ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Afghanistan

A N A G E N C Y O F T H E A G A K H A N D E V E L O P M E N T N E T W O R K

A G A K H A N D E V E L O P M E N T N E T W O R K

Aga Khan Health Services

Aga Khan Agency for Habitat

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Tourism Promotion Services

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development

Financial Services

Industrial Promotion

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Media Services

Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme

Aga Khan Trust for Culture

Aga Khan Foundation

Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance

Aviation Services

CULTURE

Aga Khan Music Initiative

Aga Khan Museum

Aga Khan University

University ofCentral Asia

Aga Khan Education Services Aga Khan Award for ArchitectureServices

Aga Khan Academies

THE IMAMAT

Cover Photo: Making significant improvements to children’s development and school readiness in an early grade primary class. ©AKDN / Sandra Calligaro

*Names of beneficiaries have been changed in this report to protect the identity of individuals.

Printed in Afghanistan

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international non-denominational agencies working to improve living

conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world. The Network’s organisations have individual

mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise. Together AKDN’s institutions and programmes work towards a common goal – to build a civil society that responds to the challenges of social,

economic and cultural changes. The Network brings together a number of agencies, institutions and programmes that have been built up over the

past 50 years and, in some cases, date back to the early twentieth century. AKDN agencies conduct their programmes without regard to the faith,

origin or gender of the people they serve.

AKDN has agreements or protocols with the following countries and organisations: Afghanistan, Asian Development Bank, Bangladesh, Canada,

the East African Community, the European Commission, France, Germany, India, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mali,

Mozambique, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a non-denominational, international development agency established in 1967 by His Highness the Aga Khan.

Its mission is to develop and promote creative solutions to problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa. Created as a

private, non-profit foundation under Swiss law, it has branches and independent affiliates in 19 countries.

For more information please visit our website: www.akdn.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the CEO 3

About the Aga Khan Development Network 5

About the Aga Khan Foundation 6

Strengthening Voice and Representation 8

Improving Food Security and Nutrition 10

Improving Resiliency of Communities 12

Diversifying Incomes and Livelihoods 14

Increasing Access to Quality Health Care 16

Increasing Access to Quality Education 18

Donors 20

Expenditure 20

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Diversifying incomes and l ivelihoods

Increasing access to quality health care

Increasing food security and nutrition

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Dear Friends and Partners,

2015 was a year of great progress. With the dedication and generosity of our partners, donors, community members and staff, we continued to reach over 3 million of people across seven provinces in some of the most remote and high-level conflict areas.

At AKF, our work is centred on community-driven solutions to development challenges. In this effort, we are enabling rural Afghans to participate in their own governance, to advocate for their interests, to explore new sources of sustainable livelihoods, to ensure their food security, to withstand and recover from natural and human-induced crises, and to access quality healthcare and education.

At the same time, AKF believes that addressing development challenges requires the engagement of actors from all levels - government, civil society and the private sector. By working in close collaboration with these three pillars of society, AKF’s programmes complement both local and national initiatives.

In 2015, our human and institutional development (HID) programme launched the Citizen Report Card, which allows for the first time in Afghanistan the assessment of public services by citizens in terms of quality and access.

A substantial proportion of female direct beneficiaries were reached through our natural resource management programme (39%) and market development programme (64%). Through these efforts, rural women in our programme areas are playing a greater role in ensuring food security, generating income for their families, and supporting disaster risk management in their communities.

In the health sector, AKF completed the construction of two district hospitals, one comprehensive health centre and the first phase of Faizabad Provincial Hospital. 2015 also marked the completion of our 3-year Maternal Neonatal and Child Health project through which 2.3 million people (64% female) directly benefited along with the completion of Phase-I of Bamyan Provincial Hospital.

Through our community-based education (CBE) model, AKF is fostering community-ownership and formalizing community-led education, where this year 219 CBE classes were handed over to the Ministry of Education in collaboration with community members and school Shuras (community representative bodies or councils). In 2015, AKF also completed the construction of the female dormitory at the Bamyan Teacher Training College (TTC), enabling more young women from across the region to access higher education in a safe and suitable environment.

Moving forward, AKF will continue to position itself as a unique player in Afghanistan, leveraging the economic, social and cultural advantages of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), strengthening its presence in the provinces it works in, and building the capacity of local organisations to deliver excellent programmes.

In this report, I am proud to present some of our key successes from 2015. Once again, my deepest gratitude goes out to our partners and donors who continue to believe in our work, and our hardworking staff who continue to be dedicated in the face of all odds.

Jan Schollaert

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Photo: Jan Schollaert (second from left) with AKF staff at the site of a micro-hydro power (MHP) unit in the Shibar District of Bamyan Province. The unit was

planned by AKF-supported community development councils and currently generates 80kW of electricity for the surrounding villages.

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AKDN IN AFGHANISTAN

Education Culture Health

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Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

brings together a group of 10 private, international, non-denominational development agencies. These

agencies work to improve the quality of life of people in the developing world, particularly in South

and Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. All programmes are conducted without regard to faith,

origin or gender.

