Training School

A NEW DIRECTION FOR AFGHAN ACTION’S TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN AFGHANISTAN

August 2011

BACKGROUND

Afghan Action is a charity registered in the UK and works there and in Afghanistan (where we are currently registered as a charity, the Afghan Training Foundation, and an international NGO, the Afghan Training and Development Organisation).

In Kabul, we have a small carpet factory and training school and are now starting to diversify into other products (clothing and kites). We have trained over 450 young men and women to weave carpets since September 2005 (including some disabled people). Staff and trainees also benefit from classes in literacy and numeracy, on-site healthcare and a nourishing midday meal. We have supplied carpets for Habitat, John Lewis and the Rug Company as well as holding events across the country to promote the work and sell carpets. Before the economic downturn we employed nearly 180 people but had to make painful cuts; currently 48 people are working or training with us. Now we are introducing the latest ICT “virtual” systems into Afghan schools (a funding application to pilot this in Kabul has been submitted – see below) and we are involved in schools’ links between British and Afghan schools (Hammersmith/Kabul, Harpenden/Mazar e Sharif).

CARPETS AND CLOTHES

Afghan Action’s work in Kabul currently has 15 trainees learning to weave carpets and a small number of weavers we employ – and, as from 31 July 2011, a new group of trainees learning to sew and make clothes.

For the new clothing programme, we have raised £42,000 (£7000 from Equitable Charitable Trust, plus a further £7000 due in September; £5000 from the Rufford Maurice Laing Trust; £1000 from a Sussex trust and £22,000 from the Clothworkers Foundation) to train 46 people and employ a master tailor and three trainers. Our Kabul team has purchased sewing machines, equipment and materials have a contract to produce uniforms for a security company and a company which defuses land mines. The programme will run over 2 years and the amount we need to run it is £70,000.

ICT

We have been working on introducing “virtual” ICT systems into Afghanistan and a test in November 2010 in Danesh Language and Business School proved fruitful. This may be relevant to the schools’ links we have developed, especially the Hammersmith/Kabul link.

We have submitted a proposal for £250,000 to work with 8 Kabul schools on ICT training and the introduction of ICT “virtualisation” to the British Government’s Global Poverty Action Fund.

NEW DIRECTION

Afghan Action’s work in Afghanistan is now being refocused in the following ways:

(1) Afghan Action in Afghanistan will become an Enterprise Development Agency responsible for establishing Training & Business Incubation Centres in Kabul and elsewhere;

(2) The Agency’s aim should be to train and equip young people in order to give them opportunities for

A -  Acquiring the skills needed to gain employment in their particular field (eg weaving, tailoring, construction etc)

B - Developing their own businesses

C - Following an academic path;

(3) These paths should not be mutually exclusive and there should be opportunities for movement between and across them;

(4) Partnering with others in each location where the Agency is operating should become the norm as work is developed;

(5) Afghan Action should instigate a programme of market research to identify the particular needs, gaps and opportunities for Training & Business Incubation Centres in local areas; schools’ links could become the basis for determining which areas might be explored for future Training & Business Incubation Centres;

(6) Afghan Action should enable appropriate partners with relevant expertise to be identified and recruited. For example:

(7) In Kabul, Afghan Action should be fully responsible for vocational skills training, Dari literacy and numeracy education and the production of carpets, clothing etc. An education partner should be fully responsible for training in ICT, English and business skills;

A -  Each applicant for training should be assessed before starting their programme to determine their educational/academic abilities, skills level etc, in order to place them in a class or at a level appropriate to them;

B -  All applicants should spend a maximum of 12 months in the programme, with at least quarterly assessments of progress/standards. At the end of the third quarter, a careful assessment should be made in order to determine future directions at the end of the 12-month period;

(8) Afghan Action should draw on the model being developed in the UK (by the Baker Dearing Trust) of University Technical Colleges (for 14 – 19 year olds, with a strong emphasis on vocational skills as well as academic studies);

(9) If possible and appropriate, schools links (between Afghanistan and the UK) should be further developed in order to provide mutual benefit and support (the British Council have “Connecting Classrooms” links between British and Afghan schools in Kabul, Herat, Mazar, Kandahar and elsewhere – we are involved with 2, Hammersmith/Kabul and Harpenden/Mazar);

(10) Our “Building Bridges” programme – to raise awareness about Afghanistan in the UK – is developing strong and creative work in a growing number of schools across the country;

(11) The mixed economy model – of income generating work (through production and sales) and training/education/healthcare/food paid for or provided through donations and sponsorship should be continued;

(12) Companies, trusts, schools, colleges, universities and others should be sought for further involvement, especially as the range of products or services is extended with new projects starting in other parts of Afghanistan;

(13) Afghan Action should aim to position itself as a leading agency in Afghanistan in promoting and enabling the development of good jobs, honest businesses and fair markets, targeting in particular the SME and social enterprise sectors.

(please see http://www.afghanaction.co.uk/index.php/afghan-rugs/sponsor-a-trainee for information about sponsoring a trainee and also our Buzzbnk programme)