Committee and Directors’ Meeting
San Diego~Jalalabad Sister Cities Foundation
www.SanDiegoJalalabadSisterCities.org
Luce, Forward—Del Mar Office
April 21, 2010
5:30 PM
Minutes
Directors Present: Steve Brown, Dr. Art Mendoza, Chuck DuVivier, Kathleen Roche-Tansey, Cynthia Villis (late),
Directors Absent: Dr. Hamed Bayat, Habib Baha (Note: Director Fary Moini resigned her Director position November 24,
2009 before receive reimbursement funds from the Washington State University grant. This makes our tax reporting less
complicated if no officer or director receives funds from the foundation.)
Committee Members and Guests Present: Susan Brown, Fary Moini, Steve Gardality, Kate DuVivier, Dr. Stephen Dorros,
Kim Guevara, Penny Bolden, Mike Whipple, Rob Mullally, Kylie McGlynn, Dr. Esmet Hatamy (late), Dr. Dave Warner,
Madelyn Warner.
1.
Welcome—Steve Brown:
2. Introductions of Directors, Committee Members and Guests: Four guests attended for the first time-Dr.
Dorros heads the Teleradiology Center at University of California-San Diego; Penny Bolden is wife of Lt. Col. Charles
Bolden presently deployed in Afghanistan; Kyle McGlynn is President of the Interact Club at Torrey Pines High
School; Madelyn Warner spent substantial time in Jalalabad last summer.
3. Global Connection and Exchange Program--Year 2 and anticipated year 3
a. Jalalabad side--Brown and Moini provided an update on the status of this program in Afghanistan. More
than 1,600 Afghan high School students have participated in the program in the first half of the second year
of this program. Eight sites have been established serving approximately fourteen schools.
b. Additional schools-Bibi Mariam, International Orphan Care School, Agricultural school and
Technical school-Brown reported the above schools are being added to GCEP in Afghanistan. The Bibi
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Mariam School serves students of Nangarhar University faculty and other students living in the university
area. NATO is providing the internet to that school and the connection should be live in about one to two
months. Four computers are bing added to the IOC school and GCEP curriculum will be introduced there. It
is anticipated the Agricultural School students can be in contact with students in the US involved in the
Future Farmers of America and 4-H Programs. We hope to find technical students in the U.S. to
communicate with their counterparts at the technical school in Jalalabad.
Small Grants for Afghan GCE Students-Moini reported on the incredible success of this program.
Female high school students put on a workshop about Violence Against Women, students undertook
cleanup projects and “plantation” projects. Much work went into organizing teams, assigning responsibilities,
getting donations from the community, financial planning and accountability and reporting on the projects.
Our foundation provided $1,500 ($150 per project) to support this effort.
US side-Villis: Brown reported in the absence of Villis that the U.S. participation is not as strong as the
Afghan participation but we do have substantial participation on the U.S. side that continues to increase.
McGlynn offered to bring this program to the Torrey Pines Interact Club for active participation including
working with a future small grants program
4. Nangarhar University
a. NATO Connectivity to College of Education, Medical School, Teaching Hospital, Teaching
College, and Computer Science Dept.—Brown reported that NATO is providing connectivity to these
b.
sites. We have set up a 34 station computer lab at the medical school. Professors are using this and medical
students are enrolled in an on-line medical English course at UCSD. It was also reported that computers and
internet connectivity are being provided to six projectors in the classrooms at the medical school. Fifty
computers have been provided to the Computer Science Department. An eight station computer lab is being
set up at the teaching hospital; Five computers are being added to the training facility at the College of
Education. The forgoing items are being provided under the Light Up Jalalabad grant received by the La
Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club Foundation.
Networking Infrastructure Grant-main campus—Brown reported that Moini has received a grant from
NATO that is funding the distribution of the internet signal NATO is providing to sixteen buildings on the
main NU campus. This fiber optic network should be complete in a few days. The dish will arrive sometime
towards the end of May and the network should go live shortly thereafter. With our assistance NU is applying
to World Bank for funding to set up an IT department.
5. Light up Jalalabad (LUJ)-Brown
a. Public Hospital-Midwifery lab Brown reported that through LUJ the internet is being brought to the Mid-
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wifery computer lab and the female nursing computer lab to facilitate web based training. This should be
operational within a month’s time. One of the female trainers at the mid-wifery lab has been enrolled in the
UCSD on line medical English program.
b. NU College of Education-Classroom facility—see item 4.a above
c. High Schools—connectivity and labs: All high schools sites connected to the internet and participating in
GCEP have their connectivity paid for by LUJ
d. NU Medical School-expanding computer labs; see 4.a above; setting up NING site; a NING site has
been set up for the medical school which for now is acting as a web page for the medical school go to:
http://numedicalfaculty.ning.com/on-line
e. Teaching Hospital-see 4.a above
f. Telemedicine possibilities-Dr. Dorros offered the services of his teleradiology laboratory to read images
sent to him or his lab remotely. The services offered would be at no charge and they have a very large
capacity to assist the needs in Jalalabad and perhaps in other parts of Afghanistan .Brown reported that the
internet is being brought to a clinic in Jalalabad that has ultra sound and CAT scan machines. Guevara
mentioned that a Medweb server might be able to be relocated to assist in this endeavor. Brown also
mentioned a Jalalabad dermatologist is interested in learning how to use a digital camera and the lab being
set up at the teaching hospital to send digital images to Dr. Steven Emmet in San Diego who has offered his
dermatology consulting services pro bono.
g. Internet café: Brown reported that a survey of existing Jalalabad sites has been requested to help in the
planning in setting up a for-profit internet café.
