Overview

The very mention of Afghanistan conjures images of war, international power politics, the opium trade, and widespread corruption. Yet the untold story of Afghanistan's seemingly endless misfortune is the disruptive impact that prolonged conflict has had on ordinary rural Afghans, their culture, and the timeless relationship they share with their land and animals. In rural Afghanistan, when animals die, livelihoods are lost, families and communities suffer, and people may perish. That Sheep May Safely Graze details a determined effort, in the midst of war, to bring essential veterinary services to an agrarian society that depends day in and day out on the well-being and productivity of its animals, but which, because of decades of war and the disintegration of civil society, had no reliable access to even the most basic animal health care. The book describes how, in the face of many obstacles, a dedicated group of Afghan and expatriate veterinarians working for a small non governmental organization (NGO) in Kabul was able to create a national network of over 400 veterinary field units staffed by over 600 veterinary para professionals. These paravets were selected by their own communities and then trained and outfitted by the NGO so that nearly every district in the country that needed basic veterinary services now has reliable access to such services. Most notably, over a decade after its inception and with Afghanistan still in free fall, this private sector, district-based animal health program remains vitally active. The community-based veterinary para professionals continue to provide quality services to farmers and herders, protecting their animals from the ravages of disease and improving their livelihoods, despite the political upheavals and instability that continue to plague the country. The elements contributing to this sustainability and their application to programs for improved veterinary service delivery in developing countries beyond Afghanistan are described in the narrative.

Full Product Details

Author:   David M. Sherman
Publisher:   Purdue University Press
Imprint:   Purdue University Press
Weight:   0.515kg
ISBN:  

9781557538628

ISBN 10:   155753862
Pages:   326
Publication Date:   30 March 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Foreword Introduction Abbreviations 1. Go See the Warlord 2. Unexpected Destination 3. Negotiating with the Taliban 4. USAID Comes Back to Afghanistan 5. Going to Kabul 6. Introductions 7. Dinner Conversations 8. Starting Up the RAMP 9. Reality Check 10. Veterinarians in Name Only 11. Street Life 12. Unexpected Adventures at the Ministry of Planning 13. Hiring Dr. Nasseri 14. Veterinary Scavenger Hunt 15. Off to the Zoo 16. Ramping Up 17. Aerial View 18. Samaruddin 19. Growing Pains 20. Cold Chain 21. Progress Report 22. At Home in Kabul 23. The Graduates 24. Life at the Office 25. A Raft of Problems 26. The French Connection 27. On Target 28. A Paravet in Parliament 29. Torah! Torah! Torah! 30. Sliding Down the RAMP 31. Goodbye RAMP, Hello ASAP 32. Hints of Trouble to Come 33. The Ambassador 34. Sorrow in September 35. First Annual Convention 36. Front Row Seat 37. Return to Kabul 38. Dr. Noor Jahan 39. Jinns 40. Bombproofing 41. No Dairy Farmers Here 42. Who Are You Again? 43. Too Close for Comfort 44. Afghanization 45. Ahmad Nasir's Cow 46. ASAP Claptrap 47. A Civil Military Affair 48. Hostile Takeover Attempt 49. Good Dollars, Bad Dollars 50. Letting Go 51. Encounter in Tiangi Pass 52. Yankees Cap 53. Teamwork 54. What Were They Thinking? 55. Return 56. Dreams Deferred 57. Coming Full Circle Epilogue: Lessons Learned and Applied Acknowledgments Bibliography Notes Index

Reviews

Dr. David Sherman's account of his experiences in post-Taliban Afghanistan, working to improve veterinary training and treatment for livestock by establishing a network of rural vet centers, is a hard-hitting cautionary tale leavened with hilarity and warmth. He and his colleagues must constantly navigate bureaucratic rivalries and improvise to overcome logistical obstacles. Yet the author finds glimpses of charm and beauty in an impoverished, militarized setting. His most meaningful passages are about animals--whether examining an ailing pig at the Kabul Zoo or a cow at the home of his office cleaner, where he relaxes under a mulberry tree and is later gratified to learn the cow has delivered a healthy calf. Despite all the frustrations, the reader can see what keeps drawing Sherman back to this hardscrabble war zone, where both animals and people struggle daily to survive.

