Every day, all over the world, USAID brings peace to those who endure violence, health to those who struggle with sickness, and prosperity to those who live in poverty. It is these individuals — these uncounted thousands of lives — that are the true measure of USAID’s successes and the true face of USAID's programs.
At the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW), women were not moving up in the ranks, mostly due to a lack of human capacity building opportunities. USAID created and funded the Afghan Energy Capacity Building Project (AECB), which has empowered more than 100 MEW women employees, giving them the capacity to thrive in what was once an entirely male-dominated ministry. The MEW’s Vocational Training Center’s Instructors and female students have also benefitted from the AECB training.
Over the course of many years, thousands of prospective teachers, predominantly women, have been trained at the Nangarhar Teacher Training Institute, elevating the educational and social status of women and improving the quality of education throughout Afghanistan. However, over time, the Institute’s building fell into disrepair. At the same time, another serious issue plagued Nangarhar: the province is home to many unemployed widows and destitute women who have no option other than begging to support their families. USAID acted to address these two issues simultaneously by hiring local widows to repair and rehabilitate the Institute’s buildings.
Families in rural Afghanistan face significant challenges securing steady jobs and steady income. The primary industry in Eastern Afghanistan is agriculture, with only seasonal and temporary job opportunities for most men. Decades of war and conflict have compounded the situation. As a result, women have had to find ways to supplement their husbands’ incomes despite their limited opportunities to learn new vocational skills and the cultural obstacles women face in the workforce.
Built by USAID’s Afghanistan Infrastructure Rehabilitation Program, the new 105-megawatt Tarakhil Power Plant has trained workers at every skill level, helping to ensure sustainable operations of the plant that provide a reliable source of electricity to the region.
Before Abdul Wahab signed up for a USAID-funded AVIPA Plus training course in animal husbandry, the farmer, who has no formal education, took his knowledge of the subject from family tradition and neighbors’ advice.
Since 2008, ongoing violence in the Bajaur region of Pakistan has caused scores of Pakistani families to seek refuge in Afghanistan. Many of these displaced families have settled in Kunar Province’s Sholtan Valley, joining Afghans returning home from decades spent as refugees in Pakistan. Approximately 630 of these displaced and refugee families are living in Shigal District, with more arriving each month. Most of these families do not have the basic household goods that are essential for day-to-day living.
Culminating three years of construction and intensive capacity building, on June 27, the U.S. Government handed over to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan the 105-megawatt Tarakhil Power Plant in Kabul, a state-of-the-art thermal facility consisting of 18 medium-speed diesel engines. It can serve more than half a million residents at peak periods and can back up the country’s North East Power System.
Having sufficient and qualified health care workers to address the pressing health care needs of women and children in rural communities across Afghanistan is an enormous challenge. Cultural barriers make it hard for women to leave their homes and travel to seek the health care they need. With 85 percent of the population living in villages, there are few options to provide proper care and advice to these rural families. However, one of them seems to be working very well: community health workers (CHWs).
Tirin Kot is the capital and center of business and commerce for all of Uruzgan Province. Recently, the network of storm ditches in the city’s business centers deteriorated, causing severe flooding and forcing shopkeepers to close their stores. A community-supported USAID effort to repair the damaged ditches is bringing business back to the market and improving Afghan perceptions of foreign aid.
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