
During my time in Peshawar and Afghanistan, I was constantly interacting
with workers of international aid groups – or non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) as they are officially called. They were eye-opening
encounters that I will not easily forget. Meeting the people, living with
them, visiting and traveling with them, having them explain their missions
to me in person; all that was so different from reading about them in books
and newspapers as I had only done thus far.
IAM – International Assistance ('A' used to stand for 'Afghan')
Mission, SNI – Shelter Now International, ORA – Orphans, Refugees and Aid,
even the UNHCR – UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as various
Christian missions like OM – Operation Mobilisation, Serve, Bethany, who
also did relief work in these areas – these were the various groups I came
into contact with. Everyone played a vital part in bringing some hope to
the lives of the Afghan refugees; it was probably due to them that hundreds
of people stayed alive or healthy year after year. How much more meaningful
a task could one have?
All of the people leading such organizations were foreigners,
although locals were employed as staff. The bulk of them came from the
United States and various European countries, and were Christians, while a
small handful were Koreans or from East Asia. Most of these NGOs, including
the International Red Cross, had their offices located in the University
Town. It was interesting to drive down that particular street and see the
whole row of gates with their names.

In contrast, there was a stark absence of Muslim relief workers or
organizations present in the area. It was quite a noticeable fact in this
majority Muslim nation, in which most of the refugees were Muslim or from
another Muslim nation. One wondered if the more affluent Muslim nations
nearby were aware of the plight of these people, and if so, what was the
hindrance to sending assistance over or at least to work alongside the
organizations that were already established there. After all, Islam is a
religion that emphasizes charity in their pillar of zakat or almsgiving,
and the Afghan refugees would be a very needy group of recipients.

I was often quite amused to note that almost every single one of the
Christian foreign volunteer workers attended the same church that Darrell
and I did on Sundays. It was a church in the Cantonment area – a large old
and beautiful building, still retaining its solid stone pillars and massive
structures. In fact, I would often meet these people during the week when I
visited their refugee camps or resident homes. I would have been introduced
to them, shaken hands with them, and been taken on a tour of their premises
by them.
And then there they were, on Sunday, standing a few pews away from me
in the sanctuary of the church, greeting and chatting with fellow-
churchgoers! With each passing week, I came to recognize more and more
faces in the pews. Turning around, I would spot a familiar face – 'Hey,
that's the ORA guy!' or 'That's the IAM man we met at the refugee camp!'
The ORA guy would be conversing cheerfully with the SNI guy – both serving
in different camps, but good friends outside.
I used to make a seemingly morbid and pessimistic (yet, in my
opinion, realistic and plausible) joking comment to Natalie and Darrell:
"If ever anyone wanted to get rid of all the foreigners serving in this
land, all they have to do is drop a bomb on this church at this particular
hour of the church service on Sunday!" It was almost as if every single
foreign aid worker in Peshawar was wandering about somewhere in that church
grounds.
It was heartwarming to see the number of people who had given up
their settled lives in modern home cities, left family and friends or
dragged along their whole families, to move into a land often fraught with
dangers, uncertainty and less material comforts. They had settled for a
life in which they were always seen as an outsider or an alien. They did
this, amongst possibly many other motives, to bring some joy and relief to
the lives of less fortunate fellow-humans. It was such a privilege to meet
these people, some of whom actually ran the aid organizations themselves,
face to face, and hear them talk about their objectives, their visions,
their fears and their hopes.

I also loved the way they were so free and generous with their
material possessions. When a couple or family was returning to their home
city for a long vacation or furlough, it was a common sight to see the
family spokesman going up to the front of the church on a Sunday. He would
pick up the microphone, announce his plans, and then end with an invitation
like this: 'If anyone here is in need of accommodation, or knows of others
who need a place to stay for the next few months, please feel free to
direct them to us. If we're gone, our housekeys will be in so-and-so's
safekeeping; please direct all enquiries to him.'
It was lovely to see how they were so willing to share their often-
comfortable (in relative terms!) houses or apartments with total strangers,
risking damage, wear-and-tear, invasion of privacy or even theft. They did
not hold their material possessions so dear that it blinded their
perspective.