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USAID/OTI Afghanistan Field Report

January 2005

Program Description

USAID/OTI is increasing citizen awareness of and confidence in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and democratic political development in post-conflict Afghanistan. This is being accomplished by:

• Increasing the Afghan government's responsiveness to citizens' needs;
• Increasing citizen awareness of and participation in democratic processes; and,
• Increasing the capacity of the Afghan media.

OTI's rapid support for activities in Afghanistan's transition period helps establish credibility and space for longer-term development assistance. Working with central and provincial governments, national and international NGOs, informal community groups and media outlets, OTI identifies and supports critical initiatives that facilitate implementation of the Bonn Agreement, which was designed to move the country further along the continuum from war to peace.

The OTI/Afghanistan program started in October 2001 and is scheduled to end in June 2005. OTI is working closely with implementing partners and technical staff from OTI/Washington to ensure an effective close-out and handover of key activities and functions to the mission, other donors, and/or local partners. OTI/Afghanistan's funds have come from various sources, including Transition Initiative Funds (TI), International Disaster Assistance Funds (IDA), Development Assistance Funds (DA) and State Department Economic Support Funds (ESF). Projects are funded in 34 provinces of the country. OTI's current implementing partners are the International Organization for Migration-Afghanistan Transition Initiative (IOM-ATI) and Internews. IOM-ATI offices are located in Kabul, Bamyan, Gardez, Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz, Maimana and Mazar. Previous USAID/OTI partners included the Voice of America (VOA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Ronco.

Country Situation

The general security situation remained relatively calm, but an increase in domestic crime throughout the country has been noted. Credible security threats continue to be received by agencies monitoring the security situation; threats focus on those international organizations and contractors working in the south and southeast region, but no major incident has occurred. Historically, security incidents decrease in the winter months, and there is considerable speculation that the threats and incidents will resume with warmer weather.

The unusually harsh winter in Afghanistan has resulted in a suspension of all reconstruction work. More than 250 Afghan citizens have died in Kabul; USAID contractors' worksites in some southeastern provinces were converted into emergency shelters and clinics after the snowy road conditions stranded hundreds of trucks and vehicles in the bitter cold. Conditions have prevented contractors and OTI staff from traveling to monitor and evaluate projects. Work on reconstruction projects will need to be expedited as the weather improves in order to remain on schedule.

USAID/OTI Highlights

A. Narrative Summary

USAID/OTI Reconstruction Projects Saving Lives in Takhar, Northeastern Afghanistan – Families in the remote northeastern province of Takhar are largely dependent upon agriculture. Networks of irrigation canals divert water from the larger rivers, so that all villages and farmers are provided with the necessary water for their crops. During almost 30 years of war, the maintenance of the canals has suffered. As a result, after the annual spring floods, the farmers and villagers have to secure and often rebuild the canals and their intakes, which is time-consuming and dangerous work. Therefore, long term rehabilitation of these canals is a high priority for the provincial government and the local communities. In response, USAID/OTI has concentrated support in Takhar on rehabilitation and construction of permanent and durable irrigation canals.

Community leaders in front of Gaomali intake.

These projects have had a significant impact upon the local community members. USAID/OTI constructed the intake of the Gaomali Irrigation Canal in Taloqan District of Takhar province that provides irrigation channels to 30,000 hectares of land with 150,000 beneficiaries. Before the canal intake was constructed, it was necessary for community members to remove all of the debris and rocks from the canal, and rebuild the intake every year following the spring floods. The rehabilitation of the canal each year was essential to ensure that water was able to flow through the irrigation canals as well as to provide drinking water to the local population. One of the community members explained the work, "Every year when the flood season started we had to get into the heavy currents and reconstruct the intake. It took a lot of our time and the work was very dangerous. Each year, one or two people died in the water during this work. Today we can thank the people of America for having water constantly all year round without having to risk our lives rebuilding the intake every year."

USAID/OTI Supported Radio Stations – Since 2002 OTI has supported the establishment of 32 independent FM radio stations operating within two independent satellite networks. In January, three stations graduated from repeater to full station status, complete with production facilities and trained staff. More than eight million Afghans, representing 42% of the population, are within range of a USAID supported station. USAID supported national radio programming, Salaam Watandar or "Hello, my compatriots," reaches 52% of the population through the 32 network member stations and several state-owned AM stations. An additional 4-6 radio stations are scheduled for opening in Spring 2005.

USAID/OTI Building Bridges that Connect Communities and Markets in Northern Afghanistan –

This construction project in northern Afghanistan will stimulate trade among local communities.

As part of USAID/OTI's efforts to enhance and increase the government's responsiveness to citizen needs, USAID/OTI has supported many community-identified infrastructure projects. These investements have re-connected communites and expanded access to emerging and recovering markets. In Shinkay, Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan, USAID/OTI has worked with government departments to construct a bridge with seven culverts. The bridge benefits approximately 3,000 people in the area. "The construction of this bridge connects the communities of 17 different villages. We are grateful for the assistance from the Afghan Government and people of the United States," said village elder Mr. Nazar Mohammed. During the groundbreaking ceremony in Balkh, he also stated, "It will provide better business opportunities, access to education and health facilities, and improved transportation." The Balkh District Governor, representatives from the Department of Planning, the Department of Security, the Department of Agriculture and more than 60 members from the communities of the surrounding villages were present. Community members, especially members of the local women's group, were very active in the project through their direct and in-kind contributions and support.