AKDN’s engagement in Afghanistan began in 1996 during Afghanistan’s civil war with the

distribution of aid via Tajikistan. Six years later, AKDN began working to promote sustainable

development in rural Afghanistan. Today AKDN’s commitment to Afghanistan is long-term. It

employs a Multi-Input Area Development (MIAD) approach, which seeks to build a critical mass of

interventions in poor, isolated areas, connecting them to wider national and regional investments.

Since 2002, AKDN has mobilised over $US 1 billion from its own resources and its donor partners for

social, economic and cultural development.

In Afghanistan, AKDN works through the following nine agencies:

Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM) works to expand access for the poor to financial services. AKAM has established the First MicroFinance Bank, the leading microfinance institution in Afghanistan with a portfolio of over $60 million, including financing for agriculture, housing improvement and enterprise.

Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) aims to diminish obstacles to educational access, quality and

achievement. In Afghanistan AKES provides teacher training and support; Early Childhood Development

programmes; primary education; and coaching for university entrance examinations.

Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) seeks to provide sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty,

hunger, illiteracy, and ill health. In Afghanistan, AKF works with rural communities in mountainous, remote

or resource poor areas to improve the quality of life in the areas of natural resource management, market

development, governance, education and health.

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) is the Network’s only for-profit institution. Collaborating with local and international partners, the Fund takes bold but calculated steps to invest in fragile and complex

settings. In Afghanistan, the Fund has three major enterprises: Roshan, Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications

provider; The Kabul Serena Hotel; and Habib Bank Limited.

Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) provides healthcare services in more than 30 health centres and

over 300 health posts in target regions, and through three government community midwifery schools

in Bamyan, Baghlan, and Badakhshan Provinces. AKHS also manages the main government provincial

hospitals in Bamyan and Badakhshan.

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) works to preserve and develop Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage. The

Trust has rehabilitated key historic buildings damaged by war in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Badakhshan. The

Aga Khan Music Initiative provides a platform for training a new generation of young Afghan musicians in

classical Afghan music through two schools in Kabul and Herat.

Aga Khan University (AKU) is a major centre for education, training, and research based in Pakistan, with teaching

sites in eight countries. In Afghanistan, support focuses on the national nursing and midwifery training institute in

Kabul and assistance for Kabul Medical University’s teaching programmes. It also manages the French Medical

Institute for Children in Kabul, a public-private partnership and one of the country’s most advanced hospitals.

Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) – which is now part of the new Aga Khan Agency for Habitat

(AKAH) – provides emergency relief and services to victims of conflict and natural disasters. In Afghanistan it implements disaster risk management programmes in mountainous and disaster-prone areas

of Badakhshan and Baghlan, identifying potential natural disasters and instigating measures to prevent

them or reduce their impact.

University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000 with three campuses across Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz

Republic and Kazakhstan. UCA’s mission is to foster the socioeconomic development of Central Asia,

particularly its mountain societies, and has recently begun work in Afghan Badakhshan.

ABOUT AKDN

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The Aga Kkhan Foundation (AKF) is a private,

international, non-denominational, non-profit development agency established in 1967. It seeks

sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty,

hunger, illiteracy and ill health, with special emphasis

on the needs of rural communities in mountainous,

coastal and other resource-poor areas. The Foundation

has branches and affiliates in 20 countries with its headquarters in Geneva.

AKF offices in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States play an important role in maintaining

relationships with bilateral and multilateral development

agencies and government, individual and corporate

donors. Partnerships with donors, philanthropists

and other peer organisations allow for technical and

intellectual exchange on evolving development issues.

In programme offices, AKF works in collaboration with other AKDN agencies, believing the most effective

ABOUT THE AGA KHAN FOUNDATION

mechanism to stimulate social and economic development

is to work in a coordinated fashion across the full range of

development sectors.

This multi-sectoral approach is most effective when

investments are focused on specific geographic areas over an extended period of time. AKDN refers to this

approach as Multi-Input Area Development (MIAD) – a

multi-sector effort to respond to development needs and

opportunities in particular geographic areas through

targeted and complementary interventions.

Building on earlier humanitarian assistance, AKF began

working in Afghanistan in 2002 and now works in seven

of the country’s 34 provinces, primarily in Northern

Afghanistan and the Central Highlands: Bamyan, Parwan,

Baghlan, Samangan, Takhar, Kunduz and Badakhshan.

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THE AKF APPROACH

As part of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKF

works closely with its sister agencies to mobilise

resources and expertise across a wide range of areas, from

telecommunications and micro-finance, to health care, education and rural development.

This approach goes hand in hand with AKF’s culture

of knowledge sharing, which encourages staff to find new solutions to development challenges by cross-

fertilising ideas and approaches, and to find synergies among different sectors. This ensures that AKF remains

relevant and effective over time – important qualities in

Afghanistan’s rapidly changing context.

With almost 50 years of development expertise, AKF

invests in communities for the long term. AKF believes

that local communities should drive development as they

are best placed to identify their own development needs.

At the same time, the organisation places great emphasis

on developing the capacity of national staff.