Dr. David Sherman's account of his experiences in post-Taliban Afghanistan, working to improve veterinary training and treatment for livestock by establishing a network of rural vet centers, is a hard-hitting cautionary tale leavened with hilarity and warmth. He and his colleagues must constantly navigate bureaucratic rivalries and improvise to overcome logistical obstacles. Yet the author finds glimpses of charm and beauty in an impoverished, militarized setting. His most meaningful passages are about animals--whether examining an ailing pig at the Kabul Zoo or a cow at the home of his office cleaner, where he relaxes under a mulberry tree and is later gratified to learn the cow has delivered a healthy calf. Despite all the frustrations, the reader can see what keeps drawing Sherman back to this hardscrabble war zone, where both animals and people struggle daily to survive. --Pamela Constable, Foreign Correspondent: The Washington Post

Dr. David Sherman's account of his experiences in post-Taliban Afghanistan, working to improve veterinary training and treatment for livestock by establishing a network of rural vet centers, is a hard-hitting cautionary tale leavened with hilarity and warmth. He and his colleagues must constantly navigate bureaucratic rivalries and improvise to overcome logistical obstacles. Yet the author finds glimpses of charm and beauty in an impoverished, militarized setting. His most meaningful passages are about animals--whether examining an ailing pig at the Kabul Zoo or a cow at the home of his office cleaner, where he relaxes under a mulberry tree and is later gratified to learn the cow has delivered a healthy calf. Despite all the frustrations, the reader can see what keeps drawing Sherman back to this hardscrabble war zone, where both animals and people struggle daily to survive. --Pamela Constable, Foreign Correspondent: The Washington Post American veterinarian David Sherman is offered an opportunity to help rebuild the animal care system for livestock in war-torn Afghanistan. Recognizing that healthy livestock can mean the difference between hopeless poverty and economic stability for rural people in this troubled country, he jumps at the chance. This is the story of that development effort, written in a manner that is inspiring, candid, informative, and easy to read. Sherman relates, with empathy and insight, the challenges and conflicts that he and his colleagues faced to successfully establish a national network of veterinary field units to improve the health and productivity of animals, and the livelihoods of people throughout rural Afghanistan. --Ren A. Carlson, DVM, President: World Veterinary Association (2014-2017) Veterinarian and global goat health expert David Sherman shares his big-picture view of the development challenges in Afghanistan based on his years of living there. He illustrates the importance of animal health, often overlooked by development experts, so readers can appreciate how healthy sheep and goats provide livelihoods for rural people, food for hungry cities, and wool for beautiful carpets. The book contains numerous short and charming vignettes that vary from quiet delight in small farm life to portraits of fascinating individuals to frustration with ever-changing political agendas. Most importantly, David invites readers to see the dignity and humanity in his Afghan colleagues and ordinary villagers. Western development aid has resulted in too few successes, but this highly readable account of Afghanistan's veterinary field unit project is a how-to of effective assistance that improves the lives of animals and the people who depend on them.--Beth A. Miller, President: International Goat Association There are literally billions of animals (cows, sheep, goats, etc.) that often represent the only assets extremely poor rural families depend on for income, nutrition, status, power, fiber, fertilizer, fuel, and more. One of the major challenges facing these farmers and herders is the health of their animals. Paraveterinary (extension and clinical service) networks are often discussed but rarely well-established on any kind of sustainable and self-reliant basis. That Sheep May Safely Graze is an extraordinary story of success in building community-led, community-supported, and accountable networks of paravets who are protecting and enhancing the value of the livestock in Afghanistan. Their lessons learned are relevant to all of us engaged in livestock management, and it makes for a captivating and engrossing book on how things can get done when it matters to people. --Pierre Ferrari, President and Chief Executive Officer: Heifer International In the world of goat health and husbandry, David Sherman is something of a rock star. He coauthored the first authoritative veterinary textbook exclusively on diseases of goats, and is known as a practitioner, policy maker, and advocate for global animal health. Here he reveals himself as an engaging author and development worker whose passions led him to war-torn Afghanistan to work among poor herders and farmers, and build veterinary service delivery networks and vaccine cold chains to keep their animals healthy. There are few good stories that have come out of America's adventures in Afghanistan. This is one of them. --Brad Kessler, author of: Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese

Author Information

David M. Sherman is an American veterinarian with a global practice. He has worked and consulted in over 40 countries for a variety of international agencies, including the UNDP, FAO, the World Bank, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Heifer International, Farm Africa, and others. He is the author of Tending Animals in the Global Village: A Guide to International Veterinary Medicine and coauthor of the textbook Goat Medicine. His international activities include animal health service delivery, veterinary infrastructure development, transboundary animal disease control, goat health and production, and veterinary and veterinary paraprofessional education. From 2004–2009, Sherman worked in Afghanistan, managing a nationwide USAID-funded program to restore basic veterinary service delivery to livestock owners in that war-torn country. In 2006, the American Veterinary Medical Association awarded him the XII International Veterinary Congress Prize for his outstanding contribution to international understanding of the importance of veterinary medicine in society. He currently works for the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) at their headquarters in Paris, France.

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