10 December 2010
This interview appeared in today's Metro.
Carrie Netting, 30, is deputy programme manager for Growth and Livelihoods
at the Department for International Development. She works in Afghanistan where she oversees aid programmes and recently served as an observer of the country’s elections.
What do you do?
I manage projects in Helmand to help boost economic development. We build roads, power stations, help businesses create jobs and help Afghans improve their incomes. We evaluate the benefit of our programmes and make sure the money we spend here is well spent.
Will you leave at the same time as the Army?
The Army has a transition plan which we fit into. Our engagement, since Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries, will last some time after the troops have left. The Army works alongside Afghan security services, so Afghanistan will be able to support itself on a security footing by the time the Army leaves. Our role is to provide basic services so Afghanistan can provide for its people without us being here.
What else have you done to help people in Afghanistan?
I recently visited a village that has a grant to build a school and met a farmer who now can send his children there. The government also built him a cold storage unit so he can store his potatoes all year round and feed his family. Today 5.3 million children attend school and a third are girls. In 2001, only one million children went to school and none of them were girls. I also observed the recent elections and watched an elderly man vote for the first time in 30 years. It’s important that Britain imparts its experience of election processes. Afghanistan has only voted nine times in its history so its processes need development.
Did you find the elections depressing?
No, my experience was really positive. Women were voting for the first time and the election centres were full. It was good to see people participating in that process under very trying circumstances.
Should our government pay for schools to be built in Afghanistan when they say they can’t afford to build them in Britain?
Those decisions are made by politicians; it’s not for me to comment. Given that Afghanistan is such a poor country, if people in Britain saw the difference we make in children’s lives they would be proud of the work we do here. We fund the government from monies which are independently managed and audited. The Afghan Ministry of Education decides where to build schools and how much to spend on developing curriculums, so when we leave, that means the ministry is in place to carry on the work without us.
Since Afghanistan is so unstable and corrupt, are you concerned your work might prove to be a waste of time once you leave the country?
We don’t underestimate the scale of corruption here but there are so many people working to make it a better country for everyone – often at considerable personal risk. There are so many committed people working to ensure that when Britain and others leave they have the structures to be able to stand on their own feet.
You’ve got no guarantee your work will be supported by future Afghan governments when you leave, have you?
There are now farmers who can feed their families all year round, businessmen talking about manufacturing products for export, children in schools; we’re making a massive difference in people’s lives. Meeting people every day who are benefiting from our work is what keeps me going.
What reception do you get from the Afghans?
They treat us extremely well, especially in the more remote provinces where they don’t meet Westerners often. They’ve all been very positive and pleased to meet us and seem thankful for what we do.
Are you worried you’ll be kidnapped?
No. We have extremely tight security procedures and a huge security team. We have bodyguards when we visit projects and travel in secure armoured vehicles and keep a low profile. I’ve never felt at risk.