World Vision Hong Kong in Afghanistan (2018)

World Vision Hong Kong in Afghanistan (2018)

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Afghanistan, plagued by years of conflict, is one of the most unstable countries in the world. Due to conflict, displacement and civilian casualties have been on the rise in recent years, while economic development has largely stalled. To make things worse, remote parts of the country have also been afflicted with drought, which further disrupts the livelihoods of some of the poorest people in the world.

World Vision started its emergency relief operations in Afghanistan in 2001 to respond to the needs arising from natural disasters and decades of conflict. Currently, World Vision is present in 2 provinces in the western region of the country, targeting the most vulnerable people such as children, internally displaced persons and the most impoverished families.

In 2018, World Vision Hong Kong contributed approximately HK$4.53 million to support 4 projects in Afghanistan, benefiting about 29,000 people.

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2018 Work Highlights

Foundation Development for Young Children Project

  • Rehabilitated 14 early childhood development (ECD) centres to provide a safe learning and playing environment for pre-school children.
  • Established libraries in all 14 centres to foster a reading culture among young children.

Funding (HK$): $2,178,000; No. of Beneficiaries: 1,760

Area Integrated Programme (AIP)

  • Provided seeds, chickens and other resources to help farmers generate income and improve their livelihoods.
  • Diagnosed over 15,000 patients and provided proper treatment through mobile health team services.

Funding (HK$): $1,473,000; No. of Beneficiaries: 25,130

Psychosocial Wellbeing for Displaced Children Project

  • Trained 40 psychosocial volunteers to educate community members, benefiting 1,600 people.
  • Provided life skills training on various issues, such as handling stress and depression, for about 1,250 students in 8 schools.

Funding (HK$): $880,000; No. of Beneficiaries: 2,480

Total Funding (HK$): 4,531,000; Total No. of Beneficiaries: 29,370


Foundation Development for Young Children

Muhammad has learnt a lot at the ECD centre. “I know the alphabets and can count to ten,” he says.
Before participating in World Vision’s ECD classes, Muhammad, now 6, was a very shy and yet aggressive child. However, things changed when he started attending ECD classes. This has not only changed Muhammad’s behaviour, but also benefited his family. Karima, Muhammad’s mother, only went to school for five years, before being forced to drop out and get married at 14. She would have loved to continue her education, but her husband did not allow it.

One day, when Muhammad came home from the ECD centre, he asked his parents for soap to wash his hands. “We will get sick if we do not wash our hands after playing and before our meal,” Muhammad said to his surprised parents.

“We have always been teaching our children, but that day he taught us about personal hygiene which sometimes we forget how important it is,” says Abdul Salam, Muhammad’s father.

Karima used the opportunity to ask her husband to let her go to school. He agreed, and Karima soon found a literacy class for herself near the ECD centre. She also joins parenting classes in the ECD centre three times a week. “I am so happy. Because of my child’s participation in the ECD classes, I found the opportunity to go to school as well,” says Karima.

Area Integrated Programme

After attending World Vision’s training, Zolaykha now knows how to take good care of her children.
As a child, Zolaykha never went to school and was married off when she was only 13. Though she tried her best to raise her six children in a kind and supportive way, as an illiterate woman, she sometimes struggled to encourage her children to go to school and show her love and care for them in a practical way.

Thanks to World Vision’s Area Integrated Programme, Zolaykha is able to learn about how to nurture a close relationship with her children. The programme responds to major development issues in various sectors including health, livelihood, food security, education and child protection. It also increases the knowledge and participation of parents, caregivers, teachers and community leaders on creating a safe environment for children and promoting child rights and child protection.

“Truly, such training brings happiness and effective changes into our lives,” she says. “I appreciate World Vision and wish they will conduct this training for all of those who have not yet received it.”

Thank You!

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