2019ANNUAL REPORT About Annual Report 2019 The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, SCA, wants to show with this report what we’ve achieved with the resources provided to us by members, the general public, organisations and government bodies in Sweden and abroad. The report also functions as a short and comprehensive descrip- tion of the situation in Afghanistan during 2019. SCA strives for reporting that is open, relevant and balanced and points to results as well as risks and problems. It’s also meant to show the irregu- larities that have been brought to the organisations attention, and which are unfortunately inevitable due to the circumstances SCA is working in. The report paints a broad picture of SCA’s interventions and results. The information presented is a selection, since SCA’s activities are to extensive to be described in detail. For the reader looking for deeper knowledge, we can recommend SCA’s annual report to SIDA or any of the evaluations mentioned in the report. If you have any questions about SCA’s work in Afghanistan or this report, please contact us at [email protected]. Editor: Christer Bengtsson Text: Klas Bjurström, Christer Bengtsson Design: Bedow Cover The image show midwife student Negina Arman with her own son in the nursery at SCA’s midwife school in Wardak. “Our society has so many challenges we must face. I want to become a midwife because I’ve seen mothers facing so many problems, before I started my education here. My wish is to become a successful midwife.” Photo: Anna Ek 2019ANNUAL REPORT Content verksamhetsberättelse preface 5 selected interventions 2019 6 sca's vision, mission and target groups 8 resources 10 context – afghanistan 2019 12 objective 1 – Fair and better healthcare 16 objective 2 – Access to education 22 objective 3 – Locally managed development 28 objective 4 – Popular and political involvement 34 objective 5 – A credible and sustainable organization 38 control and zero tolerance – a challenge and a necessity 42 anti-corruption: development in 2019 44 conflict, security and risk 46 the Board in 2018–2019 48 annual report Administration report 49 Income statement 55 Notes 58 Audit Report 69 Association Auditors’ Report 71 Transparency and Accountability 72 4 innehållsförteckning Preface ”An Afghanistan free from poverty, violence and discrimination” when these words are being written, we are of Public Health includes the province in their efforts to in the midst of a pandemic. The whole world is affected, increase both quality and access to healthcare. Part of the Afghanistan as well as Sweden. A virus without a cure measures taken by the ministry is that SCA is receives doesn’t make distinctions. The global spread of the infec- funding according to proven results. It’s a difficult enough tion sharply accentuates the challenge of today’s uneven challenge in normal circumstances, but one we’ve actually distribution of essential resources. As long as the most vul- achieved in Wardak. nerable societies in the world are lacking the resources or There has been hope-inspiring event during the year as the strength to provide their societies with preventive and well. The peace talks between the Taliban and the USA is basic healthcare themselves, it will be a threat to us all. A one example, even though the end of the year somewhat threat that demands cooperation between the richest and dampened hope with an election resulting in two presi- the poorest nations in order to be eliminated. dents and a not fully supported prisoner exchange, the It is easy for memories of the near past to fade in light hope is still there. From our Swedish horizon, we have to of the challenges people all over the world are facing due be amazed that the Afghan people after 40 years of war is to covid 19. However, if I allow myself to look back on the still expressing increased hope in surveys. past year, there are both events and developments to learn In Sweden the year was characterized first and foremost from for the future. by the big shift in the organisational forms of the member A year ago I wrote that the image of Afghanistan is movement. The annual meeting of 2019 decided that one characterized by civil war, military warfare and terrorism member – one vote will be the standard for the future. This attacks. Regrettably, we experienced this very tragically was the main result of two years of work with the mem- at one of our health clinics in Wardak. Afghan security bership association, which is now followed by the possi- forces raided the clinic. Two of our employees and two bility to engage in thematic networks. Even though covid people accompanying patients were killed instantly. Our 19 makes our first annual meeting under the new rules clinic manager was abducted and wasn’t released until two difficult and forces us to conduct it online, the foundation weeks later. As a result we felt we had to close a total of 42 is laid to tackle the challenges awaiting SCA. clinics in the province to avoid jeopardizing the security of The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, the members our personnel. The closure lasted nine days. association as well as the professional organisation, has The main part of Wardak is under Taliban control. over the past year continued to build upon the positive Add to that other local conflicts that SCA has to navigate basis laid by many years of working with development and through. However, we continue to provide healthcare, aid in the country. in spite of the situation. At the same time the Ministry Peder Jonsson President swedish committee for afghanistan 5 förord Takhar Badakhshan Jowzjan Kunduz Balkh Samangan Baghlan Bamyan Kunar Laghman Kabul Wardak Nangarhar Ghazni Paktika 6 sca 2019 Selected interventions 2019 Education More than 94 000 children attended more than 2 800 classes in schools supported by SCA. 58% of these children were girls. Healthcare Throughout the year, SCA received more than 1.6 mil- lion patient consultations. Over 800 000 of those, or 49%, were women. Training midwives and nurses During the year 70 midwives and 45 nurses began the final year of their SCA-supported training. Another 25 women started their first year of midwife training. Rehabilitation More than 23 000 persons received fysiotherapy. Over 15 000 were given orthopaedic aids. REGIONKONTOR Livelihood opportunities Mazar-e-Sharif Throughout the year, SCA has supported 831 existing saving groups and formed 224 new ones to provide Taloqan people in rural areas with access to micro loans to develop their livelihoods. SCA supports more than 1 000 villages through the Community Governance and Wardak Livelihood Project and through the Afghan govern- ment’s Citizens Charter National Priority Programme. Jalalabad Through this cooperation 173 infrastructure projects Ghazni were executed during the year, among other things. Kabul Management Office Aybak (liaison office) Kunduz (liaison office) Metharlam (liaison office) sca 2019 7 About SCA SCA’s vision is an Afghanistan free of poverty, violence and discrimination. SCA’s mission is to give people power over their own development and their own lives. access to essential things such as education, health care, clean water and sanitation is significantly more limited in rural areas compared to urban areas. SCA’s target groups believe that having access to multiple sources of income and access to education and health care represent the most important basic conditions enabling them to improve their lives. In order to achieve its objectives, SCA adopts three approaches: 1) capacity development includes supporting village councils with mobilisation and organisation as well as training and support for local organisations and authorities. 2) basic social services such as health care and education will continue to be absolutely crucial for the foreseeable future, particularly at the province and district level. This is due to the fact that the Afghan government is still incapable of living up to its obligations in terms of addressing the rights of the civilian population in rural areas. The fact that SCA consistently supports the most vulnerable with education and health care results in credibility and provides a platform allowing SCA to develop local capacity and influence the situation of the most marginalised people in society. 3) advocacy work constitutes a means of achieving change through influence prior to decision-making in order to render development work effective and to obtain continued support for development aid going to Afghanistan. Advocacy work also serves as a means of changing SCA’s local partners, such as local authorities and organisations, when these are to listen to and support SCA’s target groups. 8 sca 2019 SCA’s target groups are rural communities, women, girls and boys, people with disabilities and internally displaced people. Women countries in the world with the highest infant mortality Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the rates. Thousands of children die each year due to a lack of world for women in terms of domestic violence. This not access to food and nutrition. Poverty leads to many child- only affects women directly, but also children, future gene- ren being forced to work. Those working in the informal rations and entire communities. Exactly how this lack of sector, often on the street, are particularly vulnerable to equality manifests itself in Afghanistan varies, but women physical, emotional, economic and sexual violence, in in general have limited access to social services such as addition to trafficking. education. Nevertheless, an increasing number of women are working outside the home, which is increasingly looked People with disabilities upon as something positive, even though armed opposi- People with disabilities are among the poorest and most tion groups frequently target women working in the public socially excluded groups in Afghanistan.