In 2015, AKF’s work has broadly been divided into six

thematic focus areas:

• Strengething Voice and Representation

• Improving Food Secuirty and Nutrition

• Diversifying Incomes and Livelihoods

• Improving Resiliency of Communities

• Improving Access to Affordable Quality Health Care

• Increasing Access to Quality Education

Across these areas AKF continues to support

government in fulfilling its mandate to the Afghan people. As well as being a lead facilitating and

implementing partner of the government’s National

Solidarity Programme (NSP), AKF aligns its work with

Afghanistan’s National Priority Programmes (NPPs) and

the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework (TMAF).

In addition, AKF works closely with line ministries and

sub-national governance bodies to ensure coordination

of efforts and programme sustainability.

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In the area of strengthening voice and representation,

AKF works to improve good governance for community

institutions, representative bodies and local government, as

well as supporting an enabling environment for civil society

to play a vital role in shaping the future of Afghanistan. This

work focuses on improving the capacity of women, youth

and the ultra-poor to participate in governance processes and

institutions.

To do this, AKF focuses on both the demand and supply

side of governance through innovations and tools such as

social audits and downward accountability exercises, single-

stop service centres, and citizens’ report cards that enable

individuals to demand quality public service from the relevant

level of government.

AKF also supports the development of a vibrant civil society

by working at several levels, from information community

institutions (including traditional and religious leaders),

to formal community intuitions, such as Community

Development Councils (CDCs) through to local non-

government organisations (LNGOs), local media, regional

networks and apex intuitions such as the Afghanistan Institute

for Civil Society (AICS).

To promote downward accountability between government

and citizens, AKF supports district governor’s offices in facilitating public audits, an open forum where governors face

strengthening voice and representation

their constituents to share successes and receive feedback.

In 2015 alone, AKF facilitated 29 public audit events across

25 districts in four provinces. This included for the first time, seven Public Audit events for women in Baghlan

and Badakhshan. Over 3,200 community members and

government officials took part in these events.

In 2015, AKF also facilitated an exposure visit to Thailand

for district and deputy governors from Bamyan to learn

about best practices in governance. In addition, AKF has

established and continues to support e-governance systems in

49 districts across five provinces, improving efficiency and communication, reducing costs and enhancing the security

system of government services.

AKF continues to invest heavily in the ability of local

institutions to manage and drive their own development.

In 2015, AKF supported 14 new LNGOs, 10 of which

established new programmes beyond AKF’s programme area

and collectively secured US$ 500,000 of funding from other

donors. Also, in 2015 AICS (which was established by AKF

in 2014 with support from Counterpart International through

a USAID-funded project) officially registered seven local civil society organisations based on national and international

standards. Their leadership on issues ranging from women’s

rights to youth sport initiatives is building a strong base for a

progressive and inclusive civil society.

A social audit is conducted for women in Baharak, Badakhshan. Social audits work to enhance accountability and transparency across sub-national government departments. Since 2009, AKF has faciliated 1,555 social audits in more than 368 community development councils (CDCs).

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At the same time, AKF has helped to establish and continue

to provide support to 1,553 democratically elected CDCs

through training and capacity building. As a result of this

support, CDCs and communities independently raised US$

991,147 in 2015 to implement their own projects. To increase

the accountability and transparency of CDCs to community

members, in 2015 AKF helped facilitate social audits for 468

CDCs. The social audit is an open forum where community

members can ask questions or raise concerns with the CDCs

about the status of projects and expenditure of funds.

As part of its long-term strategy for institution-building,

AKF implements a comprehensive and tailor-made capacity

building programme for Cluster Community Development

Councils (CCDCs) and District Development Assemblies

(DDAs). Half of the community leaders in these groups are

women who are directly involved in the development process.

In 2015, AKF provided training to 284 CLCDs and 37 DDAs,

and created linkages between these institutions which resulted

in 109 joint projects with a collective value of US$ 537,873.

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For the first time in Afghanistan, the quality and reach of public services, such as health and education, can be assessed through the Citizen Report Card (CRC). Launched in 2015 by AKF with support from Norway, 277 CRCs were conducted

in seven district hospitals across four provinces. This processes involved training District Development Assemblies (DDAs)

to conduct basic feedback interviews with those who visited the hospitals. After conducting CRCs, DDAs presented the

findings at a public gathering, where hospital management and local government officials received feedback, identified gaps in services and discussed opportunities to improve them.

Plans to facilitate CRCs in other sectors is currently underway for 2016. Furthermore, AKF has presented CRCs to line

ministries and donors who have expressed their willingness to incorporate this practice into the Citizen’s Charter (in process

to replace the NSP). Below, DDA members in Baghlan recieve training on how to conduct CRCs.

Promoting citizens’ feedback on public services

• 580 infrastructure projects completed by more than

1,000 CDCs across 5 provinces

• US $991,147 raised by CDCs and communities to

implement their own projects

• 468 social audits conducted in CDCs in 21 districts

across 5 provinces

• 277 Citizen Report Cards conducted for the first time in Afghanistan

• 3,202 people attended 29 public audits, including

7 public audits for women, across 25 districts in 4

provinces

• 9 single-stop service centres established in Baghlan

and Bamyan

• 3 Youth Resource Centres established in 3 provinces,

benefiting 3,000 female youth

2015 in numbers:

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Food security and nutrition are foundational to the

development of Afghanistan, as inadequate nutritional

intake can harm physical and mental growth, which in turns

reduces the ability to learn, work and participate in public life.

