One project at a time

Winnipeg Free Press reporter Lindsey Wiebe will also be blogging during her stay in Afghanistan.

IN AFGHANISTAN: Reconstruction is a delicate balancing act

Canada has run the province's reconstruction team since taking over from American troops in 2005, and on this trip we're visiting a development project at Mazara School in the district, specifically, a concrete wall around the school. The wall was designed by Honig's team of engineers, and aimed at offering better security and more privacy, so Afghan parents would let their daughters attend the schools, and teachers would feel safe enough to show up.

The wall itself is a humble offering, as showpieces go. But the $24,000 structure was built by Afghan contractors after discussions with numerous community leaders, and 560 students now take morning classes at the school. Although it's already afternoon when we arrive, a throng of young children surrounds us, smiling and poking at our digital recorders, experienced enough to know that foreigners often come bearing gifts.

The PRT has been steadily plugging away at other projects around the province. There are five community police stations either completed or in progress in Kandahar, each worth between $200,000 and $400,000, and 23 temporary vehicle checkpoints have been set up for added security in Kandahar City and Arghandab. These are solid signs of progress, however tentative, and for now at least, they're still standing.