Just Future (Search for Common Ground)
Project Title: Just Future: Capacity Strengthening & Financial Support for Local NGOs/CSOs.
Project Location: Kandahar.
Donor: Search for Common Ground.
Beneficiaries: Host Community, IDPs & Returnees
Project Start Date: 15 Sep 2024
Project End Date: 15 Dec 2024
Total Directed Beneficiaries: 1400
Project Status: Completed
Project Overview
One of the most war-affected zones in Afghanistan is the Southern region is Kandahar. Southern Afghanistan hosts the highest number of IDPs and Returnees with the least access to basic services especially in remote and pre-urban areas. The past several decades of armed conflict/intimidation/threats and the general deterioration of security were the main factors causing displacement. Moreover, the flow of documented and undocumented returnees from Pakistan and Iran has formed informal returnee settlements in the province as the province is sharing long border with Pakistan and the province which share long border with Iran. In addition, the province has played a role of hub location for returnees. The Loy Weyala and Mirwais Mina are two pre-urban areas of Kandahar city, where large number of IDPs and returnees are living in formal and informal settlements.
According to HNO and HRP 2024, Afghanistan faces a severe food security and unemployment crisis, exacerbated by decades of conflict, economic decline, and recurrent drought-like conditions. Nearly half of the population lives in poverty, with unemployment rates doubling and underemployment increasing by 25. In 2024, approximately 15.8 million people are expected to experience crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity due to economic instability, high unemployment, and reduced purchasing power. The fragile economic conditions leave the population highly susceptible to shocks, underlining the urgent need for sustained assistance to mitigate the impact of these crises.
The project will resilient and economically self-reliant, contributing to the broader goals of poverty reduction and community development in Kandahar province focus on providing livelihood opportunities to 20 vulnerable families by equipping them with the skills and resources needed to establish kitchen gardens and improve food security. This initiative will support families in becoming more
Project Key Activities
- 20 women and men enrolled and completing economic and vocational training programs.
- 20 vulnerable IDP and returnee families received unconditional cash
- 90% of beneficiaries who report meeting their basic food needs after receiving cash assistance.
- Food consumption score card of target families improved by 80%.
Achievements:
- Strengthen coordination with stakeholders and local authorities
- Enhancement of stuff capacity in program/project implementation
- Obtained experience working with community
- Successfully beneficiary selection
- Selection of Woman headed families were really happy by including in beneficiary list. They planned for continuous gardening activities for their economics problems mitigation and economic sustainability. They hope and aim that they will daily receive income from gardening.
- Most of beneficiaries were not familiar how to cultivate, with our agriculturist trainings they understand how to cultivate, how to use tools, when to cultivate what and how to cultivate.
- By kitchen gardening activities they find a good physical exercise.
- As ADNO, we acknowledged and got information that which district is prefer for cultivation and which district has good weather and environment for cultivation.
- We achieved four main objectives by project implementation.
- Friendly and collaborative working culture was established in ADNO which will help in efficient and effective project implementation in future.
- Helped 20 families to make a source of income and ensure food security.
- By implementing project in an effective manner ADNO got good name in community and government.
- Specified grant for Kitchen Gardening was used efficiently and effectively according to objectives of the project.
Sustainability and Next Steps:
As per our vision ADNO will endeavor for a peaceful, developed, and prosperous Afghanistan and the world where all vulnerable population have equal rights, access to essential resources, and a life free from discrimination, poverty and violence.
Challenges and Lessons Learned:
- ADNO has learned more from project registration processes and working with community. It will help ADNO team for future project implementation for the community sustainability and economic growth. We learned how to communicate with community elders, local authorities, and other stakeholders for efficiency and effectiveness of the project.
- There were some vulnerable families who needed assistance and aid but according to criteria they didn’t have enough land to cultivate on or there were some families who were not having enough water for irrigation, so, due to criteria the selection committee excluded them from program.
- When we asked community elders for identification of most vulnerable families in their area, they refused to help because they said there should be a permission letter or order by Kandahar Municipality for us, even they didn’t want to help us in survey of beneficiary selection even though we already coordination was don with sectorial department and economic department also local authorities, then we coordinated with municipality and took permission by which community elders after that they started to help and make selection committee and go ahead for selection and survey.
- Most poor families didn’t have enough time for project activities, because they were daily Labour and they were unable to leave work for us and spend time with project team. By communication and availability of unconditional cash distribution we were able to satisfy them.
- When a beneficiary was selected by committee at the beginning, he was showing more than 200sqm2 after sometimes he was not preparing all land for kitchen gardening project. This was also a challenge for the team. Which was solved by coordination and motivation.
- Some legal procedures like preparing legal documentation for project registration and coordination needed and required a lengthy process but the project was short term and didn’t have enough time which was a challenge for team members. By provincial coordination we get the opportunity to start activities of project, while MoU was in process.
- Lack of time for follow up, we distributed kits and seeds few days ago and most of beneficiaries cultivated in their garden, but it needs more visits of agriculturist to find cultivation problems and provide solutions to beneficiary. Project extension can solve this problem
Future Outlook:
The project’s impact extends beyond its immediate outcomes. By instilling skills and fostering self-reliance, the initiative lays the foundation for long-term sustainability. Continued support through follow-up training and resource provision is recommended to ensure the momentum is maintained. Additionally, scaling the project to reach more households will further contribute to community well-being and resilience.
Impacts of Kitchen Gardening Projects
This report assesses the impacts of kitchen gardening projects implemented in Kandahar Province, aimed at improving food security and income generation to 20 vulnerable beneficiaries in Loya Weyala and Mirwais Mina area.
- Improved Food Security
- Income Generation/Economic Empowerment
- Increase Level of Coordination with Stakeholders
- Capacity Development of ADNO staff
- Social and Community Benefits
- Environmental Sustainability
- Source of Physical Exercise
- Increase in level of Self sufficiency
- Increase Knowledge Level about Kitchen Gardening Activities
Facts & Figure
Beneficiary Reached
Kits Distributed
Funds Utilized
Employees Hired
Stories in Motion
Steps Toward Hope: How Support Revived Hazratullah’s Dreams.
Ms. Farida resides in the village of Sar Khor Qalacha in the 7th district of Kandahar city. After extensive efforts and investigations, it was determined that her family was deserving and was included in the kitchen gardening project.......
Planting Hope, Nurturing Lives: A Story of Survival and Strength
Mohammad Sadiq, a resident of Yaka Lang in the 7th district of Kandahar province, is a very poor and disabled individual. He has been severely affected by the country's crises and bears the responsibility of supporting a family of thirteen members.......
A Garden of Hope: How Kitchen Gardening Changed Mohammad Dawood’s Life
Mohammad Dawood, who supports a family of 13 members, shares: "I am solely responsible for providing food and essential items for my family. I am very happy to have been included in the kitchen garden program.......