Despite investments in enhancing agricultural and livestock

productivity over the past 14 years, many parts of Afghanistan

remain food insecure, with a food supply that is insufficiently diversified and which fluctuates on a seasonal basis and is vulnerable to drought. Afghanistan continues to have one

of the highest stunting prevalence rates in the world among

children under five.

AKF works with subsistence farmers and vulnerable

persons in rural areas to improve the availability of food

by enhancing food production through dryland farming

techniques and increasing offseason production; promoting

domestic food diversification through kitchen gardens, simple greenhouses and backyard poultry farms; and providing and

supporting livestock services. To ensure that improvements

in the availability of food also translates into improved

nutritional status, AKF works through a holistic approach

that encompasses health promotion to improve knowledge,

attitudes and practices with respect to food. This work includes

disseminating information at the community level on nutrition,

water, sanitation and hygiene.

To diversify diets and improve nutritional status, AKF

promotes household food production and simple greenhouses.

improving food security and nutrition

In 2015, AKF supported 4,168 women in home-based food

production such as vegetable production, kitchen gardening,

food processing and backyard poultry farming. Using low-

cost, plastic film technology, AKF also established and supported 270 commercial and local greenhouses for the

production of early seedlings of vegetables and for off season

vegetable production. The greenhouses allow families to

grow a diverse supply of nutritious vegetable varieties (such

as lettuce, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes) and sell surplus

vegetables to the market. In addition, 595 demonstration plots

were conducted for various nutritious crops including soy

bean, kidney bean, flax and sesame, benefiting 595 number of farmers.

Even when nutritious food is available and accessible, food

handling, preparation and distribution can have major impacts

on whether the availability of food translates into improved

nutritional status. To address this, AKF conducted 165

Integrated Crop Management campaigns in 2015, benefitting 9,078 farmers (37 percent women). The campaigns included

the promotion of pruning, grafting, budding, pest control,

proper storage techniques and orchard management. Besides

preserving the nutritional value of crops, these techniques

allowed farmers to extend the time for which they can sell

their produce and get a higher price during off season.

Livestock is another key subsector for AKF, which constitutes

one of the most inclusive production activities in Afghanistan

In 2015, more than 2,200 farmers were supported with high yielding potato seeds in Badakhshan, doubling potato production from 20 metric tonnes to 40 metric tonnes per hectare, and contributing towards food security in Badakhshan.

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because of its effectiveness in reaching women and the

ultra-poor. AKF has significant experience and success in providing livestock services, through a partially privatized

model that improves household livelihoods through improved

breeds, better management and feeding practices, and disease

surveillance of herds and flocks. AKF has established and continues to support 35 Livestock Development centres, 80

percent of which are now fully privatized, and 142 associated

Livestock Development Field Units which provide animal

health and nutrition services for over 1.2 million people.

In 2015, 5,516 cows were artificially inseminated, resulting in 2,444 improved calves. The artificial insemination programme was also extended to the Jurum and Shughnan

districts in Badakhshan where 869 cows were inseminated

and 239 improved calves were bred for the first time in these districts. In addition, 20,148 calves were bred in 2015 as a

result of artificial insemination conducted in 2014. Farmers in target areas reported a 35-40 percent increase in milk and meat

production from artificially inseminated calves compared to local breeds.

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In dryland areas, AKF is providing training and new technologies that enable farmers to increase productivity on non-

irrigated lands, which improves the availability of food. Through techniques such as plastic mulching, intercropping and the

introduction of drought resistant varieties of key crops, 210 hectares of dryland have been rehabilitated in 2015, benefiting over 1,000 vulnerable farmers.

In Deh Bash, Takhar, Yasin* grows watermelon using plastic mulching, a technique that substantially reduces the

evaporation of rainwater from the soil surface in dryland areas. Before learning about this technique, Yasin struggled to

conserve the limited rainwater that was available year round. After participating in AKF’s training, he was able to harvest

over 8,400 kg of watermelon which was worth 83,000 AFN from only one acre of land. Using that income, Yasin was

able to cover his family’s expenditures, send his son to university to study agriculture and increase the availability of

watermelons in his village.

Increasing productivity in dryland areas

• 4,168 women supported in home-based food

production, including 212 women supported in

establishing backyard poultry farms

• 270 commercial and local greenhouses established

and supported

• 640 commerical, demonstration, home, and school

orchards established

• 850,066 animals treated and 858,887 animals

vaccinated against communicable and zoonotic

diseases

• 165 Integrated Crop Management campaigns

conducted, benefitting 9,078 farmers – 37% women

• 34,046 women, men, girls, and boys across 287

communities and schools in Badakshan participated

in 345 of AKF’s health promotion campaigns

• 1,453 latrines and 21 water point facilities

constructed

2015 in numbers:

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Afghanistan is a highly risk-prone country due to its

geography, ecology and socio-economic volatility. As a

result, households experience frequent shocks throughout

the year. Working in some of the most remote areas of

Afghanistan, AKF supports local communities to increase

their resilience. Through this work, AKF supports local

institutions and communities to rehabilitate and conserve

natural resources; develop systems to equitably distribute

benefits and manage conflicts related to common property resources; implement protection measures to strengthen

community and household safety nets; and scale up access

to cleaner electricity. Through these efforts communities are

better able to respond to and mitigate the impact of natural

and economic shocks.

