When something like a natural disaster happens, we talk about it a lot. The media reports the news with incredibly shocking or moving photographs and stories. The whole world starts taking action to support the ones in need. However, as the time passes, even though the story still continues, we forget. The media is no longer interested in it because there is other news they want to feature.

Afghanistan is a bit like that. And last week we interviewed the founder of an organisation called BRD (Bureau for Reconstruction and Development - www.brd.org.af ) in Afghanistan. To prepare for the interview, I did a little research about the history of Afghanistan. And I saw this paragraph on one of the websites I was Googling. It said, “When you think of Afghanistan, imagine…”

“Where over 20 years of war totally crippled the economy and you must try to somehow survive day-by-day by scrounging enough food to feed your children. This is where people do not have the facilities to receive treatment at hospitals. Where, on average, men die at 40 years of age and women at 43. Where hundreds of thousands of people are maimed, disabled, or blind because of war and land mines. If you are blind or crippled, no one can help you because those that are not blind or crippled need help as well…”

A New Phase

"This was the situation when the war ended. However, has the situation changed dramatically since then?" I asked this question to the BRD founder, Khan Agha Dawoodzai who started this organisation just after the end of the war.

“In 2002, Afghanistan entered in a new phase, however, there were very few experts and skilled people in the country. People who returned from war desperately needed training to reconstruct and develop the country. The situation has not changed much since then. There has been a lot of foreign aid coming to Afghanistan. But the operation of those large organisations is not always the most effective in this area. Huge work has been done, but it was not very responsive to the real need of the people. The majority of people still live with less than a dollar a day.”

So how can we assist more effectively?

BRD, being a locally founded and run organisation, provides skills training to a variety of people (from women to entrepreneurs and street children) to support the long-term transformation.

Their project listing on the B1G1 site starts like this:

Kitchen Garden for Afghan Women―USD $2.20
Support an Afghan woman for ONE day to establish a kitchen garden so that they can become self-sufficient. Training, vegetable seeds and fertilizers are provided. Once the woman learns how to sustain a garden, she can feed her family and sell the excess in the market.
Afghan Street Children―USD $2.00
Support an Afghan child for ONE day so that he or she can go to school and learn a trade instead of begging in the streets. The child goes to school and learns a trade―tailoring, carpet weaving, becoming an electrician, etc. so that they can support themselves and their family.

Wouldn’t it be cool to support a cause that creates a real long-term effect of independence and abundance? Take action today if you think this is a cause you resonate with. You can have a look at their full worthy cause list by clicking here.

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