Dorothy Knapp to Present Motherland Afghanistan at Thomas College

WATERVILLE, Nov. 20 - Dorothy Knapp will present the film Motherland Afghanistan and then speak about her first-hand experience working with Afghan women and girls at a special presentation at Thomas College on Tuesday, November 27 at 6 p.m. in the Laurette Ayotte Auditorium.

The film documents the troubles faced by the people of Afghanistan, the "most harsh and unforgiving physical, political and cultural terrain on Earth". The filmmaker, Sedika Mojadidi, and her father, Dr. Qudrat Mojadidi, are Afghans who have made a home in the United States, but return to their war-ravaged homeland after the U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban. The film specifically highlights Dr. Mojadidi's efforts to rebuild and modernize the hospitals and clinics which serve the women of Afghanistan.

Following the film, Dorothy Knapp will talk about her similar experiences in this country. In 2004, Knapp moved to Kabul to be deputy country director for Future Generations, an education and community-development organization headquartered in West Virginia. She spent two years working with the Afghan people to provide basic health care and literacy for women. Knapp's background includes international education, fundraising and international grant making. She served for more than twenty years as the corporate secretary for the Carnegie Foundation in New York. Today she lives in Castine, Maine where she continues to work for basic education and health care for Afghan women.

The presentation will be at 6 p.m. in the Laurette Ayotte Auditorium at the College's campus at 180 West River Road in Waterville. The presentation is free and open to the public. The College is happy to arrange interviews with Knapp as well as provide copies of the most recent Thomas magazine which features an article detailing some of Knapp's work for Future Generations. To set up an interview, request a magazine, or for more information about this presentation, please contact Fran Day, Dean for Institutional Advancement, at (207) 859-1318 or dayf@thomas.edu.

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