AADO Annual Report 2011
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AADO ANNUAL REPORT For the year ending 30 June 2011 About AADO AADO, the Afghan Australian Development Organisation is a voluntary, non-profit, non-government, member organisation. Its primary purpose is to implement projects that assist in the reconstruction and sustainable development of communities within Afghanistan. Within Australia, AADO seeks to support the Afghan community. Our vision Our organisation AADO’s vision is for stronger, chiefs and village elders, as With an elected Committee self-supporting families and their well as relevant government of Management, AADO is communities in Afghanistan. ministries. registered as an Incorporated Association in Victoria, Our approach To help alleviate poverty and achieve the Millennium Australia. AADO is a member AADO’s work in Afghanistan Development Goals, AADO’s of the Australian Council for is guided by the principle delivery of community International Development that education is one of the development initiatives in (ACFID) and is a signatory to the key cornerstones in ensuring Afghanistan, involves wide Council’s Code of Conduct. This poverty reduction and participation and close defines minimum standards sustainable development. Its collaboration with local in- of governance, management, major focus is the creation country partners. Recognition financial control and reporting and delivery of formal and of Afghan culture and traditions non-formal educational and is integral to the design and with which Australian non- training opportunities for the delivery of AADO’s programs. government development The success of AADO’s efforts can many Afghan people who organisations must comply. be found in quiet but powerful AADO Afghanistan our In- are disadvantaged. All AADO stories that demonstrate they Country Office, is registered as a programs are identified and really work in strengthening developed through consultation the capabilities of many people not-for-profit, non-government and participation with local to change their lives and bring organisation (NGO) with communities, and endorsed by about change within their the Ministry of Economy in Afghan regional and provincial communities. Afghanistan. 2 President’s report Last year at this time we and with Bianca’s help and our day. The result was a plan that joint efforts, we are confident in everyone endorsed and which were celebrating a special our directions on what we need is already producing results. This year in AADO’s life. to achieve and how. The arrival of meant there has had to be much Bianca strengthened our awareness ‘wordsmithing’ over the past year! I’m delighted to report at this AGM that although we are only a small Following our strategic planning that while last year represented a organisation, the task of making efforts, we managed to draw all turning point for AADO, this past things happen in a country so of our processes together into an one has seen us becoming even remote from Australia generally internal ‘Policies and Procedures’ stronger, achieving more and needs much more than voluntary Manual. Moving forward from moving more confidently all the effort. That we had managed to this we completed our AADO time. achieve so much without help had submission for OAGDS status for the been remarkable. Generous funding organisation. All of these lengthy Twelve months ago, we were only raised the bar on what has proved processes have been the building just realising what the impact of since to be even more possible. blocks for the next major step i.e. the appointment of Bianca Pilla as Thanks go to Bianca for so much. for AADO to successfully apply for our Communication and Project AusAID accreditation. We will report Coordinator was going to have on Early in 2011 our Committee of on our progress on this major goal our activities. The organisation Management gathered together at the next AGM. So far along the has been transformed as a result for a full strategic planning way, we have refined our skills and 3 become more rigorous in interpreting policies that work, and in facing and resolving challenges brought about as a result in changes in government policy. Our more ‘permanent’ home here at AVI with its network has been really appreciated. To help AADO along the way, whenever a problem or issue has arisen, there has always seemed to be someone or tracking and maximising Field’ just some of the many an organisation with time to listen our finances. This management and much to share as well as others stimulatng comments that we receive. includes monitoring many blocks keen to link with us in partnerships. of small project grants. Karina The catalyst in making it possible Rodset has helped with supporting to have Bianca as our staff member, All this local effort has been staff activities in Kabul and Diane and to give us this confidence, has directed towards helping people to make change happen with their been the generous support of the da Silva has been a great resource lives in Afghanistan. It’s been a hard, Plant Wheeler Foundation. We can’t in giving wise counsel from her tough, and distressing year for the thank them enough. own experiences. Thanks also to Afghan people. With no public Jude Mahoney for her support as infrastructure, success in building our Secretary and I know we are Completing these major trust in AADO’s capacity to deliver going to really miss Mark Drew as targets was one thing, but its programs relies on the strength of personal and often family he retires at this meeting from the we also managed to have networks. position of Vice President. Thank fun as well in achieving you to all. our goal of doing more Nouria Salehi as AADO’s Executive Director is our main driver in this. At the end of our financial year with our social program. She is in constant contact with our we initiated our first AADO eNews local Kabul-based staff and with bulletin to members and friends It was wonderful! To celebrate the the networks in the provinces. She with a positive response. There will arrival of spring in Afghanistan, has just returned from Afghanistan, be more to come. We were also nearly 300 people came together with Bianca, both on their second looking forward to sponsoring the in March at the Collingwood visit this year. Nouria will tell us visit to Australia in July of Suleiman Town Hall for a fantastic Nowruz some more about these visits Dinner. You can read more about shortly. Muhmand, AADO Afghanistan’s it in the Engagiing the Australian Senior Project Manager. This was Community section in this Report. Nouria’s family here has also been for a carefully planned training Big thanks go to Loretta Little who active in support. Having our program which was highly was our social program convener on monthly meetings at the Afghan successful. We were generously our Committee till mid-2011 and a Gallery Restaurant has given us a helped by colleague organisations driving force in the Nowruz success. focal point and opportunities to who were able to welcome We are already talking about absorb and enjoy more of Afghan Suleiman into their own training Nowruz 2012 and more. culture. Warm thanks as ever go to schedules. Nouria and her family in making it In this report, we include so special for us. information on our major programs We are already finding that 2011- and how they are evaluated. The I would also like to thank other 2012 is even more challenging and evaluation of the participants members of our Committee. interesting. themselves is always a priority and Rosemary Marquardt as our we include here as ‘Voices from the Treasurer spends much of her life in Lee Tregloan, President 4 A message from the Executive Director Dear Members, Supporters and Ayendah (German teachers’ has helped 21 young unskilled Friends, Association), each supported the Afghan men so far, to gain skills, find Science Teacher Training (STT) in jobs and earn a living to support This year marked 9 years of Herat Province and the education of their families. I am thankful for our AADO’s presence in Afghanistan to female students in Qarabagh Girl’s supporters who have enabled us to support the capacity building and High School. succeed to: rehabilitation of Afghans in their The generous support of friends country. Although the instability enables AADO to continuously be • Extend our STT program to Herat inside the country has been marked on the front line of education inside Province by many tragedies, AADO’s projects Afghanistan, where the needs of • Partner with the local NGOs, such are progressing well. teachers are significantly high and as the Afghan Rehabilitation I was struck by the strong the demand is noticeable. AADO’s commitment offered by the projects for Rural Women under Health Services Organisation generosity of our supporters such its Life Skills Program are a kind of (ARHSO) and Afghan Australian as the Planet Wheeler Foundation fight against poverty and injustice Development Organisation in (PWF), Cabrini Health, and AADO’s for women in rural areas where we Afghanistan. individual friends in Australia. are eyewitnesses to the immediate AADO’s partners Deutsch- changes that AADO has brought Kind Regards Afghanische Initiative (DAI) and to them. AADO’s carpentry project Dr Nouria Salehi 5 Engaging the Australian Community AADO Awarded In September 2010, as part of the Victorian Awards Federation Square in conjunction with the program for contributions to the Australian Afghan Embassy, AADO and volunteers from community, AADO was included in the honours the Afghan community took the opportunity to and the President accepted an award from the celebrate the unity and respect for different ethnic Victorian Governor to AADO for its work with the groups in Afghanistan as a part of the festival.