Development Works - Social Enterprise in Afghanistan

‘Humanitarian Aid’ save lives, alleviates suffering and promotes human dignity. Activities are short term and urgent, often in response to war or natural emergencies.

‘Aid’ or ‘Development’ Aid is short term humanitarian relief. Development primarily seeks to reduce poverty by improving economic and social structures.

‘Sustainable Development’ delivers social and economic activities that satisfies todays needs without making things worse for future generations.

‘Social Enterprise’ is often described as business for a community purpose. Beyond profit, success can be measured by community and environmental benefit.

 'Social Enterprise'

Village Quick Start

Here 700 farmers dig a mile of canal a day, building their future by hand.

Attacking Afghan poverty is not easy, but we’ve found a way to best navigate through the chaotic environment to get results.

We have learned it’s best to focus all our energy and resources into a few villages that promise the best potential to create jobs and income, rather than work everywhere with little result.  We call it the Village Quick Start; an intense assault on the roots of local poverty that concurrently supports farmers, builds markets, improves infrastructure and creates industry.

Our recent work in Kandahar, commissioned by Canada, best illustrates this approach. Key agricultural hub villages were selected, and working with villagers and community leaders, we:

  • reached over 80,000 Kandahari
  • transformed some 2,500 ha of desert to farmland
  • built 80km of irrigation canals
  • engaged thousands of villagers in short term work
  • created a ‘pull factor’ to enable refugees to return home
  • built markets, pharmacies, bakeries & metal shops
  • created opportunities for women
  • repaired or improved schools & clinics
  • established Afghanistan’s first  plastic crate production facility

start << field works << village quick start ……………. >>> go to – shelter