Education Program

BRAC Afghanistan education program starts its journey in July 2002 through opening 24 NFPE schools as pilot basis. Over the years it has expanded redirecting its school program in new dimensions by establishing BEOC and feeder schools for the poorest and underprivileged children those are deprived of education. The overall aim of the BRAC Afghanistan Education Program is to establish community-based schools that will supplement the efforts of the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan in order to increase the enrolment and completion of girls of primary education and to enhance the quality education of public school through capacity development of teachers in government-run formal schools. The program also aims to involve communities in management of schools and mobilize the community in favor of education, especially for girls' education and develop the capacity of local NGOs to be involved in CBS program implementation. Under the present BRAC Afghanistan Education Program the following components are being implemented: Community Base School providing primary education to the children aged 7-9 years and 10-15 years and as of September 2007 a total of 59,349 students of them 52,398 (88%) girls received education; Adolescent Reading Centers (ARC) with the views of keeping adolescent BRAC School graduates in touch with education and life skills activities and as of September 2007 a total of 974 adolescent members received services from the 36 ARCs. The Capacity development of government school teacher is providing pedagogy base trainings and the training on education management to the Principal/Head teachers of government primary schools. As of September 2007 a total of 595 Government school teachers received training on pedagogy base training INSET-I. With the objective of Capacity development of local Afghan NGOs some of local women headed Afghan NGOs have been involved in the operation of BRAC model community base school as the partnership program. As of September 2007 a total of 20 local NGOs involved as partners of BRAC in CBS implementation. The Research and Evaluation component of the Program works on the Assessment of Basic Competency (ABC) of the students and on the barriers to Girls' education in Afghanistan . As of September 2007 a total of 1260 girls from 90 schools in Balkh and Parwan provinces.

Health Program

BRAC Afghanistan has embarked on its health program after obtaining registration in July 2002 with 2 fixed health centers in Parwan and Balkh Province . The program was later expanded further and included 4 more provinces. Meanwhile, in March 2002 the Afghan Ministry of Public Health took initiatives to determine its major priorities for rebuilding the national health system and the services, which were so important for addressing the greatest health problems. It was decided to call these crucial services a Basic Package of Health Services. After having the BPHS as a policy documents for the MoPH, the donor communities particularly the World Bank, USAID and European Commission, extended their financial support towards the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health to implement the aforementioned package of basic health care services. Under different mechanisms the implementation of the BPHS was contracted out to the implementing agencies. Consequently BRAC Afghanistan became the implementing partner of MoPH and was assigned to implement Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in Balkh , Badghis and Nimroz Province under Performance Based Partnership Agreement (PPA) funded by World Bank. Besides this facility-based service, focusing more at community development through involvement, BRAC Afghanistan is implementing Community Based Health Program (CBHP) in Parwan and Nangarhar Provinces with the financial assistance from OxfamNovib. Additionally, one dental unit is providing dental health care in Paghman district of Kabul Province. Currently, BRAC Afghanistan is providing health care service in 34 districts in 6 provinces, which are Balkh , Badghis, Nimroz, Parwan, Nangarhar and Kabul . BRAC Afghanistan is running 7 district hospitals, 21 comprehensive health centers (CHC), 66 Basic Health Centers (BHC) and 2,413 Health Posts (HP). In order to take essential health care to the people's doorstep in the hard-to-reach areas, BRAC operates 533 mobile clinics every month with the program catchments areas. An average of 115,055 numbers of patients receives health care through BRAC Afghanistan health programs. 4,244 Community Health Workers (CHW) are engaged in the community who are supervised by 104 Community Health Supervisors. A component of BRAC Afghanistan's health care service includes Maternal and Neonatal Health, Child Health and Immunization, Public Nutrition, Treatment and Control of Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Disability Services and Regular Supply of Essential Drugs. Family Planning services are also provided through disseminating relevant information and distribution of family planning materials (pills and condoms). Recently, Delivery/birth kits have also made available for the clients at the community level. Moreover, BRAC Afghanistan is running Community Midwifery Education Program in Badghis Province supported by PRT Spain/AECI. 14 midwives have received 18 months education in the first batch while 21 students are currently enrolled in the second batch. BRAC Afghanistan health program has successfully implemented REACH project which was funded by the USAID in the year 2006 Paghman district of Kabul province. For capacity building through training and enhancement of knowledge and skill, BRAC Afghanistan has successfully completed the SM Province (Strengthening Mechanism) program in Parwan and Nangarhar provinces in June 2007 supported by MoPH/World Bank. A number of 780 Community Health Workers (CHW) have been provided training and are serving with their respective community.

Infrastructure and Social Development Program (ISDP)

The National Solidarity Program has been established by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to develop the ability of Afghan communities to identify, plan, manage and monitor their own development projects. NSP promotes a new development paradigm whereby communities are empowered to make decisions and control over resources for their development through community participation. NSP is the largest community development program in the history of Afghanistan and is designed to alleviate rural poverty and establish a foundation for improved local governance. BRAC Afghanistan, a facilitating partner, signed an agreement with the MRRD on June 25, 2003 and started its work from September 2003 to run the interventions of NSP. Now, BRAC Afghanistan is implementing National Solidarity Program in 36 districts in Nangarhar, Helmand , Paktika, Badghis, Samangan and Takhar provinces. Till November, 2007 a total of 2,072 community development councils (CDC) have been formed and registered 2,491 projects were completed and 978 are under implementation.

EQUIP (Education Quality Improvement Program)

BRAC Afghanistan started the EQUIP program in April, 2006. The main components of this program are quality enhancement and infrastructure development. The specific objective of this program is to increase school based decision making and resource management through parent-teacher association, school management committee and active community participation in school to build the capacity of communities and schools. The program covers 17 districts in two provinces (Parwan and Kapisa) which include 389 schools for quality enhancement and 47 schools for infrastructure development.

