“Unimaginable”: Communication with the severe-looking men
What images come to mind when you think of a typical man from Afghanistan or Pakistan? Through the protracted conflict in Afghanistan and news about terrorist bombings by the Taliban and Al Qaeda, a cheerful face may not be the image you conjure up. Before I left for this post, I too was slightly anxious about what topics of conversation would best build rapport and understanding with the local people.
From December 2012, I began working in the AAR Pakistan office and have been providing educational support to the Afghani refugee children that live in and around the refugee camps. Along with maintaining the sanitation facilities in the classrooms, libraries, toilets and washrooms of the schools, we have been conducting training courses aimed at teachers and parents with the aim of having accurate hygiene information delivered from adults to the children. From April 2012 to September this year, 793 teachers and parents have participated in AAR’s sanitation training courses.
The training courses are conducted over 4 days and are separated into courses for men and women. On the first day of a training course held in March, the group that gathered was made up of severe-looking men with magnificent beards. I had prepared a game of Chinese-whispers to allow the participants to realize the importance of communicating well-organized information, but was nervous about their willingness to even participate in a game
The unexpected reaction
However, as soon as the game began all the participants began to laugh and giggle and lean in closely to each other to pass on the secret messages. When the answers were revealed, the excitement in the small classroom had reached its peak and tenor cheers of “Yes!! That’s right!!” “No!! Totally wrong!!” vibrated throughout. The participants appeared to have genuinely enjoyed the game. I was surprised by the serious note taking and concentration that was displayed by participants, and the lively responses and raising of hands to AAR staff questions that was seen after the game.
Most of the participants of the training courses arrived to the camps as Afghani refugees and thus had not had the opportunity to learn at a school up until this point. The participants appeared to thoroughly enjoy the chance to gather together to learn something, just like in a class at school. The Afghani and Pakistani people I met turned my image of “a strict people with harsh faces” right on its head.
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The men from the refugee camp enjoying a game of Chinese-whispers. A smile slips as the message is whispered into his ear. (26th March 2013) |