15 SEPTEMBER 2011 | BADAKHSHAN, AFGHANISTAN

 

Khawja Marouf village is located to the west of Faizabad City. Although it is near the Kocha River, agricultural land is scarce and there are limited resources for income generation. Livestock husbandry is the only activity in the community. The majority of people live in poverty.

 

Six women activists have established the Afghan Women’s Rehabilitation Skills Association to address women’s problems and teach basic skills. They applied for a USAID quick impact grant. With the approved grant, the association obtained 300 chickens, incubators, and office furniture, and paid fees for a veterinarian and a trainer. Through this grant, 30 women receive training in skills related to rearing poultry. Each woman has been given 10 chickens. The aim of the project is to help women create small poultry farms in their household compounds in order to generate income for their families.

 

"We can sell the eggs and buy stuff for our families," said one woman in the project. "We learned how to avoid poultry diseases and feed chickens properly." The grant participants received instructions on building shelters, feeding, and nesting of chickens. The trainers make regular visits to participants’ homes and advise women on hygiene, vaccinations, and other themes.

 

The grant also enabled the association to register with the Afghan government as part of its capacity development requirement. The Afghan Women’s Rehabilitation Skills Association has already developed a second proposal for embroidery skills to implement in the community. Thanks to this association, Khawja Marouf village is becoming a workforce of active women.