1993 - 1997
In 1992/1993 Afghanaid began beekeeping projects to help families increase their incomes and improve their standard of living. We also began a programme of rebuilding homes destroyed by war.
Beekeeping
Fifty colonies of bees were purchased in Pakistan and transported to Badakhshan in the far north-east of Afghanistan in 1992 and 1993. Before distributing the hives, 20 farmers were trained. A two week course had been planned, but the farmers were so quick and keen to learn, that everything was covered in a week. Most of the hives were sold to local families for a nominal charge, but many more wanted to buy them. The hives were an instant success and by late 1994, the number of hives had been increased to 98, shared among 28 families. Honey production from the hives totalled over one metric tonne. Since then beekeeping has become an integral part of Afghanaid's long-term programme in Badakhshan.
Housing
In 1992/93 Afghanaid helped 437 families in Kapisa province to rebuild their war damaged homes. Each family was provided with roof beams, doors and window-frames, once they had rebuilt the walls of their houses. As well as helping with the rebuilding of homes, Afghanaid built flood protection walls to protect the newly built homes from damage during the flood season.
During 1993, many refugees were returning to Afghanistan from Iran. In a joint programme with Christian Aid, Oxfam, the Refugee Council and the United Nations, Afghanaid assisted over 5,500 families in returning to their homes. Each family was provided with shovels, buckets and pick-axes to help them rebuild their homes. Later families were given wheat enabling them to survive the first months as they worked to get their farms going.
Help For Land Mine Victims/Water and Sanitation
During 1994 over 8,000 people - mainly civilians - were killed and 100,000 injured in Kabul. Hundreds of thousands were trapped in the city without adequate food and shelter. Afghanaid supported the work of CARE - one of the few organisations working in Kabul. Afghanaid contributed food, blankets and tarpaulins for families. In an effort to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, Afghanaid later supported CARE's water and sanitation programme in Kabul. By September 1994, engineers had restored a supply of clean water to thousands of families in the most densely populated areas of the city. Afghanaid's contribution helped over 10,000 residents. Afghanaid raised £12,000 to build a new centre for the first Regional Physical Rehabilitation Centre in Afghanistan. Located in the grounds of the hospital in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province, the centre provided prosthetic limbs and physiotherapy for disabled people, many of whom were victims of land mine accidents. We continued with agricultural and engineering projects in five provinces, but by mid 1996 had decided to focus on Badakhshan, one of the poorest areas in Afghanistan. Plans to work in Jowzjan and Ghor provinces fell through because of security problems.
Afghanaid began developing fruit and forestry nurseries in addition to testing, multiplying and distributing improved wheat seed and producing new varieties of vegetables. We responded to a food emergency in Badakhshan: improving roads to enable food to be imported and setting up low-cost projects to increase the production of cereal grains. We began an animal health programme to help more animals survive.
A pilot community development programme was implemented, working with local people to address the root causes of poverty.
"I don't want to own a bicycle, a car or an aeroplane. These things don't interest me. All I want in life is to be able to feed my family." Khalil, Awlar village, Badakhshan.
Drought and disease over a number of years devastated harvests and claimed the lives of farm animals. In turn this led to a serious food emergency in the province. Many families faced starvation over the harsh winter. Afghanaid responded to the emergency by improving the road between Badakhshan and the neighbouring province, Takhar. This enabled food to be imported and reduced transport costs. Local people employed on the project were paid in wheat. Afghanaid also set up low cost projects to increase the production of cereal grains and started an animal health programme to ensure the survival of as many animals as possible.
Pilot project
This project represented the beginning of Afghanaid's new emphasis on working directly with local communities to decide on the priorities for assistance in their villages. We carried out a major survey in three remote districts of Badakhshan and following this a pilot project was set up in three villages in Ishkashim district. Meetings between Afghanaid staff and village representatives identified the major problems in the area and trial projects were set up. These included food production, the widening of dirt tracks, road and bridge repairs, tree planting and health education training for women. The pilot project was highly successful and the model was used to implement Afghanaid's current "Community Development" approach.