To promote the sustainable management of natural

resources, AKF in collaboration with Cluster Community

Development Councils (CCDCs), the Department of

Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (DAIL), and

the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW), establishes

community-based natural resource management

(CBNRM) groups, such as pasture management

committees and Water User Associations (WUAs).

CBNRM groups, which are subcommittees of CCDCs,

manage and equitably distribute the benefits of natural resources in common property areas. In 2015, AKF

facilitated the establishment of 60 CBNRM groups in

Takhar and Baghlan, and continued to support 143 pasture

and forest management committees and 17 WUAs across

programme areas.

AKF continues to support CCDCs to implement land

treatment measures that redress the extensive denudation

of watersheds and rangelands. In 2015, 32 AKF-supported

CCDCs across three provinces collectively rehabilitated

310 hectares of upper-watershed land to decrease flooding and landslide risks, benefiting 128 villages. With support from Australia, in 2015, AKF in collaboration with its

sister agency FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance, trained

840 CDCs, cluster CDCs, and District Development

Assemblies (DDAs) to integrate disaster risk reduction

into their development programmes.

To enhance resilience to economic shocks, AKF is

fostering a culture of community philanthropy with a

pro poor focus. To do this, AKF uses the Participatory

Poverty Assessment (PPA) toolkit – a simple and easy to

use questionnaire that enables CDCs, CLDCs, and DDAs

to identify the poorest and most vulnerable people in a

given demographic. Once assessments are conducted,

communities either direct external development partners

to those who need the most help or design and implement

their own campaigns to reach these groups. Since 2009,

more than 1,200 villages have used the PPA tool to

With the support of AKF and the United States, the remote communities of Brughel and Chehel Kahn in Wakhan, Badakhshan are building micro-hydropower units to increase access to reliable and renewable energy.

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categorise households and identify the poorest community

members. AKF has shared the PPA process and results

with local government partners, including District

Governors, to support their own development work. In

2015 alone, CDCs, CCDCs and DDAs mobilised US$

281,072 from wealthy households to support 5,387 poor

households identified through the PPA.

The provision of electricity has significantly improved across the country, although many rural areas are poorly

or under-served. In 2015, AKF established 59 micro-

hydro power (MHP) plants – which produce electricity

through the natural flow of water – across five provinces. Through MHPs, households, schools, and businesses

in rural areas now have increased access to reliable

and renewable energy, which is helping to strengthen

community resilience against shocks and disasters.

AKF enables the development of social water management through participatory management of irrigation systems with

support of the European Union. Traditionally, an influential community member (usually at the tail end of the canal) would allocate the water along the canal system. This would often lead to an inequitable distribution of water, with water shortages

at the head and middle of the canal. To address this, AKF established Water User Associations (WUAs) in Baghlan, Takhar

and Bamyan, in which people from the head, middle and tail end of the canals are selected to control the water distribution.

In 2015, AKF established eight Water User Associations (WUAs) in Takhar and trained WUA members to resolve water-

related disputes in common property areas. As a result of this work, communities have experienced a marked reduction in

conflicts related to water access, and crop yields and irrigated lands have increased in programme areas.

Below, the Deputy Mirab of the Zargar Water User’s Association in Takhar, Hassan*, demonstrates a gate which allows the

flow of water to 400-600 new hectares of agricultural land.

Promoting social water management

• 840 CDCs, CCDCs and DDAs trained to integrate

disaster risk reduction into development programmes

• 310 hectares of upper-watershed land rehabilitated

by AKF-supported CDCs to decrease flooding and landslide risks, benefiting 128 villages communities

• 60 Community-Based Natural Resource Management

(CBNRM) committees developed and 145 supported

• US$ 281,072 raised by communities to support 5,387

poor households identified through the Participatory Poverty Analysis

• 150 CDCs and CCDCs and 8 WUAs trained on

conflict resolutions and mediation

• 59 micro-hydro power units established in 5 provinces

2015 in numbers:

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In Afghanistan, 80 percent of the population relies on the

natural environment to earn a living. However agricultural

production on its own is an insufficient source of income and livelihood for most households. AKF works at all

stages of the value chain to build a more robust and

inclusive private sector that can act as an economic driver

for the agricultural sector and is capable of producing high

quality off-farm employment. To do this, AKF contributes

to the diversification of livelihoods and income generation through:

i. improving agricultural productivity through access

to appropriate technologies, inputs and agricultural

extension services;

ii. supporting value chains that link high potential

agricultural products with local, national and regional

markets;

iii. engagement in the labour market, particularly focused

on linking women, youth and the ultra-poor to non-

farm employment; and

iv. supporting an enabling environment for business

through access to finance and productive infrastructure.

