Overview
Amid security problems in many areas, Concern Worldwide continues to work with local communities. The main focus of this work is to strengthen governance at the grassroots level and help communities manage their own development.
Community involvement
Our programmes focus on natural resource management, water and environmental health, livelihoods and emergencies. Concern hopes to bring about lasting change in the areas it’s working in by involving local communities.
We are operational in District 16 of Kabul and in the North-east provinces of Badakshan and Takhar. At the end of 2007, Concern was working in 621 villages in the north east, targeting an estimated 320,000 direct beneficiaries. These communities are gaining access to electricity, improved livelihood opportunities, access to markets, cleaner water and sanitation facilities and improved preparation for natural disasters.
Water and sanitation
4,400 families have benefited from eight major water supply systems, four rehabilitated natural springs and more than 100 new or renovated wells. We also helped build 2,094 individual family pit latrines and promoted improved hygiene and sanitation practices to more than 12,500 people.
189 mullahs were trained to raise community awareness about public health issues. It is estimated that over 28 thousand people received public health messages from trained mullahs
Livelihoods
In 2007 we built 18 pipe irrigation schemes, two km of irrigation canals, 19 water tanks and 128 check dams in the north east of the county to increase local communities’ access to water for agricultural production.
Nearly 50 thousand fruit and timber trees were planted on community land in 2007 to protect the environment and improve local community livelihood opportunities.
We support local communities in a number of agricultural production activities including kitchen gardens, fruit tree nurseries, bakeries, and livestock rearing.
Preparing for emergencies
We have undertaken flood protection measures including the building of walls, dams, embankments and footbridges.
We also delivered disaster preparedness and response training to 20 community development committees in 2007.
