FGC has successful community building programs operating in Bamyan Province in Afghanistan under the leadership of FGC Afghanistan Program Director, Abdullah Barat.
Adbullah has implemented operations research and community-based projects which have led to innovative solutions in local governance, maternal and child health, women’s empowerment, women’s literacy, and the reintegration of ex-combatants. Examples of successful projects in Bamyan include:
In Shaidan District, 72 shuras (councils) are providing more responsive, and participatory governance. Communities have planted 500,000 trees, banned poppies, resolved disputes over land and water usage, rehabilitated schools and formed teachers’ associations.
In Bamyan city, a woman now serves as president of a local shura. This is the first time in Bamyan Province, and perhaps all of Afghanistan, that a woman leads a village council.
In Shaidan District, upwards of 500 ex-combatants are actively involved in teaching, local governance, and rebuilding their communities.
In Yakawlang District, mature women have been trained as community health workers using a new model that sustains momentum through women’s action groups.
Large-scale environmental protection and economic developments are being proposed through a province-wide Bamyan water conservation district in which government and communities work as partners.