USAID Administrator visits Afghanistan

Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta H. Fore meets Minister Obaidullah Ramin at Badam Bagh Farm, the first stop on her trip to Afghanistan. This Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock site was extensively developed by USAID to include AgFair buildings for public events and a demonstration farm to demonstrate new technologies in water resource management, fodder production, and agriculture productivity enhancements.

Photo: USAID

Administrator Fore prepares to visit Nangarhar province to discuss USAID’s support for civil-military cooperation, best practices and lessons learned from the progressive efforts of Regional Command East and Task Force Bayonet to take a “whole-of-government” interagency approach to development, governance, and security objectives in Afghanistan.

Photo: USAID

April 22, 2008: Administrator Fore talks with a woman entrepreneur at the USAID funded Construction Trades Training Center in Jalalabad, Nangarhar.

Photo: USAID

April 22, 2008: Administrator Fore and Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal travel by helicopter to visit development projects in Nangarhar province.

Photo: USAID

April 22, 2008: Press Conference in Jalalabad, Nangarhar with Governor Sherzai and the delegation

Photo: USAID

On April 22, 2008, Administrator Fore administered the oath of office to Michael Yates, the new Mission Director for Afghanistan. According to Mark Ward, USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for Asia, rarely has a USAID Mission Director been sworn by the Administrator in at the duty post.

Photo: USAID

On Day Four of her visit to Afghanistan, Administrator Fore delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the first Job Fair hosted by the Afghan Technical and Vocational Institute (ATVI). She took this opportunity to highlight USAID’s support for the development of a skilled Afghan workforce that is critical to the advancement of Afghanistan’s domestic economy. Shown here, Administrator Fore is greeted by (from left) ATVI Executive Director Ambassador Sardar Roshan, Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr. Hussn Banu Ghazanfar Minister of Education Atmar, and Parliamentarian Sabrina Saqib.

Photo: USAID

On her last stop in Kabul, Administrator Fore addressed a group of students at the American University of Kabul. After speaking with the students, the Administrator commented that “It is clear that they are poised to become the future leaders in Afghanistan and will make significant contributions to Afghanistan’s development.”

Photo: USAID