Overview
Helping farmers increase wheat production
By providing high-quality wheat seeds, Concern has helped 3,290 farmers triple their annual harvests. Among the vulnerable families who have also received assistance, 450 families received farm tools and 370 people received emergency food rations. Community kitchen gardens and bee-keeping enterprises helped 5,300 people earn money. Concern distributed more than 132,400 tree saplings grown in community nurseries to reforest 800,000 square metres of land. Concern also planted more than 30,300 fruit trees for food and income.
In other activities, Concern trained 27 people in veterinary skills to vaccinate 3,000 animals in 2005 and offered pest-control training to protect valuable crops. Vocational training focused on training more than 60 disabled people to start their own businesses in livestock and sewing. Concern also helped more than 500 people to form groups to borrow money for small business loans.
Providing clean water
Concern helped reduce disease and provide clean water by building water systems for 14 villages serving 44,262 people. In the densely populated areas of Farkhâr, Concern built four public latrines serving 7,000 people and educated 9,393 people about good nutrition, health and hygiene.
Promoting community development
Concern worked with the Afghan government and the World Bank to help nearly 200 villages promote community development committees in Takhar province through the “National Solidarity Programme”. The committees have initiated various projects including agriculture, wells, latrines and small hydro-electricity projects. The programme specifically targeted women, who have an unprecedented opportunity to play important roles in their communities. The project recruits women to participate in elections and in government-funded development projects. Women learn how to submit proposals and supervise funded projects.
Helping adults go back to school
Concern focused on improving informal education for the poorest adults, particularly women, so they can enter the formal education system. In rural Takhâr, nearly 2,000 men, women and children took literacy classes. About 60% attained basic literacy, allowing hundreds of girls and boys to begin formal schooling next year. In Kabul, the “Reflect” project creates and supports women’s groups, which are a vital lifeline for 1,500 women who might not otherwise leave their homes. Through Reflect, they share experiences, and learn basic health, hygiene and literacy skills. Concern built eight new schools, two for girls, one for boys and five mixed schools that together provide education facilities for 11,500 children.
