September 14, 2010

Afghan Entrepreneur Enjoys 1st Trip to US

On July 16-19, the California Gift Show played host to respected social entrepreneur and leader in the Afghan Fair Trade Industry Dr. Ghulam Ullah Muradi.  An entrepreneur who works with Afghanistan's most under served and remote ethnic minorities, Dr. Muradi is a new kind of soldier fighting the war in Afghanistan - an individual who has bravely chosen to return home to a country still torn by violence to provide Afghanistan's poorest citizens with an opportunity for an education and economic opportunity.

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OWP got the chance to sit down and talk with Dr. Muradi during his time in the States.

OWP: Is this your first trip to the US?
Dr. Muradi: Yes, this is my first time in the US. It is also my first flight and my first time outside of the Middle East. The travel time to get here was 24 hours in total: Dubai to London, London to Dallas, and Dallas to L.A.

OWP: How has your trip been so far?
Dr. Muradi: So far the trip has been wonderful. At the exhibition we had good sales of Afghan traditional jewelry. We sold almost all of the product I brought. Next year, I am going to bring my wife, if we can get sponsorship. That would be the first time that my wife will have traveled outside of the Middle East, and also the first time she will fly on a plane.

OWP: Tell us a little bit about your career...
 Dr. Muradi: I am the first Turkman doctor in Afghan History. Out of 3 million Turkman in Afghanistan, I am the first doctor. I started my medical education in Kabul, Pakistan, then moved to Islamabad, where I met my wife. We married, and finished our last year of medical school together.