Building a road out of Afghanistan

Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan: Four young boys, aged perhaps 8, sit by the side of the new road being built by the Australian government through the Mirabad Valley outside Oruzgan province's capital.

An Australian soldier, part of a team that has gone out to inspect the road, asks the kids in Pashto, "Any Taliban around here?"

No, the boys reply with grins all round. "We are the soldiers around here, so there are no Taliban," one of them cries.

The long road out ... the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on a new road in the Oruzgan province, in Afghanistan. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

This part of the valley, about 10 kilometres to the east of Tarin Kowt, has become relative friendly territory for the Australians. Until 2009, patrols were regularly attacked around here. The fighting ended after Australian special forces drove the Taliban out in a major campaign, allowing the reconstruction effort to begin.

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It is a model in many ways, a good news story. The $10 million road project is going to plan and the locals are mostly happy. Yet the trip outside the wire of the Tarin Kowt multinational base also shows how tough the job remains as Australia prepares to exit by the end of the year and the province prepares to face its own challenges.

The Australians are not building the road themselves but rather paying local contractors, so the work creates local jobs. Captain Daniel Kennedy-Stiff, a member of the Provincial Reconstruction Team – which includes Defence, AusAid and the Department of Foreign Affairs – says the contractors are learning a lot but still need to be scrutinised.

"This is one of the better contractors we have, but they will still try and cut corners if you are not keeping an eye on them," said Captain Kennedy-Stiff.

Hence the inspection, backed up by a convoy of four Bushmaster armoured vehicles and several dozen soldiers. Security remains tight. At each of four stops along a 14 kilometre stretch of the new road the soldiers charged with protecting the team form a perimeter facing outward. They stay in each spot only a few minutes.

Aside from a few elders who complain parts of the road are not wide enough for two trucks to pass, locals sing the new road's praises. An elderly man named Ablul, unusual for the fact he is growing wheat rather than the ubiquitous pink-flowered opium poppies, lavishes thanks on the Australian government.

Australian soldiers from the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), during an operation to inspect a new road in the Oruzgan province, in Afghanistan. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

"In the past, we had problems with the insurgents putting IEDs under the road. It was very dangerous. I myself have a vehicle. It took a lot of time to get anywhere."

Acting head of the PRT, David Windsor, said opening up the road meant farmers growing food crops could get their products to market and would boost people's faith in government, making them less likely to turn to the Taliban.

"You open up that road and it's easier for people to speak to their local representatives, raise their concerns, and start accessing services like health and education, as well as the sheer fact of removing the hassle of a long, bumpy travel time."

Afghan children wave to Australian soldiers along the way through Oruzgan. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Will the benefit last? AusAid have notably opted to keep a 27 kilometre stretch as a gravel road for ease of upkeep – there is no guarantee the Afghan local government will be able to properly maintain bitumen in the years to come.

One of the soldiers on the operation, Corporal Jeremy Martinez, speaks frankly about the risks ahead

.

"The thing we are worried about is that the Taliban will come in and overthrow the government and undo all the good work we've done. That's what we hear speaking to local Afghans," he said. "They know we are leaving."

Source - http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/building-a-road-out-of-afghanistan-20130429-2invr.html#

Man rescued by surfers after treading water for 27 hours

An Australian surfer who helped rescue a South African man after he was lost in Indonesian waters for 27 hours has told of the moment he and eight mates spotted the man, still alive, bobbing in the ocean.

When Perth lawyer Colin Chenu and his mates saw ''a red head and a white arm waving'' - 19 kilometres from the Mentawai Islands, off the west coast of Sumatra - they threw a lifebuoy into the water and jumped over the side of their Sydney-owned charter boat and swam to the stricken man, who was dehydrated and suffering a gash from a seagull attack. He had also been circled by a shark and stung by jellyfish.

Embracing his rescuers, the South African man, whose wife had been told he was dead, said: ''I love you Aussies, I'm never going to bag you guys ever again.''

Mr Chenu, 49, said: ''It was a feeling of sheer elation, when we dragged him onto the boat, we were all pumping the air, screaming.

