More Than Meets the Eye

Wichita art photographer Michael Pointer has been in Afghanistan since August working with the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project (ADRP) to help establish a permanent dental clinic in Kabul.

Says Michael, “We have a free dental clinic and school to teach dental assisting, dental hygiene, and dental technology. My job is to teach dental technology and to provide support for remote dental clinics. We most recently had a clinic at the prison for women here in Kabul.

I am currently teaching five students in dental laboratory technique at our school in Kabul. I am happy to report that I haven’t had to dodge bullets, so I am, as yet, fully intact.”

We will post updates of Michael’s experiences and his photographs here on More than Meets the Eye over the coming months. You can also follow him on Facebook.

Following are excerpts from his most recent email:

“…The internet has been exceptionally difficult so this is old stuff. I have since gone to the bank and demonstrated my prowess with Dhari [the local language] which came out in French as I told them that “the fish are cold (poisson froid).” The bank employees were completely baffled, a nice reversal of roles for me.

We went to the US Dept of State compound last night where I ate two pounds of beef and an equal amount of ice cream. It was nice to be in a group of Americans, even if they were in charge of the Afghan prisons.

Apart from a bit of dysentery I am fine. Al Qaeda is in town wanting to kidnap a few Americans; I declined their offer.

Thank you all VERY much for your love and support!
Love, Mike…”