Today, I introduced an anthropologist/ psychologist who speaks Farsi to a group of 12 of our staff. She will debrief them on the riots a few weeks ago, where we ended up in the basement with gunfire, explosives and an angry crowd all round for 2-3 hours.

I have just written a letter of support for a visa application for Noor Alam who is one of our reporters based in Balkh province. He has a medical degree and only one leg. He has been selected as one of 44 journalists, out of thousands internationally, to attend an HIV/AIDS conference – he is very proud of this honor.

Our trip to Wardak province to investigate a site for an FM station was just cancelled a minute ago due to rocket fire last night that destroyed the local market. No one was injured but they are busy investigating what happened and we will get in the way - this kind of attack is unusual in Wardak.

We plan our trip to the province of Badakshan for a 10-day assessment to set up radio stations to carry ‘alternative livelihood’ programming, i.e. other ways of making money than through poppies and drug smuggling. I can't wait to get out of Kabul and up to this beautiful mountainous district. Our trip was delayed due to security issues.

I must do the final edit on the latest media watch report, now produced by Nai (an organization established by Internews that supports open media in Afghanistan). They are doing a great job given we only handed this task over to them last year. It is the only record of violations against journalists and freedom of speech in Afghanistan – there are many more than I would have thought. Many journalists continue to receive threats from the Taliban....people are struggling with hope four years on in the reconstruction process, as security worsens.