Afghans4Tomorrow 2022 Annual Report

A Letter from The President

Humanitarian Activities:

• ASMA Project
• US Refugee Support
• Dudley Scholarship Project
• A4T Partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) Seasonal Support Project Jan 2022 to June 2022
• Emergency Response Jan 2022 to June 2022
• A4T Partnership with the WFP Emergency Responses July 2022 to Sep 2022

Challenges:

1. Funding
2. Coordination with De-facto Authorities
3. Banking Issues

A Success Story:

            Ms. Zarghoona Shares her experiences with A4T and our partner Christian Aid

A Letter from the President

January 10, 2023

Welcome to the Afghans4Tomorrow (A4T) 2022 Annual Report and Newsletter where we share with our supporters what we have been able to accomplish over the last year.

2022 has been a difficult year all around, but because of you and your genuine interest in helping the people of Afghanistan, we have continued to offer aid and support to the communities we serve.  This year we have had to navigate some time away from our primary education mission to one of disaster relief and emergency aid. We have and continue to navigate the problems and pitfalls resulting from the United States Military withdrawal and Afghans left with a fledgling de-facto government.  We will not kid you; this has not been an easy road, we have had to make difficult decisions, but on the following pages you will see what we have been able to accomplish despite the difficulties and because people like you have not turned your back. I want to personally thank all our donors, volunteers and supporters because we could not do what we do without your help. 

In January 2022 we lost our board member Asma, a long time A4T volunteer and dear friend to illness. We wanted to continue to support the communities Asma was so fond of in her name, so we began the Asma Project in her memory. As a result of your contributions, we were able to provide food for over 2500 poor families who would otherwise had to have gone without. So again, thank you, for your donations.

We are also sad to lose our friend and A4T volunteer, George Nez in December at 101 years young.  He helped build thin shell roofs for our school in Wardak province, Shaikh Yasin village, Afghanistan that opened in 2005. His structural advice was invaluable and the school he helped build is still standing as an educational home for many students today. George became a friend of Afghans who won their hearts with his generosity and kindness. We will miss him.

With the help of our longtime volunteers Kathy Kelly, Wahid Omar, Lisa Ling, and Asma Eschen, and through a collaboration of our networks, we were able to welcome and support newly arrived Afghan refugees, and to work with them to find the best ways to meet their needs. We are constantly learning about how we can best support and advocate for these new arrivals as they become acclimated to their new homes. 

A4T, through the generosity of the Dudley Family Fund has been able to select 60 female students from different government schools in Kabul, to prepare for the university entrance exam (Kankor). Today we do not know what the future holds for women in Afghanistan, but we will continue to do all that we can to prepare them with advocacy, education, mentorship and training for the bright future we know can be possible with the help and support we continue to receive.

Additionally, we partnered with several NGOs to deliver food and emergency aid to many communities in dire need during these tumultuous times.

About Face Veterans Against the War (AF) worked with us to provide veterans a way to offer mutual aid to suffering families in Afghanistan. Their invaluable support is a welcomed opportunity for all of our healing. I want to personally thank AF members for helping us provide basic necessities to Afghans in need.

We encourage you to read through these pages and know, that our combined experience of working in Afghanistan for over twenty years, the relationships we have built, and people like you, enable us to accomplish the seemingly impossible for the communities we serve.

   Tashakor!

Najibullah Sediqi
President, Afghans4Tomorrow

ASMA’s Project – 1,439 Families Fed!

This project was initiated in memory of Asma Eschen, a long-time A4T volunteer who served as president of the organization for many years, she passed away due to illness in Jan. 2022.   We thank you all for honoring Asma’s work over the years, especially her Bare Roots Project, where Asma and her team have planted and distributed tens of thousands of trees throughout war-torn Kabul.

Individual contributions were very helpful for the people of Afghanistan. Some gave $10, some gave $1,000.  Help was given to many needy and poor families who were spending their days and nights in poverty and hunger. After August 15, 2021, donors were trying to lend support to the Afghan people but there were many challenges and barriers for delivery of supplies. A4T staff and volunteers contributed a lot during the distribution of aid and cash to the needy people of 15 different communities known to the Bare Root Trees team. This would not have been possible without your generous individual donations, and through the bravery of our Afghan staff.

The distribution process took place based on organizational rules and regulations:  First, the team visited the location, identified beneficiaries, and completed survey and data collection steps. Based on A4T logistic and procurement policies, the aid has been purchased and distributed to those in need. The team has submitted all the required documents and beneficiaries’ confirmation receipts along with beautiful pictures of beneficiaries during distribution in the community. All the distribution has been accomplished with the coordination of community elders and authorities.

Summary of distributions: 

The A4T team visited and identified the poorest and neediest families of the community. Distributed one bag of wheat flour to 60 families in Wazir Khan Community, Barik abb District of Kabul Province.

Distributed one bag of rice and 3 litters cooking oil for 560 needy family in Halim Khan community, Barik Abb District of Kabul, and in addition, the community received 900 fruit trees as well.