Bridge over Kabul River—Moini reported that we had been advised the bridge project would be approved at a
technical working group on April 5. However, for some reason the item was not on the agenda for that meeting. Dave
Warner advised that he has been told this item has been reduced in priority by U.S. government interests and it may
be a long time before it is considered again. Brown and Moini will follow up on this. Since the meeting Brown was
advised by the USAID representative at the Jalalabad PRT: “The officials forgot to present the project last month, and they
plan to present the project this month. This is an Afghan-led process, so level of priority given by US interest is not relevant and
does not play a role in this TWG/PDC process underway.”
Rotary School improvements and possible second floor for six additional classrooms-Moini reported that a
person she has been introduced to virtually is raising funds to build a second floor over six classrooms on the Rotary
school. He has obtained $85,000 in commitments and hopes to have $100,000 by mid May. The school which was
built to accommodate 1,000 students presently has about 5,500 students running in three shifts and with some
classrooms under tents and some in the open air surrounding the facility.
Female Dormitory Nangarhar University-Moini reported that the facility is complete and a “den mother” has
been hired. We anticipate occupancy this fall. Additional work needs to be undertaken to bring in a heavier electrical
cable capable of handling the load of the air conditioners.
9. SDSU World Bank Contracts
a. ESL-Spencer & Moini
Gap period and Phase 2 proposal: Brown reported that the ESL contract with World Bank
finishes at the end of April, 2010 yet there is additional work to be accomplished to fully implement
year 4. A proposal is being processed through World Bank to fund this gap. Also a proposal has been
prepared to extend the program to eventually have NU issues Master’s Degrees. Alliant University is
also involved in the Phase 2 proposal. That proposal will need to be revised to accommodate
deferred time lines and probably will not be considered until around the end of 2010.
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Engineering –Spencer and Moini: Afghan Scholars at SDSU and in Poland (Cracow
University of Technology): This program is proceeding with two Afghan Engineering professors
working on their MA degree at SDSU and with six about to go to a university in Poland to get English
language training and their MA degrees from the university in Poland. Difficulties in getting US visas
necessitated working with the Polish university.
Rotary Scholar Hassan at USD-Villis reported that Hassan is doing well academically and having ample
opportunities for speaking engagements. His wife gave birth to a son a few days ago.
Rotary Scholar at Grand Valley State University, Michigan-Brown reported that NU contract professor Fazal
will complete his MA in English in December. Brown and Moini arrange for this scholarship.
Washington State University contract concluded-Brown reported the first year of this program was concluded
and the grant was not renewed. USAID is now providing funding to its HEP program to assist in medical education.
Brown and Moini met with HEP representatives in Jalalabad and see good opportunities for collaboration. HEP was
very impressed with our efforts already undertake to assist the medical education community in Jalalabad.
Canadian School Project-Brown reported that construction which started in January will be essentially competed
in a few months. Brown and Moini are assisting Rotary in Canada and the Canadian government to build this school
which will eventually house about 4,000 students with about 75% being females. It should be ready for occupancy by
the fall academic year of 2010.
14. Review of Foundation Finances-request donations-Brown mentioned the need for unrestricted donations to
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continue to provide support for our programs. Please send the check to him payable to the San Diego~Jalalabad
Sister Cities Foundation.
Heart Monitoring Equipment for Nangarhar Public Hospital-Brown reported that the paperwork is complete
and the funding in place for Assist International to provide about $500,000 of heart monitoring equipment to the
Public Hospital in Jalalabad. AI will send a team to install, train for maintenance and use in the next few months.
Medications for Afghanistan-Gardality reported he received a list of desired medications from Dr. Khan. He will
review this with International Relief Team and determining the funding available through International Relief Team
and the Encinitas Coastal Rotary Club to send medications to Jalalabad.
Pathology Lab for Jalalabad-Mendoza reported there have been some delays in getting the lab equipment ready
for shipment. It may have left the U.S. a few days ago. Mendoza will go to Jalalabad when he can confirm arrival of
the equipment in Jalalabad but he will not be able to travel this summer for scheduling reasons.
Telemedicine-Guevara reported Medweb is re-evaluating its schedule to provide telemedicine in Jalalabad. They
have identified a non-profit to work with that may be able to facilitate their training program. Timing remains uncertain
but there may be an abbreviated mission in the next few weeks.
Recent Trip-Warner reported that he recently met with ISAF folks in Kabul who are very interested in the
accomplishments of the groups we are connected with through multiple social networks. He has arranged for two
ladies to be in Jalalabad in April who have been providing valuable volunteer services to various programs including
GCEP. He anticipates additional people affiliated with his activities continuing to go to Jalalabad on a regular basis.
Recent trip-Moini and Brown-no additional report
Hosting Afghan High school Students next academic year-Brown passed on a request from US Dept. of State
to consider housing an Afghan high school student starting fall of 2010. A lead was mentioned by Villis and she will
follow up.
22. Other Old Business
23. New Business: Whipple mentioned that the UCSD Afghan/American Students Association is sponsoring a
fundraiser for International Orphan Care. He will send out information about this event.
24. Adjourn—the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM