As the end of the mission approaches, General Marc van Uhm and I prepare to hand over command of the Task Force Uruzgan and the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to our successors. It has been a remarkable time.

While I write the final report for the foreign ministry, pack my bag and put the finishing touches on my speech for the handover ceremony, I think back on the last six months and wonder what I'll remember. I think about the momentous events such as the deaths of Kevin van de Rijdt and Mark Leijsen, the tense but exciting elections, the (almost) historic first water management discussions and the hand-over of the White Compound to the Chora district leader.

I also think about the little things; all those horrible little rocks at Camp Holland that were so easy to trip over and being outside at night under a star-strewn canopy when it was 10 degrees below zero and talking on the phone to my girlfriend until my fingers were so cold that I couldn't hold the phone anymore. I also remember an extraordinarily beautiful sunrise; snow-capped mountains in the distance and the call to prayer carried softly on the breeze.

Frustrations
Uruzgan is a remarkable place. It's north of Kandahar, west of Helmand, right in the centre of southern Afghanistan. They are names that conjure feelings of fear and anxiety in many parts of the world but for me, it's very different. Uruzgan has become part of me.

Of course there have been frustrations. This province, just like many others in Afghanistan, is still torn by tribal conflicts. There are endless old arguments about land or water that was stolen long ago and the occasional feud about a woman who was married off to the wrong tribe. Most of the feuds date from the time when grandpa was still in nappies. Long, bitter memories are sometimes exhausting. Anyone coming to Uruzgan certainly needs to pack a healthy dose of good intentions and an abundance of fresh energy.

Tribal world
Alongside the tribal world that hasn't changed since the prophets walked the earth, is the modern world: that of the governor, the Afghan army general, the police force and the security services, the leaders of Uruzgan's district councils and the provincial heads of the ministries. Some of them are not the best-educated or most capable administrators in the world and some of them are untrustworthy or corrupt but the majority are dedicated and have drive and energy. They're fighting against an extremely tragic past; 30 years of civil war that not only devastated the country but also destroyed social cohesion and left poverty and deprivation in its wake.

Calculated embrace
Over the last six months, we have worked alongside Uruzgan's leaders to rebuild and develop the province. I was continually frustrated by the fact that 90 percent of the population, including a significant proportion of community leaders, can neither read nor write. But what they lacked in literacy, they made up for with enormous dedication and energy. Naturally, I didn't develop a warm personal relationship with everyone. I liked some of the administrators and civil servants and I will miss them. As for some of the others, well, let's just say that I wouldn't vote for them. There were also occasions when I had to restrain myself, such as when I was enveloped in a warm Afghan embrace by a leader who saw himself as the worthiest recipient of foreign aid and development monies.

Warm bath
Other moments were a pure delight - a warm bath of generosity and genuine hospitality in the form of endless cups of tea. I had exciting and enervating discussions with Uruzgan leaders willing to tackle anything in order to rebuild their province. I think I'll miss the governor of Uruzgan the most, perhaps because I spent so much time with him. He is, in many ways, a very engaging person.

I will certainly think about Mohammed Daoud, the 25-year-old leader of Chora district. He took over after his father was shot dead 18 months ago and has himself been the target of several attacks. He cannot read or write and doesn't speak a word of English but he's got the most beautiful sparkling eyes in the world. He has a look that says, 'I know it, I understand, we're going to do things differently in Uruzgan from now on. The future is in our hands'. Inspiring! And he gave me energy, an enormous amount of energy.

Michel Rentenaar is the Civil Leader of Task Force Uruzgan and Director of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Uruzgan. For the last six months he has been writing a fortnightly column for Radio Netherlands Worldwide. This is his final column from Uruzgan.