Forty years later, warm memories of Afghanistan
Toolbox
By Dawson Raspuzzi Rutland Herald - Published: October 14, 2008
CASTLETON — Almost 40 years ago, 17 women traveled to the other side of the world to administer smallpox vaccine in Afghanistan, and in the process, they said, discovered things about themselves and the people they helped that they will never forget.
Just recently, the group that made the trip as Peace Corps volunteers combined their recollections and views in interviews that make up "Once in Afghanistan," a documentary film about their experiences and equality of mankind.
"Our experience in Afghanistan really opened our eyes to the richness of diversity and the value of trying to put ourselves in others' shoes and what it means to be a global citizen," said Jill Vickers, a Bridport resident and one of the volunteers who traveled to some of the most rural villages in Afghanistan from 1969 to 1971.
The film was produced by Vickers and Jody Bergedick, who works at Middlebury Community Television and helped edit the compilation of interviews and photographs taken during the trip.
The premiere of the film will be held at Castleton State College's Casella Theater for viewings at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free to the public.
Vickers said she came up with the idea for the film shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when a widespread misconception of Afghan people was made public by many Americans.
"In the aftermath of 9/11 it crystallized for us a desire to share with people our perception of the Afghans," Vickers said. "We wanted to put a face to the Afghans, our experience with the people who accepted us was welcoming and their tradition of hospitality is probably surpassed nowhere else in the world."
The 17 volunteers were dependent on the villagers for food and shelter and were invited to stay with the same people they vaccinated no matter how impoverished the villagers were, Vickers said.
The Peace Corps women traveled with a group of Afghan men to the most remote areas of the country where they went house-to-house and helped women and children who had not received vaccine.
The group was trained to speak the native language and administer vaccinations. Vickers said thousands of Afghans received shots during their two-year tour.
"A big part of our job was convincing them that they needed this. Many who were sheltered didn't understand preventative medicine," Vickers said.
The women formed tight bonds through their time working together and remain close, having gotten together a half dozen times since their trip.
"We were reliant on one another so we formed a very strong bond and over the years we have stayed in close touch," Vickers said.
The documentary captures experiences from 17 different points of view, Vickers said.
"Our experiences were all quite different … but something we shared was a sense that we admired the culture," she said.
The documentary started as a clip just a few minutes long that Vickers brought to Middlebury Community Television and asked for help editing. Bergedick was captivated by the images she saw.
"(The story) just struck me so deeply. It just needed to be told, especially during this time when we tend to forget that other people in the world are people, too," Bergedick said. "The movie is about people connected as people regardless of culture, income, sex, religion or beliefs."
The video was created on a low budget and involved two years of interviewing and collecting 33 hours of footage that was cut down to 70 minutes for the final product.
"The money to make the movie was contributed by volunteers, the vaccinators and some friends," Vickers said.
All of the proceeds from the documentary will benefit some of the many aid agencies that are helping the Afghan people.
Many of the women will be at the premiere of the film, and Vickers as well as Bergedick will be available for questions after the showing.
When the film goes public, Vickers said, she hopes the audience takes a new look at human equality.
"There's hope connected with people outside their comfort zone socially and politically. It's possible — even when the gap is huge — it's possible to respect one another and extend a welcoming attitude towards people who are so different because that was our experience," Vickers said.
For more information on the video, visit www.dirtroaddocumentaries.com.
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at dawson.raspuzzi@rutlandherald.com.
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