To improve agricultural productivity, AKF establishes

Farmer Field Schools (FFSs) and Participatory

Technology Development groups (PTDs), which teach

farmers new and improved techniques in livestock

management, horticulture and agriculture. In 2015, 21,929

famers (almost half of whom were women) were trained

through FFSs and PTDs, which has helped increase their

productivity between 20-30 percent per hectare.

In partnership with the Department of Agriculture,

Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL), AKF continues to

experiment with new crop varieties to test suitability

and resilience at the Ganjabad Research Station in

Badakhshan. Successful crop and fruit species are then

introduced to producers through demonstration plots

to encourage livelihood diversification and increase productivity. In 2015, 595 crop demonstration plots

were established introducing 2,648 farmers to new crop

varieties.

To improve the business ecosystem in Afghanistan, AKF

with support from Sweden, continued to support 219

Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) and

input suppliers to improve their services and expand their

reach so that they can in turn assist local producers. In

2015, 4,658 famers and small producers and 365 retailers

and traders were integrated into value chains through

BDSPs. AKF also linked nine BDSPs to national level

input supply companies.

Women at work in a cashmere processing centre in Shughnan, Badakhshan, where they make jackets, scarves, and hats. AKF supplied the machines, provided training, pays for the building and connected the women with an importer from the United States. So far, 12 women have been trained and work at the centre.

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At the same time, AKF established 24 Business

Membership Organisations (BMOs) and continued to

strengthen the capacity of 49 BMOs, in which over 50

percent were female-run businesses. BMOs are groups

of individual farmers organised into associations that

utilise collective bargaining power to sell their products

and better connect to the market. This year, nine AKF-

supported BMOs in Bamyan started saving and lending

practises with an average revolving loan fund of US$

7,500.

Access to finance is also a key enabler of diversified livelihoods and income. AKF has established and

continues to assist community-based savings groups

(CBSGs), which are local support organisations operating

at the most grass-roots level to provides access to finance to some of the poorest and most marginalized people

in rural areas to improve their quality of life. As of

December 2015, AKF has been supporting 3,800 savings

groups with over 52,227 members, 71 percent of whom

are women. During 2015, their savings value was US

$200,000, increasing cumulative savings to US$ 1.8

million. 2015 also saw the establishment of two CBSG

clusters in Bamyan and Takhar as part of a new initiative

that will better position CBSGs to mobilize resources and

services and plan and implement needs-based projects by

working collectively at the cluster/ village level.

• 21,929 farmers (48% women) trained through Farmer Field Schools and Participatory Technology

Development groups, which has helped increase their

productivity between 20% to 30% per hectare

• 482 extension workers supported, reaching 1,830

communities and helping 106,952 farmers improve

productivity between 15-20% per hectare

• 100 AKF trained farmers in Baghlan and Takhar

successfully implemented the System of Rice

Intensification (SRI), increasing yields by 30%

• 11 value chains supported including non-agricultural

sectors such as cashmere, baluchi, tourism, and carpet

weaving

• 4,091 participants (84% women) graduated from vocational training programmes, 73% of whom found employment or started their own business.

• 34 youth with disabilities in Takhar received

vocational training, 28 of whom established their own

small businesses.

• 11 bridges constructed in Badakhshan with the support

of Germany and AKF USA, helping to link producers

to markers and enabling private sector growth

2015 in numbers:

AKF is providing industry-relevant vocational training for

men and women in rural areas to increase their employability

and entrepreneurship.

In 2015 alone, AKF facilitated the provision of training for

4,091 people, 85 percent of whom were women, in areas

including automobile mechanics, handicrafts, beautification, mobile repair and carpentry. 73 percent of participants found

employment or started their own business and are earning a

monthly income of between AFN 6,000 and AFN 12,000.

To empower some of the most disadvantaged people in

Afghanistan, AKF also provided vocational training to 34

youth with disabilities in areas such as embroidery and

footwear.

Ahmad* lost his legs in a landmine explosion, making it

difficult for him to access resources and engage in income-generating activities. In 2015, Ahmad participated in AKF’s

vocational training programme for youth with disabilities

and was one of the 28 participants who established their own

small businesses. The 20 year-old now runs his own shoe-

making businesses in Takhar and is able to support his family

through the income he is earning.

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Health care improvements in Afghanistan are one of

the country’s most significant success stories of the past decade. AKF together with its sister agencies in the Aga

Khan Development Network (AKDN), supports the public

health system – aligned with national priorities – through

technical and operational assistance, and by bringing

together international partners around shared objectives.

AKDN carries out a wide range of health activities in

Afghanistan. These are implemented primarily by three

agencies within the Network – the Aga Khan Foundation

(AKF), the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and the

Aga Khan University (AKU) programmes for Afghanistan

(including the French Medical Institute for Children in

Kabul). AKF’s Health Department assists sister agencies

in mobilising resources, managing grants and maintaining

donor relationships.

In addition to providing support, AKF directly implements

programming in communities to complement clinical

and health education interventions. In a holistic and

complimentary manner, AKDN health programmes work

to improve the health status of those living in remote or

inaccessible areas, paying special attention to the needs of

women of reproductive age and children under five.

