New community project providing food aid in eastern Afghanistan
Peace Winds currently operates in four counties within the Nangarhar province which is located close to the Pakistani border in eastern Afghanistan. This area is still unfortunately known as one of the most dangerous areas in the country where various armed groups have fought in battle since the invasion of the Soviet Union in the 1970s, the civil war era after that, and the intervention of the US military after 9/11.
Because of instability in the region, it is very difficult for the region to maintain public services and receive international aid. This means that many locals live in hardship with public facilities such as schools and hospitals overwhelmingly lacking compared to other areas. In recent years, stability and security has gradually improved but the living conditions still remain harsh. The coronavirus outbreak has unfortunately made life even more difficult for locals. Due to the outbreak and the accompanying lockdown measures, economic activity was reduced which meant that many day laborers lost their jobs and the closure of borders also restricted logistics causing food prices to skyrocket.
Providing food for those in need
After discussing with various members of the community such as elders, local youth groups, and local government officials, Peace Winds decided to help those hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. We had heard that food security was an urgent issue with many people going hungry and therefore we decided to provide food aid. The food aid we will provide will give a total of 280 of families the most in need of basic food supplies such as wheat, rice, cooking oil, beans, salt and sugar.
Our local partner organization, the YVO
For this project, we worked in partnership with a local NGO, the YVO (Your Voice Organization) which has a track record of various regional activities in the Nangarhar Province. YVO has an office in Jalalabad, the capital of the region, and has connections in the target area, so they were able to provide us with very valuable connections and information that was necessary to carry out the project successfully.
YVO needed to increase the number of staff for this project and when job ads were placed on the Internet, over 300 men and 60 women applied. After a difficult selection process, two new members (one male and one female) were added to the team. Local volunteers and staff were a crucial part in this project as they knew the land and culture as well as trusted by people in each region. Therefore, they were crucial in acting as a bridge to communicate with the locals.
Now let’s look at the community!
Unfortunately, it took awhile before we could get the necessary paperwork and permission from the local government in Jalalabad. However, in late September we were finally given the green light and the staff were able to move into the target area. Volunteers from the area had previously consulted with local elders and leaders to investigate and create a list of families in need, and based on that list, the staff worked to visit each family to assess their living conditions and needs.
We made sure to always include a female staff member during surveying. This is because of local culture where unfamiliar men are not allowed to enter homes. Therefore, our male staff gathered data by interviewing male residents outside while female staff went inside to check living conditions as well as interview female residents.
The staff went around surveying various households to find the households most in need. These households will be eligible for food aid which the local staff are working hard to prepare and deliver as soon as possible.
* This project is funded by subsidies from the Japan Platform as well as donations from all of our supporters.
We ask for your continued support and cooperation so that we may continue our efforts to help those in need.