Fred Hartman, a family physician with training in public health and infectious diseases, and his wife Mary, a nurse with a degree in Education, have dedicated their lives to providing healthcare to underserved populations throughout the world. While this commitment has taken them to many interesting places over the years, none has been more challenging or fascinating than Afghanistan. Window on Afghanistan is a chronicle of the people, places and events they encountered during the 2 years they lived and worked in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
The couple arrived in Kabul in January 2004. Despite obvious cultural and religious differences, they quickly adapted to their new environment and began the monumental task of helping to rebuild a healthcare system that had been destroyed by twenty-three years of war. Danger--in the form of riots, suicide bombers, kidnappings and other terrorist threats--was always lurking outside their secured residence and workplace. Despite this, and with the help of dedicated security and medical teams, they steadfastly continued the important work of providing badly needed education and training to caregivers in this war-torn land.
Along the way, there were many rewards, triumphs, tragedies and historic events--trips to the picturesque mountain village of Istalif and the spectacular Panjshir Valley, Presidential and Parliamentary elections, and the momentous Race for Peace, to name just a few. Most notably, however, were the wonderful people they met--heroic men and women who had survived some of the most tragic events of our modern world, many of whom share their stories in this inspirational and enlightening memoir.