250 poorest and needy families were identified in Salam Khan community of Shahrak New Barik Abb, District of Kabul, and they received one bag of rice per family.

During the Eid Holiday the Afghans 4 Tomorrow Provincial Volunteer team distributed Eid cash to 21 Families.

Distributed flour, sugar and beans to 20 needy family of Frogh Danish School, Sar Kotal District of Kabul.

With the support of A4T Volunteer team and Mr. Aman Wardak, volunteer member of A4T, 79 needy and poor families were identified in Shaikh Yasin District of Wardak Province.  The distribution packages included cooking oil and rice.

Distributed 2000 AFN for 80 needy families of Shaikh Yasin District and Shaikh Yasin school teachers of Wardak province.

The team visited Shakar district of Kabul and identified 57 needy families who received rice, oil and bean food packages.

Distributed the food packages of oil, rice and beans to 37 families in Gul Dara District of Kabul.

130 poor family were identified in Durani Village of Maidan Shar Wardak province (Durani is one of the far districts of Wardak province with high number of poor families) and received one bag of rice and 3 Kg of beans.

145 poor and needy families of Andi Village of Wardak Province also received the rice, oil, and bean packages. The beneficiaries are completed the identification process.

Afghan Refugee Support in the U.S.

Through a collaboration of networks, including the Interfaith Council of NYC and The National Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW), A4T’s outreach to newly arrived Afghan refugees began in September 2021 by identifying women’s needs as they were moved to military bases around the country.  Along with our partners, we collected and shipped over 25,000 hijab scarves, hundreds of modest undergarments, bolts of fabric, sewing and other supplies as requested by the Women population. 

A critical discovery was that there was little in place to support educated, experienced immigrant women in finding work other than survival jobs.  We also learned that many women in obliged or forced migration suffer too much post-traumatic stress (PTS) to fully understand the options available to them, the questions they need to ask, and their rights in their new country. In the case of the Afghan Women – from being received as honored guests at military bases, they were soon spread across the US, and turned over to state, county, city and non-profit run social services – who were under obligation to manage the integration of these newcomers according to strict rules governing assimilation of migrants – regardless of origin, or of status.  A4T worked with larger agencies (Team Rubicon, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Family Services, etc.) to provide “stop-gap” support such as cell phones, Uber and other gift cards as well as mentoring the women as they transitioned into their new lives in the United States.

By August 2022, five young Afghan women with apparent confidence and leadership skills were selected to move the project to the next phase.  These women have now organized the “Khahari” Club (Dari for Sisterhood) with continued outreach to other Afghan women across the U.S. with business and professional backgrounds.  The Khahari Club now meets regularly (in Dari) to continue fostering relationships, share resources, and provide us with a better insight into their evolving needs and concerns as they integrate into US business culture.The Number one need on their list? 

CARS!!! It’s almost impossible to job search without transportation in many rural areas.  Donations will be gladly accepted.  Contact us at cars@afghans4tomorrow.org

Dudley Scholarship Project

Girls University Examination Project for 2022:

A4T, through the generosity of the Dudley Family Foundation, have selected 60 female students from different government schools (Soria High School, Rabia Balkhi High School and Ruhshona High School, in Kabul, to prepare for the university entrance exam (Kankor).  Paperwork was started by the end of 2021 with the Ministry of Education, and after many coordination meetings and discussions, the Ministry of Education agreed to allow A4T to re-start the project but must accept the rules and regulations of the IEA, including only female teachers can teach female students.  A4T selected a classroom near Guzar Gah district of Kabul and hired two female teachers. The classes started on November 1^st and will continue to the end of June 2023.  These schools were selected and introduced by the IEA Ministry of Education’s Monitoring Team.             

A4T Partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) Seasonal Support Project Jan 2022 to June 2022

Afghans4Tomorrow (A4T) is implementing Seasonal Support Food Assistance program in provincial districts 10, 15 and 4 of Kabul Afghanistan for 25,025 needy families.  (See Table below)

Project Activities:

The A4T Project teams conducted coordination meetings with de-facto authorities (Ministry of Economy, Kabul Municipality office, selected Provincial District Directorates), to share the project information and exchange ideas on beneficiaries’ selection criteria. After processing the project paperwork, the field team of A4T started the field mobilization and beneficiary selection.

During this process, all the community elders and maleks (community leaders) were involved. Lists of the most vulnerable families were prepared in consultation with community elders. The prepared lists were also verified through WFP monitors. After completion of beneficiaries’ selection, the A4T Scope System registration teams started the verification of eligible beneficiaries. Before completing the Scope registration of beneficiaries, the team started the distribution of assistance in all three provincial districts. The distribution and scope registration were implemented in parallel.
Table of beneficiaries:

World Food Program Emergency Responses, July 2022 to Sep 2022

A4T is implementing a Food Assistance program in Provincial Districts 11, 15 and 17 of Kabul Afghanistan.  Number of beneficiaries are: 6,700 (PD 11), 8,700 (PD 15), 2,950 (PD 17),

for a total of 18,350 families.