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''He was a pretty tough bugger - a surfer and mountain biker, and he told us he had been treading water the whole time in rough seas,'' Mr Chenu told Fairfax Media from Tua Paget. ''He said he'd been seasick the night before and vomited so much he blacked out and fell overboard from his boat, the Nagalout. He said he woke up in the water and saw his boat sailing into the distance.''

Mr Chenu, a father of four, was on a surfing holiday with eight mates off the Mentawai Islands. They were on their way back to Australia when one of their Indonesian crew heard from the harbourmaster at Tua Paget that a man had been lost at sea. The boat's skipper, Tony Eltherington, sprung into action and began a search and rescue effort for the missing man, Brett Archibald.

''Eltherington got the co-ordinates of where the man supposedly fell overboard and insisted we mount a search,'' said Mr Chenu. ''We headed out in terrible weather in a small 25-foot boat and spent about four hours looking, but we were forced to turn back before dark. It was blowing 20 knots, there were so many peaks and troughs and we thought, 'This poor bastard is out in this?'''

The next day, the wind abated and visibility was much better.

''About 4am the next day - 24 hours after Archibald had gone overboard - the skipper wanted to give it one last try and told us we'd be at the spot by daybreak,'' Mr Chenu said. ''The one saving grace was that the water is warm. If this had happened in Australian waters, he would never have survived.''

The men were taking turns with the binoculars when, at 7.15am, one of the Indonesian crew yelled out: ''There he is!'''

Suffering a bloody nose and shrivelled fingers, Mr Archibald collapsed into the arms of his rescuers and then found the strength to climb onto the deck of the Barrenjoey amid cheers from the Australians.

Heaping praise on the surfers who didn't give up, he was examined by a specialist neurologist among the Aussie surfing group, and was fed and rehydrated.

Mr Archibald then called his distraught wife in Cape Town, who was being consoled by friends and family after the South African embassy had advised her that her husband had been lost at sea.

The Perth mates were on the surfing trip to celebrate Simon Carlin's 50th birthday - and they found Mr Archibald on the day of the birthday.

Source : http://www.smh.com.au/national/australian-tells-of-miracle-rescue-at-sea-20130420-2i72z.html

Let me talk to you about First Aid

"In all the horror in Boston Monday, there are also heartening stories about how kindness emerged from tragedy: people on Twitter urging others to note the people who run towards the explosions, not away from them, to help; stories of heroism from runners; journalists who ran the marathon, springing into action to cover the story; the first responders."

Source: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/photos-stories-kindness-boston-marathon-bombing/64258/

Sometimes, bad things happen, and it makes no sense. People feel hopeless and helpless.

FUN FACT
 A white cross on a green background
is used to indicate first aid and
workplace/occupational health and safety.
The red cross people
usually confuse this with is actually
the universal emblem of protection in
armed conflict.

When you see the bad things on the TV look at the heroes, the volunteers, the first responders, the everyday people who are assisting through the chaos. It can help you to still see the good in the world and feel less hopeless.

A way to feel less helpless though? Why not do a First Aid Course?

Just the knowledge that you could assist your family, kids, friends or even a stranger if something bad ever happened will help you feel more empowered and less helpless.

I believe that getting your First Aid Certificate should be a manditory part of getting your Drivers License, but that is a soap box for another day.

Did you know that you can now do part of the 'Apply First Aid' (formerly Senior First Aid) online?

You can do a First Aid Course through The Red Cross or St Johns Ambulance. 

Check with your employer, many will pay for you to do this course and, in some companies, if you become the official First Aid Officer you even receive compensation in your pay packet!

Yes, the world is scary, and bad things happen, and I hope more than anything that you, reading this, are never the one running forward trying to help, but wouldn't you feel better if you had the knowledge to know that you could?

Written by Samara Jenkins  @theyellowsnail

Toby Kick's facination with firefighters reaches new level after he was saved by firefighters

LITTLE Toby Kick's fascination with firefighters has reached a new level after his heroes rescued him from a painful situation last week. 
 
The inquisitive three-year-old managed to get half his right arm sucked down the pool filter at his grandparents' Mona Vale home last Tuesday.

Fire officers Chris McNeill and Dean Hollander are 

re-united with Toby Kick, 3, and dad Darren 

after they were called last week when Toby 

got his hand stuck in a pool filter. 

