Afghanistan Crisis Support for Jill & Team

I’d like to tell you a story of courage and optimism in Afghanistan. 

A few months ago I joined an advisory board for an esteemed scientist working to develop opportunities for Afghan war widows to learn the art and science of gem cutting, and ultimately earning income to support their families. There are vast untapped natural resources within the country, and the economy that can be built around them could have a meaningful impact on the country as a whole. 

Meet Jill. Powerhouse of a human. Fearless. Courageous. Passionate about Afghanistan and the people there.

AND… a social enterprise built over her nearly 7 years in-country. She has knowledge of the land, the community, the language, and politics. And she knows the needs and the vast possibilities.

About Jill’s Venture:
Homestead Afghanistan, a 501c3, will focus on building self-sufficiency, self-reliance, resistance to natural and political shocks, and supporting local economic development for food security, post-conflict stabilization, and conflict mitigation, starting with subsistence agriculture. This holistic approach focused on a whole-of-village approach in remote mining communities across rural Afghanistan, has been developed using 20 years of lessons learned from hundreds of interventions in Afghanistan, over more than a decade of academic and primary practical research, as well as more than six years of boots-on-the-ground experience designing, monitoring, evaluating, and advising in-country. Through startup, pilot operations, proof of concept, and expansion, she will have demonstrated the feasibility of an entirely new approach to the extractive industries (rare gem mining), where the community is elevated as a viable industry is developed.  With the Afghanistan Ministry of Commerce and Industry approving an official, legal, export permitting process as of Spring 2021, there is finally a legal avenue for the export of all proposed mineral products.

If there was one person meant to be out there doing this work, it’s Jill.

Fast forward to the August 2021 Taliban takeover, and her plans are shifting in real-time. There are a lot of unknowns, as you can imagine. While the scenario isn’t necessarily good, it’s also, per her report, “not all bad”. She jokingly said to me with a laugh, “At least the government corruption is gone, the Taliban won’t stand for that!”.

But… what do they stand for? 

Many of you are probably thinking about the Taliban’s history of violence and their reputation of mistreating women. 

20 years is a long time. A lot has changed in 20 years and they appear to now have a new narrative. One that allows women to be educated, trained, and work, so long as they can do so in all-female spaces - the only caveat being those all-female schools and workspaces have yet to be built and Jill intends to build them, just as she planned. Jill believes the women of Afghanistan are worth the effort, to ensure that the gains of the last 20 years are not entirely lost.

The promises made by the Taliban have the world rightfully skeptical. There are instances of violence and violations of their leaders' directive, but on her call from Kabul, Jill was optimistic that things will stabilize. She reports while looking out of her window down to the street that women are indeed still outside and the new Taliban government has asked women to come back to work in government offices. 

This outreach isn’t a political one. I won’t take a stance on all of the politics involved here. I stand beside Jill… and through the chaos, Jill holds hope for the future of Afghanistan.  

There are, of course, risks. 

One of Jill’s staff received a threat in his village from the Taliban because it became known to them that he was working for “an American”. Jill has no ties to the government, and she’s hopeful that once they become aware of this information, the threats will subside. In the meantime, his brother and cousins were killed during and after the takeover, possibly as punishment for his absence, so she is organizing housing for him, his wife, their baby, and others, and exploring other options for their protection. Safeguarding the well-being of her trusted staff is central to her hope to create opportunities for future generations of Afghan women. 

In the meantime, Jill evacuated to her home in the US until things stabilize and the new norm is better understood. Now back in the US, she hopes to do more work to raise funds for her project at large. She is already making arrangements to meet with the Taliban upon her return to the country. She will need to do this in order to gain their approval for her work initiatives for the betterment of women's lives. She thinks they’ll be receptive, as she built the concept especially for the challenges of Afghanistan, and she intends to return, as soon as her presence doesn’t put her staff at risk.  

This brings hope. 

But Jill needs access to resources for herself and to safeguard her staff. We are hoping to raise $25K (US) to secure safe locations and cover the cost of utilities and expenses for at least the next 12 months. The staff and their families (whose identities cannot be disclosed at this time) are not only part of her work venture, they are years-long friends. They willingly took on the risk of “working for an American” as she set out to create change for the generations to come because they believe in her and her mission.  

If you can help, please help. If you can share, please share. 

Note that any amount raised beyond $25k will go towards her overarching mission and project to build infrastructure in support of women's rights, education, and employment.