In 2015, 1.4 million people directly benefited from

AKDN’s health programmes. Through this work,

significant results have been achieved in improving health indicators of beneficiary communities, in particular child immunization, skilled birth attendance and facility births.

AKDN continues to implement critical health interventions

including the government’s Basic Package of Health

Services (BPHS) in Badakhshan Essential Package of

Hospital Services (EPHS) in Badakhshan and Bamyan;

community health nursing and midwifery education

programmes, and maternal and child health initiatives.

The lack of infrastructure and quality facilities remains

a key challenge in Afghanistan. In 2015, AKF continued

to help reverse this trend by renovating and upgrading

three district hospitals in Kishm, Jurm and Bahark and the

Wardooj Comprehensive Health Center in Badakhshan

province. AKDN also completed the Faizabad Provincial

Hospital’s Essential Hospital Service Unit in 2015 with the

support of Germany.

With support from Canada, France and the Aga

Khan Foundation Canda, in 2015 AKF developed a

comprehensive and holistic plan, Health Action Plan for

Afghanistan (HAPA), for improving maternal, newborn

and child health, particularly in Badakhshan, Baghlan

and Bamyan provinces. Activities include establishing a

AKDN focuses on strengthening the availability and quality of health human resources, with a focus on nursing and midwifery. Since 2004, AKDN has graduated over 2,100 nurses and midwives in programme areas, which includes in-service training.

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nursing diploma course in Faizabad, supporting midwifery

diploma and nursing education programmes at the

Ghanzanfar Institute of Health and Science (GIHS) Kabul

and providing technical support to the National Institute

of Health Sciences in nine regions. 2015 also saw the

completion of Phase-I for the construction of Bamyan

Provincial Hospital.

The HAPA programme also includes Post Graduate

Medical Education at the French Medical Institute

for Children (FMIC) in Kabul. The plan also focuses

on strengthening routine immunization services in

Badakhshan, Baghlan and Bamyan provinces through

establishing mobile Expanded Package of Immunization

(EPI) teams and other complementary services to the

BPHS and EPHS such as supporting the Emergency

Obstetric and Neonatal services and maternity waiting

homes in Shughnan, Ishkashim and Nusai upgraded

CHCs, enhancing nutrition rehabilitation services at 11

health facilities in Badakhshan, and supporting the centre

of excellence at the Faizabad Provincial Hospital in

Badakhshan.

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In Afghanistan, there are only 2 doctors for every 10,000 people, making it difficult for the country’s 32 million people to obtain timely access to quality healthcare. Through new technologies such as telediagnosis and teleconsultations,

AKDN is helping some of the hardest to reach communities in Badakhshan gain access to health institutions and health

providers. This is particularly significant for Afghan women as one of the major barriers in seeking proper health services is accessibility due to geophysical limitations and, more significantly, traditional patriarchal views on women’s ability to travel outside the home.

In 2015, AKDN conducted 1,690 teleconsultations, particularly in the areas of internal medicine, surgery and gynecological/

obstetric services, at the three remote Comprehensive Health Centres in Badakhshan Province. Over 50 percent of women

participated in the teleconsultations, demonstrating how eHealth can serve as a significant mechanism to improve access to health services. Fatima*, a dentist at FMIC, conducts a teleconsultation with Faizabad Provincial Hospital below.

• 1.4 million people benefited from AKDN’s health programmes

• 853 Community Health Workers, 51% of whom were women, trained in 302 communities

• 82,762 of students benefited from school-based health promotion campaigns

• 46,733 people, 39% of whom were women, supported through the Drug Demand Reduction Programme

• 3,176 women benefited from breastfeeding campaign under health promotion

• 53,201 children immunized

• 636 health staff trained by AKHS, 51% of whom were female health staff

• 29,042 volunteers trained on health promotion topics

and campaigns, over 65% of whom were women

2015 in numbers:

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Education in Afghanistan has seen some notable gains

over the last 10 years, particularly in levels of attainment,

gender equality, and access. More children have access

to education as the number of schools has increased

fivefold compared to a few years back. However, the quality of education remains as challenging as ever for the

government and stakeholders.

AKF works to improve access to quality education for all

pre-primary and school age children to equip them with

the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that help them

become contributing members of society. To do this, AKF

uses its Whole School Improvement (WSI) approach

and engages with the Ministry of Education and its line

departments in the process.

Through the WSI approach, AKF is working to improve

access to schools; enhance the capacity of teachers and

school leadership; increase community engagement;

expand and improve physical facilities for children and

teachers; and strengthen government capacity and systems

to provide effective education.

In 2015, AKF reached 175,854 children, 44 percent

of whom were girls, across 724 communities in four

provinces, increasing access to quality education in Early

Childhood Development (ECD), Community-Based

Education (CBE), government schools, and Teacher

Training Colleges (TTCs).