USAID/OTI Supports Sewing & Health Education for Women in War Torn Communities – A recent grant in Gilan, Ghazni Province has enabled 50 women from five villages to participate in sewing and health education courses. Ghazni Province has been affected by years of war and drought that have caused a low standard of living in the region. Villagers are largely dependent on their farm lands and livestock, but the living situation has become precarious due to the current drought. This project has provided the participants with tailoring skills that will decrease their dependency upon agriculture and livestock, and allow for other means of income generation.

As Gilan is a war-affected community and women have often been excluded from the benefits of the on-going peace process, the women of this region have been eager to take part in these kinds of projects that assist them and their families. Community representative Mr. Abdul Mutalib said, "I have spent a lot of time encouraging the family heads of this village to allow one female member of their families to participate in these training courses." The benefits of participating not only directly contribute to women's empowerment, but also have the benefit of assisting the whole family by providing a source of income.

B. Grant Activity Summary

Following is a summary of OTI/Afghanistan cleared and completed activities for the month of January 2005 and since program start-up. In January, eight grants valued at $651,131 were cleared.

Grant	Activity	Beneficiaries
National
AFG149	CSIS, Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Measuring Afghanistan's Reconstruction	Afghan citizens, Government of Afghanistan, NGOs, as well as the US government and the international community.
AFG155	Pajhwok, Transitional support for an independent Afghan news agency	85 Pajhwok staff, indirect beneficiaries include all media organizations using Pajhwok's material, and news consumers.
AFG156	Establishment of a Journalist Training and Advocacy Organization, Center for International Journalism	18 employees of Center for International Journalism, Pajhwok staff, hundreds of journalists who will receive training, and news consumers.
AFG158	IWPR, Creation of an Independent Afghan News Agency Trainers Start-up	An estimated 120 employees of Afghanistan's Independent News Agency, CIJ, and news consumers.
AFG159	Research and Analysis of Survey of Afghan Media Development	USAID, Internews and independent radio station network, donors, and Government of Afghanistan.
AFG160	Pajhwok, Transitional training support for an independent Afghan news agency	85 Pajhwok staff, international staff, indirect beneficiaries including all media organizations using Pajhwok's material, and news consumers.
KBL219	Kabul Beauty School	90-110 women, mostly Afghan returnees from Pakistan and Iran.
KDZ041	Civic Education for Elders and Mullahs in Takhar and Badakhshan	490 mullahs and 490 community elders will directly benefit. About 35,000 indirect beneficiaries will receive information.

C. Indicators of Success

USAID/OTI-supported kindergartens provide a safe environment for children and enable women to return to work – As Afghanistan tried to recover and rebuild after the Taliban, the interim government wanted to encourage and support women's professional contributions at the ministerial level. USAID/OTI responded by constructing kindergartens in 15 ministries and government departments to facilitate mothers' ability to return to the workplace. Two years later, the kindergartens are thriving. A recent visit revealed that the facilities have been properly maintained and continue to provide all-day child care for the women working in the ministry - critical support for working women and families, as well as for the government of Afghanistan which has been able to retain its female workforce.

USAID/OTI Media partner receives Ministerial Invitation to Kabul University - Impressed by Sayara's successful restructuring of the journalism faculties at universities in Herat and Mazar, the Minister of Higher Education invited USAID/OTI's media partner to expand the Novice Journalism Training Program (NJTP) to Kabul University. Previously, the University administration had resisted the proposed curriculum revisions and the assistance offered by this Afghan media NGO. After the student-run radio stations - Youth Voice Radio - in Herat and Mazar quickly dominated the airwaves and the journalism schools had to turn away students for lack of places in the program, the Minister of Higher Education paved the way for the program to begin at Kabul University.

D. Program Appraisal

In preparation for program close-out, USAID/OTI has planned to accelerate monitoring and evaluation activities. However, the severe winter weather has brought a lot of snow and extremely cold temperatures to Kabul and the provinces. All construction has been suspended; road conditions and the cancellation of many flights have impeded travel to the provinces. With very little time left before program close-out, USAID/OTI is collaborating with implementing partners to monitor and evaluate activities in Kabul and focus on financial and administrative close-out efforts.

NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

During the month of February 2005, USAID/OTI will:

• Continue working toward program close-out, scheduled for June 2005;
• Host the USAID Administrator and several Congressional delegations;
• Participate in the Paktika Summit in Sharan to facilitate and encourage donors and NGOs to support the reconstruction effort in this insecure, southeastern province.

For further information, please contact:
In Washington: Elizabeth Callender, USAID/OTI/Afghanistan Program Manager, Tel: 202-712-4078, ecallender@usaid.gov