Afghanistan’s National Solidarity Program Expands to 9,000 More Communities

Kabul-Afghanistan - Future Generations applauds the Afghanistan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), the World Bank, and donors’ decision to continue support of the National Solidarity Program (NSP). As the flagship program for local governance, now working through 22,000 Community Development Councils (CDCs), the NSP will continue vital service delivery to rural communities with a third round of funding and innovation. With these funds, Future Generations Afghanistan, an NSP implementing partner, will continue training CDCs in Ghazni and Nangarhar Provinces.

NSP Round III will not only expand its coverage to 9,000 more communities, but will offer a second round of block grants to existing CDCs. And, perhaps most significantly, the NSP plans to expand its focus from infrastructure, such as roads and wells, to other community-identified services, such as health, education, and agriculture. Also, discussions are underway about how to position CDCs as formal village councils that will provide sustainable leadership in governance and development.

Established in 2003 within the MRRD, the NSP strengthens the ability of communities to govern their own development projects. Implementing partners, such as Future Generations Afghanistan, facilitate and train CDCs. These locally elected councils create a mission statement, set up a local bank account, and create workplans based on local priorities. With NSP block grants, communities implement their workplans. In the process, they gain skills in local governance.

As part of this work, in 2009 Future Generations trained the 15-member council in Khogyani District in Nangarhar Province to develop workplans. The Landi council combined the efforts of three villages representing 300 families and organized a “savings box system” to match local funds and labor with government block grants. The wealthier families each donate 1200 Afghanis to the savings fund. The council has used these funds to hire a schoolteacher and to upgrade three wells.

Country Director of Future Generations Afghanistan, Aziz Hakimi states that, “Programs like the NSP strengthen local ownership to achieve sustainable results. Continuation of this partnership means we can train even more community leaders to improve the lives of the villagers. By creating workplans and building partnerships, Future Generations brings communities together to help meet their local priorities.”

For more information please contact:

Communications Director, Traci Hickson, traci@future.org, ph. 304-358-2000

Future Generations Afghanistan Country Director, Aziz Hakimi, aziz@future.org