As the lack of adequate infrastructure for schools remains

one of the major challenges in Afghanistan, in 2015 AKF

supported the completion and renovation of nearly 200

classroom improvement projects, resulting in child-friendly

and safe classrooms. Additionally, in partnership with

Canada, AKF completed the construction of the female

dormitory in Bamyan’s TTC in October 2015, enabling

young women from across the region to access higher

education and creating a cadre of trained female teachers.

In close collaboration with Community Development

Councils (CDCs), AKF engages families, community

members and school Shuras (community representative

bodies or councils) in educational activities and school

development plans. In 2015, AKF established 150 school

Shuras and continued to support nearly 1,000 school

Shuras. By participating in Shuras, communities, elders,

parents and CDC members mobilised over 1.2 million AFN

in support of purchasing school supplies, covering labour

wages and upgrading school facilities.

Another proven approach for increasing school enrolment,

particularly among girls and in rural areas, is the

Community Based Education (CBE) model. In 2015,

With the support of the United Kingdom, United States and Switzerland, AKF’s Community-Based Education (CBE) programmes are increasing access to education for girls in rural areas. 94% of children from AKF-supported primary schools progress to secondary school. Girls’ enrolment in these schools are almost double of those in non-AKF supported schools.

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AKF reached 10,505 children, more than half of whom

were girls, through supporting 604 CBE classes. 219

classes were handed over to the Ministry of Education

through a gradual process. This involved AKF conducting

information sessions and meetings during the early stages

of its projects with CBE and government school Shuras,

District and Provincial Education Departments (DEDs/

PEDs), government school management officials, teachers, parents, and communities to discuss the handover process.

This also gave government enough time to mobilise

financial and human resources to support the transition.

As a result of direct feedback from DEDs/ PEDs and

secondary school teachers who saw the quality of teaching

in science and math as a major weakness, in 2015 AKF

provided pedagogical support training for secondary

science and math teachers and PED/DED academic

supervision teams with the support of Switzerland and the

Ministry of Education. The training emphasises a student-

centred and interactive approach to ensure that science and

math subjects and methodologies are delivered effectively

for all Senior Secondary students. Long-term benefits of improving science and math delivery will not only result

in more qualified teaching staff, but will also help students perform better in the Kankur examinations, and encourage

senior level students to pursue university education in fields such as medicine and engineering.

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AKF is fostering community-led Early Childhood

Development (ECD) by helping to establish, support and

hand over ECD classes in programme areas. Through this

work, AKF provides technical and pedagogical support

training to school Shuras and local teachers, and builds

links between community and education departments

(PED/DED) to encourage government support of

community-based schools.

In 2015, AKF continued to support 130 ECD classes,

reaching nearly 2,000 preschool children. These

classes help to create the conditions which can support

children’s overall development and well-being. Through

collaboration between the Health, Natural Resource

Management and Education sectors, AKF is also

providing ECD centres and primary school teachers with

child nutrition training packages, and establishing school

gardens to increase children’s access to nutritious food.

Samiya* a facilitator at the AKF-supported Karte

Khurasan ECD Class in Puli Khumri, Baghlan explains

her positive experince, “I became motivated to advance

my education. I took and passed the Kankur exam which

qualified me to pursue higher education at the TTC.”

• 175,854 children reached through AKF’s education

programme, including 77,278 girls, across 724

communities

• 193 school buildings rehabilitated

• 23,500 students from more than 500 schools, benefited from learning materials

• 130 ECD centres supported, reaching nearly 2,000 pre-

school children, 50% of whom were girls

• 604 CBE classes were supported, reaching 10,505

children, 53% of whom were girls

• 4,399 teachers trained on inclusive education, student-

centered teaching methodologies, subject-specific knowledge, child safeguarding, gender equality, and

health and hygiene

• 15 Teacher Training Colleges supported, from which

1,259 potential future teachers graduated, of whom 758

were women

• 75 high school girls enrolled in apprenticeship

programme, providing them practical and theoretical

training to become teachers in the future

• 74 sensitisation campaigns on girls’ education

conducted, reaching 983 community members

2015 in numbers:

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WITH THANKS TO OUR DONORS IN 2015

Improving the Quality of Life

AKF works with many institutional partners across the world, as well as in close collaboration with the Government of the Islamic

Republic of Afghanistan. The Foundation’s work in 2015, highlighted in this report, would not be possible without partner support.

Partners in 2015 include:

Agence Française de Développement

Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Aga Khan Foundation USA

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Department for International Development, United Kingdom

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

Dubai Cares

European Union

German Federal Foreign Office via KfW Development Bank

Global Affairs Canada

International Fund for Agriculture and Development

Johnson & Johnson

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan

Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Afghanistan

Pakistan Afghanistan Tajikistan Regional Integration Program Foundation (KfW Development Bank)

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

United States Agency for International Development

United States Department of State

World Food Programme

2015 EXPENDITURE BY THEMATIC AREA

Education (13%)Rural Development (55%)

Natural Resource ManagementGovernance and Civil SocietyMarket DevelopmentInfrastructure

Administration (3%)

Health (29%)©

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House 41, Street No. 2, Qala-e-Fatullah | Kabul, Afghanistan | P.O. Box No.5753+93 (0) 791 981 910 | info.info@akdn.org

www.akdn.org

Afghanistan