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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media
contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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Self-Help
Groups in Afghanistan
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The government
of Afghanistan has adopted a National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS)
to reduce poppy cultivation by 70% by 2008 and eliminate it by 2013.
It is therefore collaborating with international institutions, governments,
and NGOs, to provide sustainable alternative sources of livelihood
especially to rural Afghans who currently depend on opium cultivation.
Research in Alternative Livelihoods Fund (RALF) is a three-year program being funded by DFID, and implemented by ICARDA in collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan. It includes initiatives in natural resource management, social protection, and private sector development. One of the projects in the program is the "Innovative financial mechanisms for improving the livelihoods of rural Afghans currently economically dependent on opium poppy," being implemented in Badakhshan Province. Led by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich, UK, and implemented in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in Afghanistan, the project began in July 2004 and will run until December 2006. Among other activities, it has established self-help groups in two pilot districts, Jurm and Ishkashim, to provide affordable and accessible finance to poor households in order to improve their livelihoods and reduce dependency on poppy cultivation. A team from NRI, ICARDA, AKF, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MAI), Afghanistan, undertook a monitoring mission on 27-31 August 2006, to assess the performance of the self-help groups in Jurm and Ishkashim districts. The team consisted of Mr Barry Pound, NRI; Dr Najib Malik, RALF/ICARDA; Dr Fazulddin Fazl, MAI; Mr Sayed Moinuddin Ainy, DG Agriculture, Takhar Province; Mr Sarwar Akbari, ICARDA-Kunduz Coordinator; and Mr R Sreenivasan, AKF/NRI. From April 2006, when the first groups were formed, some 97 disciplined, well-managed, men's and women's groups have emerged with a total of 1675 members in 25 villages. The groups are regularly saving 100-1000 Afs per month, and have accumulated over 1 million Afs to date. This is being used to provide small loans (2000-10,000 Afs) to members, who are re-paying promptly. The formation of women's groups is a major achievement. There are very few forums where women can discuss and implement development options or improve their capacity to generate and manage income. The women have expressed interest in literacy courses, poultry farming, bee keeping, handicrafts, and carpet-making. Non-members have expressed interest in starting additional groups. The project has considerable potential for expansion and replication in other parts of Afghanistan. The groups are willing to help train new groups in neighboring districts. Members even foresee that the self-help groups could lead to the development of a broader rural banking system. |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management
of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In
the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible
for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
(www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and
regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international
research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable
development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition
and health, and protecting the environment.