URUZGAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – It’s a well-known story captured in books and on movie screens time and time again. A small-town man with modest aspirations is chosen to hold a position of great responsibility. It’s the story of a man who never asked for the power, but found himself leading thousands toward the hope of a better life. Only it’s not a book or a movie. It’s a real-life story happening in district of Khas Uruzgan in the southern part of Afghanistan.
Malik Abdul Halim looks every bit the educator he used to be. The tall, slender man has a kind face and sharp eyes that reflect a lifetime spent in pursuit of knowledge.
“I always worked with education,” said Halim speaking through an interpreter.
With an ever-present smile partially hidden by a nearly completely gray beard, Halim said he would have been content spending his life teaching - but the people of Khas Uruzgan district had other plans for him.
When the district began looking for someone educated to represent the people and play an active role in government, Halim’s name climbed to the top of the list. The people asked the unsuspecting and unlikely candidate to represent them as the district governor of Khas Uruzgan.
“That’s why the people requested me,” said Halim. “At that point, I had no choice. I said, ‘Okay, this is my country, my area. Anything is possible. I can do it.’ That’s why I became the district governor.”
The former school principal soon found himself at the center of a district with little money and a long list of needs. Halim got started in his new position and worked with the villagers to tackle one issue at a time. Soon, he gained momentum and security, governance and development began to take shape in the district.
“When you have someone who is consistently able to address the people’s needs based on what they’re bringing to him and not his own agenda, you’ve got a good leader,” said a coalition Special Operations Force Civil Affairs team leader who’s worked beside Halim. “He’s good and he’s absolutely able to address the needs and go to bat for the people.”
Halim spends the majority of his time doing just that. He meets with village elders, security leaders and engages with the local populace on a daily basis.
“My goal is the people’s way,” Halim said. “I should support the people’s way in the government and bring security and development to the area.”
Village by village, tribe by tribe, Halim seeks out projects to secure and stabilize the community and improve the lives of the villagers.
“There are a number of Afghan Local Police initiatives and security developments everyone’s already aware of,” said the coalition SOF CA team leader. “But what many people probably don’t know is he’s been behind over 80 projects in Khas Uruzgan since he became the governor. He has many more in the works too. He’s currently looking for partners to cooperate with to bring the projects to life.”
From bridges and schools to a hydro electric dam that will help bring electricity to his entire district, Halim has helped to bring more than $2 million worth of development projects to the district.
“When we bring development and money comes into the community, our economy in this area goes up and life gets better,” said Halim. “This is my program and I have to work for that.” Halim has also done an impressive job navigating through the dynamics of the district and provincial government structures.
“What we’re effectively trying to do at the district level is tie the villages to the district, and the district to the province,” the coalition SOF CA team leader explained. “You need someone who’s able to communicate at the provincial level and deal with the politics that go on there in order to bring the right projects, money and development to the district.”
It’s Halim’s effectiveness at building those relationships and interacting with government officials that impress coalition SOF.
“Ultimately, when people begin representing themselves and talking to the district and the district then represents the needs of the people at the provincial level; that’s ultimately a big portion of why we’re here,” said the coalition SOF CA team leader.
The people know Halim to be a man who often sacrifices his own personal needs to get work done for the community. Despite being recently ill, Halim attended a district center shura while most others would have stayed home tending to their health. He believed he needed to stay engaged to aggressively push two specific initiatives to grow the ALP force and construct a school for the police officers’ children. The coalition SOF team leader uses that as just one example of Halim’s keen understanding of how the connection between the district’s security and development.
“He realizes it’s all intertwined,” he added.
Another example of his ability to promote security and stability can be seen with his recent support of the transition to a new district chief of police.
“He’s enabled a seamless transition from Sadar Wali (the former DCOP) to the new district chief of police,” the coalition SOF CA team leader said. “By doing things like that and not playing tribal politics, not letting that get in the way, he makes sure things stay peaceful and stable in the district.”
Playing an active role in the development of security has also helped Halim connect the people to the district’s security forces.
“He talks to a lot of people around here to help us and build relationships,” said Nic Mohammed, the Afghan Local Police commander for the Khas Uruzgan district, through an interpreter. “They’re saying they want a relationship with us and to help us.”
And it’s evident people are responding to Halim’s support the district’s police forces. Recently, ALP arrested and detained three Taliban members as a direct result of district villagers communicating with Mohammed and his men.
Days after that victory, Halim took time at a development shura to personally thank his people for working with the ALP and to discuss the notion that security brings development.
“Our security is not bad right now,” said Halim. “It’s getting better and better every day. When the security becomes better, development projects come here. We have to provide for this area until some development money comes to the community. We understand if we work with security, we get development and our people can have money and be happy.”
Halim works tirelessly toward that goal. He recently attended a shura with one of the district’s 12 tribes where he assessed their needs, identified new volunteers for the ALP program and discussed preparations for building the village a new school.
“He’s very responsive,” said the coalition CA team leader. “He’s constantly looking for development initiatives to bring to Khas Uruzgan.”
The coalition SOF member added that Halim approaches issues with no personal bias.
“Abdul Halim doesn’t get involved in tribal issues on a personal level,” he said. “He rises above it to make objective decisions for the people based on integrity and equality. It’s very challenging because there are even times when he has to make decisions at the expense of his own personal tribe if he knows it’s better for the district as a whole. I’ve seen him do that on many occasions.”
Halim has helped his people reach a potential they haven’t seen in nearly a decade. A population once focused purely on surviving, is now looking ahead to a prosperous future.
“The people of Khas Uruzgan are ready for development now,” said the coalition SOF CA team leader. “In the last nine years the people have not looked for development; they’ve looked to stay alive.”
“They realize they have the right leader in the district governor position. They’ve got the right support from Afghan National Security Forces and when they come to the shuras, they’re saying it’s the right time for development,” the coalition SOF CA team leader added.
Halim knows his district is at a pivotal point as he continues to support the growth and professional development of the district’s security forces and empower the people to be a part of the promising future. He does it all because his people asked him to.
“This is our responsibility,” Halim said. “It’s our country and we’ll work until the government becomes more active and able to help people. With the help from other organizations and coalition forces, together, step-by-step, we take the responsibility to work for our people. All the leaders for the districts should set good examples. I do my best here in Khas Uruzgan. That’s why people trust me.”
| Date Taken: |
03.22.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
03.26.2012 01:33 |
| Story ID: |
85771 |
| Location: |
URUZGAN PROVINCE, AF |
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