Background:
Afghanistan remains a country in the process of enormous political and social transition. The process is slow, and decades of conflict have left a legacy of poverty which is difficult to overcome quickly. Life expectancy remains low and child mortality is high. In many rural areas, health is endangered by the lack of basic clean water supply. Poor hygiene awareness increases the incidence of disease and small household incomes are further depleted by earning opportunities lost to illness, or by the need to buy medicine. In response to this crisis, the delivery of basic services, infrastructure rehabilitation and construction and livelihoods support continues in the rural areas, to be provided primarily by NGOs working in coordination with the relevant Ministries.

Mission East has been working to develop roads, water and sanitation systems, and disease prevention through better hygiene knowledge and practices in Takhar and Badakhshan Provinces in north-eastern Afghanistan which are among the most isolated and underdeveloped. In this project Mission East seeks to extend our work to benefit the residents of Khash and Yomgan Districts in Badakhshan Province and in the Chaal/Bangi Valley District in Takhar Province. Mission East hope through those activities to help these communities answer their basic needs, and have a foundation from which to look to their longer term development concerns.

Action:
Mission East plans to improve access to safe drinking water through the provision of 21 water systems and 8 hand-dug wells. 2,656 household latrines and 40 community latrines linked with hygiene promotion sessions will contribute to the reduction of diseases. The construction of a 10 km small scale rural access road by local labour will enable a year-round access to heath, education and market resources.

Furthermore vulnerable families will receive additional income through this cash-for-work opportunity. The food production of 1,695 households will be increased through agricultural/ apicultural inputs and training. And finally Mission East will help 6 groups of 15 to 20 women to learn how to save money, develop and manage small scale projects and activities in a sustainable manner. As a "Self Help Group" they will thus be empowered to bring changes to their community.