PROJECTS

Project areas: Civil society

For many poor communities, the first step on the path to self-sufficiency is teamwork – between men and women, villages and districts, communities and governments. In its role as implementing partner for the Afghan government’s National Solidarity Program, the Foundation is working with communities to address their most urgent needs.

The National Solidarity Program is a massive effort by the Afghan government to reach rural communities. Across the country, communities learn to develop investment proposals, using participatory involvement, and use grants and local labor to meet local priorities democratically determined.

This project strengthens sub-national governance in Afghanistan by giving communities the power to change their own circumstances. With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, our Foundation is helping local councils and villagers identify important infrastructure needs, develop plans to make lasting improvements and manage a project until completion.

The Foundation is extending the project to larger governance groups like community clusters, districts and provinces. With training, these clusters of community groups can collaborate with one another and work on more complex infrastructure needs in their region, such as building bridges, generating electricity or repairing roads.

The project has worked with 140 local development committees in four provinces. Strengthening sub-national governance not only improves quality of life but also builds trust and increases stability and security among Afghans.