Project activities:

• Coordination with de-facto authorities for field work
• Identification of beneficiaries
• Registration of the beneficiaries on Scope System (online bio-metric registration system)
• Distribution of assistance

The A4Tproject teams conducted coordination meetings with de-facto authorities (Ministry of Economy, Kabul Municipality office, selected Provincial District Directorates), to share the project information and exchange ideas on beneficiaries’ selection criteria. After processing the project paperwork, the field team of A4T started the field mobilization and beneficiary selection.

During this process, all the community elders and maleks were involved. Lists of the most vulnerable families were prepared in consultation with community elders. The prepared lists were also verified through WFP monitors. After completion of beneficiaries’ selection, the A4T SCOPE registration teams have started the verification of eligible beneficiaries. Before completing the scope registration of beneficiaries, the distribution team started the distribution of assistance in all three provincial districts. The distribution and scope registration were implemented in parallel.

1. Funding:

After August 15, 2021, the smaller donors and many aid workers have left the country. For the larger

organizations who remain in Afghanistan under the umbrella of the UN, their scope of work has changed to find solutions and continue negotiations with the de-facto government. Funds designated for humanitarian work in Afghanistan are still focusing on the central parts of the country. None are taking localized approaches currently due to enormous difficulties in navigating local governance.

During 2022, A4T has signed a project agreement with the World Food Program which covered the cost of operation and staff salaries for those working only for WFP projects.  There are 35 staff members for the WFP project, 30 females and 45 males. Christian Aid (CAID) another of our donors, also support us by delivering humanitarian projects using gender concept principles.  They are currently working in Kabul with a very low budget and support for operation and administrative costs. As a result, A4T’s staff was decreased, and our signed project Agreement with WFP and Christian Aid will end in December 2022.

2. Coordination with de-facto authorities:

The implementation of humanitarian projects is very complicated and not easily implemented in the

field because of restrictions and bureaucratic practices imposed by the IEA. Before the implementation of any project, organizations are responsible to coordinate with different authorities before visiting the field. The letters from authorities are very important documents that staff must always keep on them. The de-facto authorities are visiting the distribution sites to make sure that areas of distribution are separated for men and women. Due to the lack of coordination among the authorities, All NGOs are facing challenges during implementation, which affect the efficiency of their work.

3. Banking Issues:

The Afghanistan government and private banks are lacking cash money.  Due to sanctions, banks are not able to operate their systems properly.  A4T project funds from WFP is an Afghan Currency (AFN) Account and The Henry and Margy Dudley family funds is a USD account still in the bank in Kabul where we are only permitted to withdraw 5% every two weeks to support our project operations. Although we cannot wire funds directly into Afghanistan, we have found ways to get your donations directly to Afghans in need. 

A Success Story

Ms. Zarghoona presently lives in De Dana District 7, in Kabul city. She is originally from Kabul province, is 30 years old, married, and has six children (4 boys and 2 girls); a total of 7 members in

her family. Ms. Zarghoona is the only breadwinner of her family, and she is facing a lot of difficult challenges due to the bad economic situation. She is living in an old house located in a building which is not in good condition. Her kids don’t have access to education which affects her mentally and psychologically. She faces lots of difficulties due to financial problems. “We are not able to buy food or to buy wood to make our home warmer, so we are bearing the cold weather”, says Ms. Zarghoona. “Life was going well but since my husband passed away it is difficult to survive.  I am doing laundry in my neighborhood; I am washing clothes and cleaning houses to provide for my family.  I am suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure which doesn’t let me work properly. On top of that the government situation has changed unexpectedly and made living even more difficult for women who must work to survive. “Now, it is even more difficult to buy food due to increase in prices and as well unemployment,” says Ms. Zarghoona.

She has approached the Provincial Department of Repatriation and Refugees and filed a petition to receive any assistance many times, but no one helped her until she was introduced to A4T.

“I was so blessed and thanked God for the assistance provided by A4T. With the cash assistance, I managed to pay my house rent, bought medicines, and paid my debts. Moreover, the Food Package program gave us new hope and my children were happy after receiving the aid,” Ms. Zarghoona added. MS. Zarghoona was particularly happy with the Hygiene Promotion and Awareness on COVID-19 prevention. “The awareness training was very useful and effective.  For example, I did not know how to keep personal hygiene, kitchen and house cleaning, proper use of latrine, and how to keep it clean. These hygiene promotion sessions made me learn when to wash hands, for instance, after the use of the toilet one should wash his/her hands with soap as well as before and after taking the meal.  I also learned to keep my mouth brushed at least twice a day.  Finally, I learned to wear a mask in a busy place and maintain distances in social places.” Said Ms. Zarghoona.

Her message to the international community is to keep supporting women and children and the needy families until the economic situation of the country gets better and women employments are back to normal.

“Thank you A4T and CAID for providing me with the support I needed in this crisis, the food and cash brought hope to my life.  Now I can provide food for my family for at least one month, which is a blessing