Sunday, June 19, 2011

A new direction for Afghan Action in Afghanistan

Afghan Action, a small social enterprise formed in 2005 and based in Kabul and London, is growing again – and about to start a brand new project in Afghanistan. Our work in Kabul, after a difficult period two years ago when we nearly folded, is steadily expanding. We currently have 50 people on site learning to weave traditional handmade carpets, including 15 “Stage 1” trainees. 12 “Stage 2” trainees have recently completed a 6 month pilot programme (T2GO) in our Training & Business Incubation Centre - and we are raising funds to support them to the next stage - running their own businesses (www.buzzbnk.org/afghanaction). For this, we need help!

We have been exploring the idea of a sewing/clothing project – and now we have enough raised, thanks to Equitable Charitable Trust, the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation and the Clothworkers Foundation, to purchase equipment, train 46 people over 2 years and help them into business.

In November 2010, we tested VDI in Danesh Language and Business School – and it worked. What is VDI? The most advanced form of cloud computing – and now we’re looking to introduce this into Kabul schools, some of whom are linked with schools in Hammersmith (who use VDI), through the British Council programme, “Connecting Classrooms”.

Danesh have become good friends and partners. They are a leading English and Business School in Kabul and they’re minutes away from our site in Karte Se. They have been providing our T2GO trainees with ICT and Business Skills training.

And now we’re planning to transform our whole training programme.

Afghan Action, we believe, should become an Enterprise Development Agency and establish Training & Business Incubation Centres in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan. The Agency’s aim should be to train and educate young men and women, equipping them with the vocational skills needed to gain employment (eg in weaving, tailoring, construction etc), or develop their own businesses or, if they wish, follow an academic path.

Our approach has always been to provide skills training and basic education, as well as on-site healthcare and a nourishing midday meal. In T2GO, we’ve also provided English, ICT and business skills training. Now we’re working on the idea of providing all trainees with a 12 month programme. Careful assessment at the start will be able to place trainees at their appropriate educational level – while many come to us illiterate, some have had some schooling.

And this is where our partners come in.

Afghan Action will concentrate on what we do best – providing vocational skills training, healthcare and food - while our partners provide high quality education and business skills training..

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 - will continue. And we will work hard to link up companies, trusts, schools, colleges, universities and others with the projects we develop across a range of products and services in Afghanistan.

Our long term goal? To position Afghan Action as a leading agency in Afghanistan, promoting and enabling the development of good jobs, honest businesses and fair markets, targeting in particular the SME and social enterprise sectors. How can you help? By ordering a carpet, supporting our Buzzbnk project, making a donation or sponsoring a trainee.

Are you following us on Facebook and Twitter? For all our latest information click ‘like’ at our Afghan Action page on Facebook. We currently have 160 supporters; we want to double that amount by the end of this year. 421 people follow us on Twitter - let’s make it a round 1000 before Christmas. Just click ‘follow’ us at @afghanaction.

For more information about our work in Afghanistan and the UK, please see http://www.afghanaction.com. You can contact us on +44 (0) 20 78700010 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .