News Update Issue 23 Spring/Summer 2013 Afghanaid works alongside poor, vulnerable and marginalised people to enhance their opportunities and capabilities. Afghanaid is a registered UK charity with a small London team. The head office resides in Kabul, Afghanistan, with provincial offices in Samangan, Nuristan, Badakhshan and Ghor. UK Registered Charity (1045348) since 1983. In 2013, Afghanaid celebrates 30 years of continually working in Afghanistan. Improving Water Quality in Samangan Province The World Health Organisation estimates Many people are forced to drink raw water With basic business training and materials that each year in Afghanistan 82,100 chil- from rivers or use their limited income to from Afghanaid, the filters are now being dren under the age of 5 die from diarrhoea. buy expensive bottled water from the mar- produced locally thus keeping profits within ket. Working with local WASH committee the local community. Sher Muhammad, 32, At Afghanaid, we find this shocking statistic members, we have been able to improve (above) tells his story: unacceptable. We know that you do too. In the quality of drinking water. One way we order to reduce these unnecessary deaths, have achieved this is through the distribu- “I was jobless and had five children to look children and communities require improved tion of bio-sand filters. after. I used to do bits and pieces of labour access to clean water and good sanitation for neighbours but it didn’t provide enough as well as a basic understanding of good A bio-sand filter is made from concrete money. I then got the opportunity to make hygiene practices. or plastic, and stands around 1m high bio-sand filters. I set up a production centre by 30cm wide. Each is filled with layers with five others. Now we can produce 180 In 2008, only 39% of the Afghan population of sand and gravel. The sand removes filters a week, which is enough to support had access to clean drinking water facili- pathogens and suspended solids from ten villages. When it’s really busy, I hire ties and only 30% had access to proper contaminated drinking water. Material can another 15 people. sanitation (UNICEF). As a result of these be found locally and construction can hap- challenges, WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene pen on site. “I have also set up a shop in the market. I – collectively known as WASH – have long have enough income now to send my chil- been a core focus of Afghanaid’s work. In 2012, we distributed bio-sand filters to dren to school and to provide food for my 2,100 households across ten villages in family. And I’d like to expand my business In Issue 20, we reported on Tajwar, a young Samangan Province, accounting for 93% to provide enough bio-sand filters for the woman from Ghor Province. She was of households. This has made a remark- whole province.” elected chair of her local WASH committee able difference, as Mina, 16, from Masjeed and has over time made huge improve- Qoba, recalls: Bio-sand filters cost around £8 each to ments in the understanding and attitude of purchase, leaving Sher Muhammad busy her community towards health and hygiene. “I used to drink any kind of water, and I assisting customers, businesses and often got sick. The doctor suggested I stop, schools from the local community. With your support, we have increased our but I had no choice. Now I drink water involvement with individuals like Tajwar from the bio-sand filter and I don’t get sick Read more about our work to improve wa- throughout the areas where we work. anymore.” ter quality at www.afghanaid.org.uk/water From Afghanaid’s Chairman, David Page This year Afghanaid celebrates 30 years There are some contradictory things hap- of continuous work in Afghanistan. This pening. On the one hand, the international is a proud achievement, considering the community remains committed – rightly extraordinary difficulties and privations - to building the viability of the Afghan the country has faced and the challenges state. It has pledged the substantial sum involved in providing help to those in great- of $17 billion for development over the est need. next four years and plans to align 80% of it with the government’s National Prior- There have been many ups and downs ity Programmes. On the other, analysts during those three decades and looking recognise that in many parts of the country forward to 2014 there are more uncertain- instability is increasing, the government’s ties ahead. authority is being challenged, corruption to play that critical role. We hope that is a problem, and providing humanitarian governments will hear these messages. Afghans worry about whether the Afghan assistance and development is going to army will be able to hold the ring once the get more difficult. I have just returned from a visit to Kabul international forces withdraw, what sort of where transition and its implications are government they will have after the next Afghanaid is proud of its role over the past on everyone’s mind. Everyone knows that presidential election scheduled for April ten years as a facilitating partner of the the next few years will be challenging and next year, and whether progress in the Afghan government’s National Solidarity hopes against hope for a new equilibrium. field of education, human rights, women’s Programme – empowering elected local Much has been achieved but progress empowerment and freedom of expression communities to decide their own develop- remains fragile. Afghanistan remains will be sustained. ment priorities. But first and foremost we a very poor country and will need our have a humanitarian role to play and we support long after the international forces Afghanaid too has to work out how it will believe post-2014 that role may need to withdraw and soldiers’ families breathe a respond to a number of possible scenarios expand. sigh of relief. – from a resumption of civil war at one end of the spectrum to a successful and In a time of flux, we have a model for deliv- Having a 30-year perspective does have peaceful transition at the other. Much will ering development which works, dedicated some advantages. We have been through depend on whether there can be some and experienced Afghan staff and the trust challenging times before. We are also sort of accommodation with the armed of several thousand communities in four very fortunate in having supporters who opposition and an end to the interference provinces. We have also been working ex- love the country and share our vision of of neighbouring countries. perimentally on new forms of humanitarian a peaceful, just and developed Afghani- access which will help us to reach out to stan. It has been a long road but we have communities in war-torn environments. We travelled it together and we hope we 30 are advocating with donors that in these can count on your company in the years THIRTY YEARS IN AFGHANISTAN 1983-2013 times the NGO community is an asset for ahead. the future which needs to be strengthened www.afghanaid.org.uk/30 Your Impact: Cash for Quilts You may have read about “Cash for Quilts” Roh Jan is 30 and from Tahti Haqan vil- Bibi Gull, 32, has seven children. They in our appeal this winter. This is a project lage in Samangan. A widow, she has three live in a small home in Pusht-e-Bagh vil- which gives financial opportunities to sons and three daughters. The money she lage in Samangan. Bibi was delighted to extremely vulnerable women in remote received for making seven quilts has made receive a quilt made as part of Cash for communities so that they can support a remarkable difference to her daily life. Quilts. Wrapping three of her children up in themselves and their children through the the quilt, she says: winter months. We had a fantastic re- Unlike in previous winters when Roh Jan sponse to our appeal and are delighted to had to borrow money from relatives, this “They are much more comfortable and be able to put your donations to work in the year she was able to use her own money much warmer compared to previous years. most needy areas of rural Afghanistan. to buy food and warm clothing. It also helped stop them getting ill, which has been a huge relief.” We spoke to two of the women who ben- efited from the programme. These are their stories: www.afghanaid.org.uk/donate AFGHANAID NEWS UPDATE, ISSUE 23 Staff Profile: An Interview with Homayoun Barak Provincial Programme Manager, Ghor Province I was born in Kabul and studied at the Sadly the security situation in Ghor is city’s Istiqlal High School. I left my country very tense and deteriorating. The winter in 1984 to study in Social Science in season and heavy snowfall brings a break Canada. I was overseas for ten years in activities, but as the snow melts we fear before deciding to return to visit my family. an even greater deterioration of security. Being young and enthusiastic, I was This can mean parents may not allow their eager to return to my country. I welcomed children to go to school, and access to it with open arms. I did not know that I clean water is made even more difficult was walking into riverbeds of land mines. than normal. Amputees were everywhere – men, women and children. This is the point that I Afghan men and women are closely decided to stay in Afghanistan. watching the development of plans to withdraw international troops.