A school, an Orphanage and an Emergency Shelter

Project location: Afghanistan
Project start date: July 2004 - Project end date: January 2005
Project number: 2004-08
Beneficiary: SHUHADA

This project consists of three sections.

1. Construction of an emergency shelter in Karte-solh, Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Founded and directed by Dr. Sima Samar, the Shuhada Organization is the oldest Afghan non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in the region and the largest woman-led NGO. Since 1989, Shuhada has implemented path-breaking programs in the areas of health, education, construction, relief, and income generation to improve the lives of Afghan women and girls.  The Shuhada Organization runs 4 hospitals, 12 clinics, 60 schools, two women's shelters, multi-service women's centers, a science institute, a housing village for widows, an orphanage, and a myriad of other programs to provide income, training, health education, and basic literacy for women.  The clinics and hospitals provide services to some 750 patients per day.  Shuhada operates training programs for nurses, community health workers, and traditional birth attendants in order to improve the health of women and children. 

Shuhada's facilities and programs are located in some of the most under-served and persecuted areas of Afghanistan.  The majority of programs are run in Quetta, West Kabul, and the remote regions of Central Afghanistan, where few clinics or schools existed before the organization began its work.  These areas are home to the Hazara ethnic minority group, which has been the victim of severe discrimination throughout Afghanistan's history and was targeted for ethnic cleansing by the Taliban. While Shuhada is essentially the only provider of services to the Hazara community, its programs service the poor of all ethnic groups.            

The Shuhada Organization has been the primary force behind reconstruction in Bamiyan.  In 2003, the Shuhada Organization completed construction of Karte-solh, a colony of 80 homes, in Bamiyan.  Karte-solh means "Peace Village in Persian.  Most of the homes are for widows and their families. The Taliban burned and destroyed many of the homes in Bamiyan, forcing many of the residents and people returning to the area to live in caves since they have no other shelter.  These homes were distributed to women and their families in December.  Ten of the homes are for lecturers at the university and their families.  A multi- service women center has constructed in the village in order to provide programs, services, and courses to residents and women in nearby areas.  Plans for the village also include a school for girls and boys and an orphanage. 

Bamiyan is one of the poorest and most under-served areas in Afghanistan. The people of this remote region suffer from infectious diseases, malnutrition, and high levels of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.  Bamiyan was the site of many atrocities during the Taliban regime, including ethnic massacres and the destruction of most houses and buildings in the area. Years of drought have compounded health problems.  The Shuhada Organization is seeking funds to establish a health clinic in Karte-solh to provide health care services, including pediatric and reproductive health care, to the 640 people who live in the village and to neighboring residents.

Construction of an emergency shelter in Karte-solh improved health conditions in Bamiyan.  The clinic provides basic and essential health services, with a focus on preventive care, family planning, and reproductive health. The clinic is expected to treat an average of 30-40 OPD patients each day. The 13-room clinic building will include a pharmacy, delivery room, dressing room, laboratory, nurse station, O.P.D, kitchen and health education rooms.  The approximately 110,000 people living in the region will benefit from increased access to quality health care and from job opportunities created by construction and operation of the clinic.

2. Construction of Orphanage in Karte-solh, Bamiyan, Afghanistan

An orphanage in the Karte-solh Village of Bamiyan provides shelter, education, and support to girls and boys who have been left parentless.  The orphanage is located near schools and other facilities in the village, allowing the girls and boys to be a part of a larger community.  An eleven room facility, the orphanage would house 80 orphans.  The building includes rooms for sleeping, a kitchen, and a dining room.

Widowed women will be hired as caretakers for the children, with each woman responsible for 8-10 orphans. The women will help these children to clean and establish routines.  They will also cook.  The orphanage will accept children between the ages of 5-10. To identify the most needy orphans, the Shuhada Organization will conduct an assessment and then with the help of local elders and mullahs sign agreements with the elders or with distant relatives.  The orphanage also will seek to assist children with disabilities who have no caretakers.

Girls and boys at the orphanage will have access to Shuhada schools and health facilities. As the children grow older, they will be able to participate in vocational training programs so that they can earn a living once they leave the orphanage. Any income that they generate will be saved for the future and will be given to them when they are discharged from the orphanage.

3.Construction of School for Girls and Boys in Karte-solh, Bamiyan, Afghanistan

A remote area in the mountains of Hazarajat, Bamiyan is one of the poorest and most under-served areas in Afghanistan.  Because of the poverty and the fighting in the region, girls and boys in Bamiyan have had little access to schools and there is a very high rate of illiteracy.  The Shuhada Organization is seeking funds to build a school to provide educational opportunities to girls and boys in the region.  The school would be located in the Karte-solh  Village and twenty nearby villages.

Construction of a school for girls and boys in the Karte-solh Village in

Bamiyan, Afghanistan will provide educational opportunities to girls and boys.  The school building will include 12 classrooms, as well as an administration office and storeroom.  The school will operate in two shifts: one shift for girls and one shift for boys.  Initially, the school will run classes through Grade 6.  As the students progress, additional grades will be added to accommodate their needs.  Upon receipt of funds from donor, the Shuhada Organization will appoint a project engineer to supervise design and construction of the building. 

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