"Once in Afghanistan"

After 9/11, a group of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, who served in Afghanistan before the decades of violence began and still vividly recalled the hospitality of the people, documented their stories and images.  The World Health Organization had made eradication of smallpox its top priority and the volunteers struggled with the challenges of vaccinating in a country of high mountains and vast deserts and where many of the Afghan women and older girls could not be seen, much less vaccinated, by a male outside her family.

Their stories, from interviews and photographs, make people smile, shudder and also feel hopeful.

Two Vermont film festivals included it and an interview with one of the producers, RPCV Jill Vickers, was broadcast on VPR’s “All Things Considered.”  Independent theaters, libraries, and colleges from Boothbay Harbor, ME to Albuquerque, NM and Seattle, WA to Key West, FL have featured it.  “Once in Afghanistan” was shown at this year’s Global Health conference in D.C. and plans are to include it as part of Peace Corps Atlanta’s celebration of the 50th anniversary at The Carter Center.

A Question and Answer session follows the screening with producers Jody Bergedick and Peace Corps Volunteer Jill Vickers; Kristina Engstrom, PC/Afghanistan Training Director; and vaccinators Barbara Runyan, Charlene McGrath, Maggie Eccles, Martie Haynes and Lizette Echols.