Picture: Simon Cocksedge. Source: NewsLocal

Seconds after dad Darren Kick told Toby not to touch the filter, the little boy screamed.
"I was mortified and scared, I knew exactly what he had done," Mr Kick said.

He quickly turned off the filter power to stop the strong suction pulling at his son's tiny arm, and jumped into the pool.

He managed to pull the arm out, but the large, plastic filter cover was still stuck above Toby's wrist and his hand was too swollen to pull it free.

A distressed Toby was crying from pain and shock.

Mr Kick dialled Triple-0 and within minutes two police cars, an ambulance and three fire engines with 10 firefighters from Mona Vale and Narrabeen stations arrived.

Senior firefighter Chris McNeill from Narrabeen Fire Station was soon doing the delicate job of cutting the plastic with an air-powered grinder and a filesaw.

"It's a fairly straightforward job but you have to be wary not to inflict further injuries with the tools," he said.

Toby was given a trauma teddy to keep him occupied while the plastic cover was cut off, and was afterwards rewarded for his bravery with an iceblock.

Source - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/toby-kicks-facination-with-firefighters-reaches-new-level-after-he-was-saved-by-firefighters/story-fngr8hax-1226610814388

Wildlife rescuers stick their necks out to save hundreds of turtles stuck in mud

HUNDREDS of turtles have been saved from death at Lisarow thanks to the efforts of a group of dedicated volunteers.

The alarm was raised late Monday afternoon after two large ponds were drained at a former factory site, leaving hundreds of the small creatures stuck in the mud and fighting for their lives.

Wildlife ARC volunteers worked through the night and all day Tuesday trying to save as many of the eastern long-necked and short-necked Macquarie turtles as possible.

Often wading in mud up to their waists, volunteers managed to rescue about 700 turtles.

Gosford Council and the new owners of the site worked together with Wildlife ARC to allow volunteers to rescue as many of the turtles as possible.

Wildlife ARC vice chairwoman Jessi Grace said the turtles were lucky volunteers arrived when they did otherwise hundreds would have died.

"When we arrived the water had been drained and the majority of the turtles were exhausted as they had been struggling in the mud for some time," shesaid.

"But luckily we only lost a few."

Hundreds have been released at Narara Creek but volunteers will care for about 150 baby turtles through the winter.

"Because they are so small they wouldn't survive the winter in a new environment," Ms Grace said.

"So we will house them with volunteers throughout the colder months before releasing them into the wild in spring."

HOW TO HELP

• The Wildlife ARC organisation is always on the lookout for new members, with volunteers filling a variety of roles from cutting up fruit and answering phones to helping care for animals.
• To find out more about the organisation, join or make a contribution phone 4325th0666 or email arc@wildlife-arc.org.au

Source - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/wildlife-rescuers-stick-their-necks-out-to-save-hundreds-of-turtles-stuck-in-mud/story-fngr8h0p-1226602212516

'Awesome' students hailed for woman's lake rescue

A group of young students has been hailed for their bravery after they saved a woman who crashed her car into a lake in Sydney yesterday.

The TAFE students swam into the lake at Olympic Park, in the city's west, to pull the woman from her sinking vehicle.

Cooper Judd, one of the students, says they were on a bus returning from an excursion to the Royal Easter Show when they noticed the woman hunched over the steering wheel of her car as it ploughed towards the lake.

"We looked back and we saw her coming down these stairs. We were telling the bus driver to stop," he said.

"All of us just ran down. Tom and Luke ran into the water and got her window down.

"Then me and Blake came in after and me and Blake pulled her out of the car and got her back up here."

Tom Walmslui was one of the students who reached the woman first.

"A few of the boys saw the lady hunched over the steering wheel. We got the bus driver to turn around and me and Luke jumped out the emergency exit and just jumped straight in and swam out to her," he said.

"All her windows were up, so I had to push her windows down. She wasn't ready to come out, she kept saying that her daughter and husband were still in the car, but there was no-one else."

The woman was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Her husband, David Milkovic, says the young men deserve bravery awards.

"I'd just like to thank the boys from the bottom of my heart. Without them who knows what could have happened, my wife could have died," he said.

"They deserve bravery awards. They're awesome, awesome fellas."

Source - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-19/27awesome27-students-hailed-for-rescuing-woman-from-lake/4582428