28 June 2012
Mary Thida Lun has been in Afghanistan over the last seven months as Deputy DFID Representative & Deputy Socio-Economic Development Team Leader in the Helmand Provincial Reconstrution Team. She reflects on her time there.
"51... 52... 53... 54... 55... 56... 57... 58... 59..."
Why do those last 10 seconds on the treadmill always stretch out for an eternity?
As I wearily plodded towards the end of my last gym session, I was reminded of the 80:20 saying, 'it generally takes 20% of your energy to achieve 80% of your objective, but then 80% to conclude that last 20%'.
As I prepare to depart after my seven month tour in Helmand, there is a palpable sense of the team collectively glaring at a metaphorical 10 seconds for Afghanistan. All Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), like the one I've been based in, will close by the end of 2014. The end of 2014 will also see the completion of the security transition from international forces to Afghan National Security Forces.
After over 10 years of an international combat presence, these next couple of years represent those last metaphorical 10 seconds. The Chicago and Tokyo Conferences, the US/Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement and the UK Enduring Partnership Agreement embody a collective surge towards the 2014 finish line and beyond.
Not only are we all digging deep to push for those last 10 seconds, but we are also training for the marathon ahead of us. 2014-2025 has been heralded by the Afghan Government as the 'Transformation Decade'– a term coined to capture its vision for the 10 years immediately after transition, in which Afghanistan’s plans for self-reliance, prosperity, stability and peace will be established.
Girls in school, Nahr-e-Saraj. Picture: Catherine Belfield-Haines/ DFID
One particular memory that will stay with me is of a visit to a school in Nahr-e-Saraj. The children had walked four kilometres to get to the school – the security situation would have rendered this unthinkable just a year ago.
As a second generation refugee who had the good fortune of receiving a decent education, this is a subject very close to my heart. During the Taliban regime only about one million children attended school, almost none of them girls. Today, 5.8 million children are going to school, 2.2 million of them girls.
When you see real progress like this, it's not hard to draw upon your reserves and really make those last 10 seconds count. The UK Government is committed for the long haul, but most importantly our Afghan partners are in the lead in this race. I for one will remain an avid spectator.