To tell you the truth, I was a little apprehensive to take on the Silk Road Tour. As a professional travel consultant, I know that many people fear travel in Muslim countries – especially after September 11th.
But MEDA members lived up to their reputation of adventure, risk and entrepreneurship – 18 people joined us on the trek across the Silk Road.
The trip caught the imagination of our group. Many had heard of the Silk Road – maybe through images of missionaries of the past and the challenges they faced. But those romantic images were quickly changed.
The Silk Road today is chaos. While China is in the process of upgrading the Silk Road to renew trade relationships with Europe, the road is more challenging than we imagined. We traveled a stretch of road that was supposed to take 4.5 hours – it took us 9 hours!
The construction crew is aggressively transforming the road – but that means that instead of attacking it in 15 mile chunks, it’s torn up from end to end. It was incredible to see the construction that was going on. China is building for the future.
That trip on the “highway” was a highlight for many who went on the trip. We were able to glimpse into the past while seeing the possibilities of the future. We could easily see the economic value of the road and the impact of the Chinese strategy.
The tour raised many issues for me and the people on it. One man said to me a number of times: “Where are the terrorists?” He had observed on the US government website the warnings about Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as being seedbeds for Al-Qaeda. As we traveled through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan we saw men and women, teens and children working hard to rebuild their countries. They were simple farmers, struggling to incorporate modern methods into their ancient traditions. They were families trying to make a living.
I was personally inspired by MEDA’s partnerships in Tajikistan. The MEDA staff are doing an outstanding job in working together with the people there, helping them to build their farms and small businesses. But more than that, our team is able to inspire the people that change is possible.
One of the most spectacular projects is in the fruit industry. I couldn’t believe the quality of the fruit on the trees – plump juicy apricots. But then I saw the canned product. The fruit in the jars is mutilated and unappetizing. They are still using a technology dating back to the Soviet era where quantity trumped quality. But in today’s market, quality means sales. MEDA is helping farmers build a better final product and increase their livelihood.
MEDA is in the right place at the right time, helping the Tajikistan people bring themselves up with their own energy and vision. This is what I like about MEDA – lending a hand up instead of a hand out. I like the way they empower people. As I watched our team in Tajikistan interact with the farmers, you could see they talked to them as colleagues – how empowering.
This trip touched people’s souls and built many bridges – between Christians and Muslims, between east and west, and between supporters of MEDA.
Wilmer Martin is President and CEO of Tourmagination based in Waterloo, ON. Tourmagination was founded in 1970 for Mennonites to rediscover their roots. Today, their trips go beyond just Europe to places like Tajikistan and this fall's MEDA trip to Egypt.
