Perspectives from the field: Key development issues and approaches in Afghanistan

Perspectives from the field: Key development issues and approaches in Afghanistan

Edmonton, Canada July 29, 2014

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Presentation outline • Afghanistan • Development issues in Afghanistan • Aga Khan Development Network in Afghanistan • Promising approaches and strategies • Role of community and civil society in global citizenship – a grassroot perspective • What does all this have to do with you? © 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

What is the image of ‘Afghanistan’ you have in mind?

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

This is the Afghanistan I know

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Afghanistan at a glance

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Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Kabul is the capital

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30 million population

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74% rural and 22% urban and 4% nomads

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652,230 sq. km; slightly smaller than Texas state of US

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Landlocked; mostly mountains and desert

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Dry climate, with cold winters and hot summers

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34 provinces (administrative divisions)

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Fully centralized government

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Key development indicators

• GNI per capita: US$410 – ranked 204 • Poverty rate:36% • Life expectancy at birth: 48M – 48F • School enrolment: 46% (Boys 52%, Girls 40%) • Female literacy rate: 29% • MMR (per 100,000 live births): 327 – still ranked 164/165 • Child mortality: 96 (per 1,000 live births) © 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Key development issues

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

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Lack of qualified human resources, particularly female

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Lack of community capacity in driving their development agenda

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Cultural and social norms

AKDN AKFC is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of private, non-denominational development agencies dedicated to improving living conditions and opportunities for the poor, without regard to their faith, origin or gender.

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

AKF in Afghanistan • 53 districts in seven provinces • 1,600 communities and more than 3 million target population • More than 1800 staff (97% Afghans) • Partnership with 15 donors including DFATD

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

The Goal To contribute to stability, prosperity and overall quality of life of the Afghan population

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

The approaches • Multi-sectoral, integrated • Systemic and long term • Fostering indigenous institutions and human resources • Community-led • Alignment with national priorities

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

AKF in Afghanistan • Key program areas:  Rural Development  - Participatory Governance and Civil Society  Natural Resource Management  Market Development and Financial Access  Infrastructure Development  Health  Education  Afghan-Tajik cross-border cooperation program

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Participatory Governance

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Government provincial departments District level government

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Community Institutions

• Linkage building • Reverse linkage building • Horizontal experience sharing • Social Audit • Gender sensitive planning • Capacity building attached to infrastructure development • Downward accountability • Thematic intervention

C:\Users\fawad\Desktop\Social Audit film VTS_01_1.VOB © 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Participatory Governance

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYdHwtrWngU Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Health

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Natural Resources Management

Government and Civil Society Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Market Development and Financial Access • Value chain approach • Agricultural • Non-agricultural • Vocational training • Tourism Development • Community Based Saving Groups (72% female)

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Consumers

Retailing

Wholesale Marketing

On-farm Storage

Production

Input Supply Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Procurement/purchase, Storage at shop, Grading/sorting, Retail sale

Procurement/purchase Storage at shops, Sorting, Packing, Sale at farm, Sale in local markets, Sale in Fiazabad and Takhar Grading/Sorting, Storage, Sorting on ongoing basis Fertilizer application, Bordex mixture application, Irrigation, Pruning, Picking, Packing, Sales on Farm or at market ,Fruit Plants Agro-chemicals (Fert, Pesticides, Lime, Copper, Sulfur etc.)

Farmyard Manure Tools/Equipments

Local General Retail Shops N=55

Wholesale/ Retail Traders Local Market N=15

Fruit & Vegetables Retail Shops N=28

Traders from Faizabad/Takhar N=?

Contractors (Faisabad) N=40 Small Vendors N=60

Local Contractors N=20

Small Farmers with Scattered Plantations N=450

Tools/ Equipment Manufacturer

N=2 Mother Stock Nursery (MSN) & Associated Stock Nurseries (ASN)

MSN=3 ASN=13

Commercial Apple Producers N=300

Pesticides/Agro -chemicals Shops

N=2 Farmers’ Nursery (Informal)

N=16

Education • Schools management • District education dept.

• Provincial education dept.

• National MoEdu. • Other INGOs • AKDN (AKF, AKES and AKU)

• Govt. School Program • Community Based Classes • Teacher Trng. Colleges • Pre-Schools • Mother Literacy Classes • Parenting Education

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Education

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Cross Border Cooperation

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Exercise

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Conclusion You can’t criticize what you don’t understand: Teachers as social change agents in neo liberal times. An article by Dr. Michael O’Sullivan of Brock University “Citizenship is defined by being a member with rights and responsibilities.

Therefore, GCE must encourage active involvement. GCE can be taught from a critical and transformative perspective, whereby students are thinking, feeling, and doing. In this approach, GCE requires students to be politically critical and personally transformative. Teachers provide social issues in a neutral and grade-appropriate way for students to understand, grapple with, and do something about.”

© 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Thank you Any Questions?

Š 2014 Aga Khan Foundation Canada