National Area Based Development Program (NABDP)

The National Area Based Development Program (NABDP) was initiated by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). The establishment of District Development Assembly (DDA) and formulation of District Development Plan (DDP) is the part of MRRD's Comprehensive Rural Development initiative. It is an attempt to establish a mechanism for collective actions by raising the level of facilitation and mobilization beyond communities to bring the people into the forefront of development planning and implementation from the community to the District and to Provincial levels.As a Facilitating Partner, BRAC Afghanistan is responsible to implement the National Area Based Development in all 22 district of Nangarhar Province for establishment of DDA and Formulation of DDP.

Disaster Management Program

Afghanistan is considered as a country prone to a number of natural disasters such as: flooding, earthquakes, drought, landslides and avalanches. Floods are common in the spring when snow begins to melt and rainfall is heavy. Earthquakes are relatively frequent, being more frequent in the north and northeast that often trigger landslides. Considering the above situation and the environment, BRAC Afghanistan has decided to implement a Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) project in selected disaster prone communities. The disaster management includes disaster risk reduction, sustainable poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development, conflict transformation in a right-based perspective and empowerment of vulnerable communities in general. This project has been funded by Oxfam-Novib

Water and sanitation (WATSAN) Program:

BRAC Afghanistan as Support Organization signed an agreement on 28 th January 2007 with Ministryof Rural Rehabilitation and Development to implement Rural Water and Sanitation project in primarily8 districts of Kabul and Badghis provinces. The Project's objective is to support the implementation ofthe Government of Afghanistan's Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Policy/ Strategy whichemphasizes basic water supply service for all, improved health through integration of health andhygiene education with water supply and sanitation, community cost sharing, ownership andmanagement including operations and maintenance.

•  Micro Finance:

BRAC has extensive experience in the field of Micro finance (MF) and its success in Bangladesh has received worldwide appreciation. Keeping in mind this success of Micro-finance program in Bangladesh , BRAC initiated its micro-finance program in Afghanistan in September 2002. BRAC's Micro Finance (MF) Program in Afghanistan has started to work with a view to create a self-sustaining and reliable financial service program for the poor, especially women. It uses a participatory, peer supported and multi-sectoral strategy to offer poor rural women the skills and opportunity to achieve sustainable improvement in their livelihoods, and dignity and self-reliance.

Small Enterprise Program (SEP)

Small Enterprise Project (SEP) was initiated to provide loans to small enterprises with growth potential. The Program aims to generate income and create new employment through enterprise development in the rural and semi urban areas of Afghanistan . BRAC initiated this project with the aim to develop and expand existing businesses as well as to create new businesses for income generation and employment creation.

BRAC Training and Resource Center (BTRC) :

BRAC believes in training as being an integral part of development activities. The BRAC Afghanistan Training and Resource Center (BTRC) is one of the major actors in bringing positive changes in the quality of program implementation for BRAC. Integrates concepts and practices of participatory approaches of learning, and continually adapts to improve training technologies. From its establishment in May 2003 till date, it has two training centers: one in Kabul (residential with 20 accommodation) and one in Mazar-e- Sharif Balkh-, from where various capacity building supports e.g., capacity needs assessment training facilitation and evaluation services are offered to Government and Non-Government organization of all levels. It has the class room facility to accommodate 80 participants at a time. The training programs are conducted for the staff members, supervisors, and managers. At present there are 62 training courses are developed and offered for organization. In addition, need-based tailor-made courses are developed and offered for upon request. Twenty trainers -16 National including 2 women and 4 expatriate have been working with BTRC.

Poultry & Livestock and Agriculture Program

BRAC Afghanistan commenced its agriculture and livestock Development Program in Afghanistan at the late 2003. The objectives of the programs have given high priority for poverty alleviation, generating income and employment opportunity creation to improve agriculture and Livestock production to increase forestry activities for greening Afghanistan and to satisfy the national human nutritional deficiency.Both sectors are to develop through modern technology adoption and livelihood improvement of the rural Afghan communities with involvement of women headed households. BRAC has established 2horticulture nurseries in Bailkh and Takhtapul districts of Balk Province with an annual prods.100000 to 150000 seedlings of different variety fruit and timber species and also small scale kitchen gardening in the homesteads. Activities involved in agriculture program are wheat and fertilizer, vegetables seed and agriculture tools, silo distribution to farmers, integrated pest management, hybrid maize cultivation and seed distribution. The poultry & livestock program involved in ;poutry e.g layer and broiler rearing, sheep & goat rearing, cow rearing, deworming, fattening and mass vaccination program. Artificial insemination program is operating large in extent at Afghanistan; through AI activities i)improvements of local breed for more milk and meat production ii)to have a healthy and quality calf iii) to control zonotic disease.Till present program is being supported by different donor agencies notably MISFA, Oxfam, UNWFP and FAO. Both programs are expanded in 40 districts and 12Provinces. All those proposed activities the beneficiaries will be given emphasis considering milk, meat and egg production potentiality To get most out for their farming activities.

Agriculture & Livestock Development and Support Program (ALDSP)

BRAC Afghanistan implemented its Agriculture & Livestock Development and Credit Support Program (ALDCSP) to provide credit facility to its beneficiaries with various types of training and technical support. Small and marginal farmers of agriculture, poultry and livestock are the main target groups of BRAC's ALDCSP.

Alternative Livelihood Rural Finance Program (ALRFP)

BRAC also implemented Alternative Livelihood Rural Finance Program (ALRFP) credit facility for those, who are involve in poppy cultivation activities and we start this program only to those areas where poppy grows abundantly and consists with the people who's family are involve in opium cultivation directly or indirectly.