Hilda Grigorian had a routine almost every Friday in 2008.

Hilda Grigorian

In the afternoon, she would walk to the fence at the edge of the U.S. military base where she lived in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. On the other side of the wire fence, 9 or 10 Afghani children would be waiting for her. Ranging in age from 6 to 15, the children had a standing agreement with Grigorian. For the next few hours, they would sit across the fence and debate life and its challenges—all in English.

“They were very anxious to speak English,” says Grigorian, who has worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a field program officer in Afghanistan since 2008. As the U.S. government’s development arm, USAID is responsible for extending foreign aid assistance around the world. While conducting casual English classes was not part of her official work, Grigorian says, “This was the best time of my week. I enjoyed spending time with my kids. It gave me energy.”

In Afghanistan, Grigorian has worked on various projects as an independent consultant since 2005. She joined USAID/Afghanistan in 2008 to work on a community development and local governance project, mainly implementing projects at the grassroots level.

“I believe in USAID and its mission in Afghanistan,” she says. “We are making history to rebuild Afghanistan, and I am grateful to USAID for giving me the opportunity to be a small part of it."

Briefing Two Presidents
Due to the importance of the base where she lived in Jalalabad, Grigorian was present during two high-profile briefings in 2008. One was with President George W. Bush and the other was with then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

When she spoke to Bush, it was during a group briefing through a teleconference in which Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai also took part. Grigorian had two minutes to share her thoughts on development in the region. “I used my time to send a positive message about how enthusiastic the youth are in Afghanistan, and how they are looking forward to building a brighter future,” she says.

During the briefing with Obama, she answered questions about the impact of development in Afghanistan. The in-person meeting took place in Afghanistan alongside military personnel. Grigorian calls the experience “the highlight of my life. It doesn’t get better than this.”

Walden as an International University
The international nature of her work is one reason Grigorian chose Walden University, where she is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration program with a specialization in International Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs).

As she gains more experience in development, Grigorian plans to integrate that knowledge in the three Knowledge Area Modules she must write for her Ph.D. program.

In the first, she will concentrate on the impact of gender mainstreaming in community development because she feels women in Afghanistan should be allowed a bigger voice in their society.

In the other two, she plans to discuss leadership and the social sector.

Mentoring a New Generation
Grigorian says she could see the future hopes for Afghanistan in the children she met on Fridays at the fence in Jalalabad.

“They have a deep pride and passion for being Afghani,” she says. “American soldiers always educate [the children] about America, bringing them maps and telling stories. However, these kids have a common sense of ownership for their birth land. They all agree it’s best to continue education in America, but at the end of the day, they agree that it would be best to come home and help their people.”

Through her work with USAID, Grigorian is working closely with the community members to build a positive environment. She believes in her mission to help the people in Afghanistan harness that pride into positive action for their country.

“We as developers believe in our mission and carry a torch to rebuild this country,” she says. 
 

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