When I heard from Sarah Chayes about her rebuilding plans for
the village of Akokolacha after it was destroyed by U.S. forces,
I knew it was a chance to learn more about daily life in an
austere, isolated country that's still a mystery to most people
in the West.
I decided to follow the construction of one small
house as a way to reveal something about what it takes to rebuild
a country -- the story turned out to be much bigger and more
surprising. When the local warlord seized control of the very
stones workers needed to build the foundation of the house,
I knew the whole process of reconstruction would be up for grabs.
