Forwarding our mission to use our business (and yours) as a Force For Good in the world, we just shipped our video team (pictured below) out on what we hope is the first of many international humanitarian trips!
Today, our video team, Armen and Mikai Karl, left for a two week adventure in Afghanistan. Their mission? Create several mini documentary-style films about Afghanistan, the people, its culture and to highlight the good things happening over there (rather than the conflict).
The trip is officially being sponsored by Suite 4 (that’s us!). Some of our other awesome sponsors are two McMinnville-based companies, Chrysalis Coffee and Stastny Gallery, as well as the Honest Foodie in Portland, two California-based companies: Chimney Safety Experts and Heart-Fueled Giants. On top of that, a bunch of friends and family pitched in too (thank you!!)
After a short stopover in D.C. and a long layover in Dubai (party!), the boys will land in Kabul on Friday, the 18th (holy smokes, that’s a loooong flight!). In Kabul they will be hosted by husband and wife faculty members of Atarud School in Kabul, Afghanistan: Kristy Ann Rahimi (an American gal) and her husband Jan Rahimi (an Afghan guy).
Atarud is an American English Language Academy based in Kabul whose mission dovetails perfectly with the Suite 4 mission. Atarud’s mission is to help the Afghan students study English to bring about positive changes and help make Afghanistan into an educated and advanced country.
In addition to filming the Atarud school and helping them gain more exposure, the boys hope to visit many sights — among them, the stunning Shrine of Hazrat Ali, also known as the Blue Mosque, a mosque located in the heart of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
Shrine of Hazrat Ali
Their goal is to see and experience as much as they can while over there so that they can bring back a ton of footage and make several smaller films on different aspects of the culture.
Also on their list is a trek into the Himalayas. (thanks for the inspiration Walter Mitty!)
Our team is loaded with camera equipment (of course) as well as gifts for the locals they meet along the way, including Chiclets and Chocolate. Who knows? Maybe “Chiclets and Chocolate” will become a recurring theme for our upcoming social betterment trips!
To follow the Suite 4 Afghanistan adventure, keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates and highlights.
We really want to thank all of our sponsors, without whom this trip would not be possible!