When one says Afghanistan and agriculture, most people think of poppy fields. The basis of heroin smuggled into wealthy Europe or America. With poppy cultivation, however, this is almost the same as the notion that all Afghan women must wear burqas.

“Many people think that in Afghanistan there are only women in burqas. But there are many different types of women there, too: women who are educated and those who have not had access to education, mothers of several children in rural areas and also fashionable women in cities,” Marcela Ondeková from the civic association Človek v ohrození, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2004, emphasises. In its local projects focused mainly on supporting women, it works together with the local organisation Afghan Women Resource Centre.

Their new project, with financial support from SlovakAid, targets approximately 400 women in rural Afghanistan. The women in the village of Hizatkhail in Parwan province they want to help improve the productivity of their home plots or help start a small business with agricultural products.

The idea to focus on agriculture in combination with support for women came from local partners. Afghanistan was also hit by a food crisis in 2008—drought, grain shortages and high fuel prices dramatically increased the price of grain and basic foods. And while prices have fallen somewhat since then, Afghans still pay more for basic foods than people in Europe.

“We build on the needs of local people. We do not go somewhere as all-knowing people who go to teach others. This time, based on our partners’ planning, we also want to invest in women and at the same time improve agricultural production, which will help address the malnutrition problem,” explains Marcela.

According to UN data, approximately half of Afghan children under five suffer from malnutrition, and during the food crisis almost one third of people suffered acute food shortages. Even without a food crisis, nearly half a million Afghans are troubled by the consequences of natural disasters each year, such as floods, droughts or earthquakes.

Afghanistan has one of the highest birth rates in the world and at the same time high maternal mortality at childbirth. Many children do not reach their fifth year of life—their weakened bodies cannot withstand common diseases and diarrhoea, which are related to inadequate hygiene. This problem could be largely solved by better nutrition, education and hygiene.

Parwan province, in the neighbourhood of the capital Kabul where the project is being implemented, unlike the mountainous and semi-desert parts of the country has suitable conditions for agricultural development. In addition, a large part of the province is demined—at least around homes and roads. Poppy is not cultivated there.

“People there grow, for example, corn, fruit, and legumes. Mostly, however, only for household consumption. They highly value land not contaminated by mines. Even Slovak soldiers from the base in Bagram said that as soon as they de-mined a piece of land behind the airport, the next day people were already planting there,” described Marcela.

The development of agriculture and food self-sufficiency is not only hindered by mines, but also by generally missing infrastructure—roads and backward technologies. “Seeing people ploughing while hitched to a plough is not unusual either. After 30 years of conflict in Afghanistan, livestock for farming are also missing,” adds Marcela.

The project focused on agricultural development and support for local women is meant to give these capable women a better chance to start their own business with agricultural products. For women who do not have sufficient education, they want to provide education and awareness so they can help improve children's nutrition and hygiene.

Within the project, preliminary agreements are also being signed with shops where women could sell their products. A workshop for processing certain crops is also being prepared. “So, for example, jam would last longer than just a few days,” explains Marcela. Material assistance will also go to creating better storage spaces.

The project does not skip men either. “We always try to explain to them that women’s education is important and in the end it is beneficial to them. After all, it is firstly beneficial for them if their women do not die in childbirth and their children get better nutrition and hygiene, so they do not die in early age,” explains Marcela.

As she adds, this is a long process, but claiming that Afghans are unequivocally against greater independence of their women is also just another prejudice. “Men there need to meet, discuss matters or vent their opinions. They do, however, accept arguments,” Marcela concludes.

Non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan:

o. z. Človek v ohrození

  • reconstruction of a primary school in Kapisa province and training of teachers and education of girls
  • a project to strengthen the position of women in rural areas through education
  • an educational project and establishment of two technical institutes for women—in Kabul and Charikar

ADRA

– building 178 houses for returnees in Qara-bagh south of Kabul

SlovakAid in Afghanistan

In 2009, support from SlovakAid was awarded to 4 projects worth more than 570-thousand €:

  • o. z. Človek v ohrození – rural development and support for new business activities
  • Slovak Technical University, Bratislava – education, Kabul Polytechnic University
  • a.s. Ales – education of mothers in child care
  • Slovak-Afghan Chamber of Commerce – expansion of a hospital in Logar province

In total, in 2004–2009 Slovakia funded 14 projects in Afghanistan:

  • within the UNDP Trust Fund eight projects received support in a total amount of 1 102 615 USD
  • through the SAMRS agency six projects received support in a total amount of 980 676 €
  • since 2009, Afghanistan has been one of the program countries of Slovak development aid

Source: MZV SR

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This article appeared in the bulletin Development Aid - Spring 2010. It is published by the Platform of non-governmental development organisations (MVRO), which is an association of legal entities—a umbrella organisation of 31 Slovak non-governmental organisations (23 full members and 8 observers) mostly involved in international development and humanitarian aid.http://www.mvro.sk