CRS Partners in Afghanistan
Catholic Relief Services greatly respects our partnership with local organizations and the government as an essential part of our support to Afghans as they rebuild their country.
Afghan National Association for the Deaf
Established in 2001, the Afghan National Association for the Deaf provides hearing-impaired children and adults in Kabul with services that allow them active participation in social, political, economic and cultural life. Through this partnership, deaf and hearing-impaired children attend school, including accelerating learning for older students and vocational training. Teachers receive special training methods for teaching hearing-impaired students. Recently, the Afghan National Association for the Deaf developed the first Afghan Sign Language Dictionary with 2,000 words; the team is in the process of doubling the edition.
Afghan Women Education Center
The Afghan Women Education Center began its programming in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 1991 to support Afghan refugees who had fled the war and Taliban. Today, the Afghan Women Education Center supports programs within Afghanistan, primarily in Kabul, Paktya and Mazar Sharif, promoting the rights, self-sufficiency and empowerment of Afghan women and children. In partnership with CRS, the organization operates two centers in Kabul's districts of Khair Khana and Baraki, reaching out through informal education and vocational training for street and working children.
Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services for Afghanistan
A U.S.-based nongovernmental organization, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services for Afghanistan (PARSA) has been supporting the people of Afghanistan since 1996. During the formal Taliban rule, this program operated secret home schools and provided basic health services and vocational training to vulnerable groups. PARSA has managed accelerated learning and early childhood development programs in Paghman since 2002, and in partnership with CRS, these programs will be available in more communities. PARSA is enhancing the quality of teaching in its centers with organized training sessions. T o build community support for these programs, PARSA has established local education committees and women's groups.
Danish Committee for Aid for Afghan Refugees
The Danish Committee for Aid for Afghan Refugees (DACAAR) is a nongovernmental organization developing sustainable livelihoods in rural Afghanistan for returning refugees and internally displaced people. Like many organizations that support the people of Afghanistan, DACAAR first began its support in Pakistan for Afghan refugees. In 1989, support began inside Afghanistan, where today programs concentrate on rehabilitation and long-term development work. DACAAR works at the grass-roots, village level in close cooperation with the local population to help meet basic needs and secure improved livelihoods. At the national level, DACAAR is actively involved in nation-building with the government of Afghanistan.
Welfare and Development Organization for Afghanistan
An Afghan-based, nongovernmental, nonpolitical, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, Welfare and Development Organization for Afghanistan (WDOA) supports programs working toward national rehabilitation and reintegration. With projects in Kabul, Kandahar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunduz and Herat provinces, the organization focuses on developing women’s skills through food-processing, vocational training and marketing programs, along with business workshops. In Herat city, WDOA initiated the Afghan Business Council, which provides business training to enterprises managed or owned by women.
The Youth and Children Development Program
An educational, social and cultural program that started in Mazar Sharif in 1995, the Youth and Children Development Program (YCDP) supports activities that build community empowerment. Today, YCDP is active in 18 provinces and, in partnership with CRS, implements accelerated learning, early childhood development, and community-based school projects for women and children who have no access to formal education. To enhance community support for these programs, YCDP has established local women’s groups and education committees.
Afghanaid
Originally part of the Afghanistan Support Committee founded in 1981 in London, Afghanaid was established as an independent charity in 1983 to provide assistance to Afghans in distress. In its early years, Afghanaid funded local organizations known for their work with vulnerable populations. Afghanaid focuses on community development and livelihoods, with an emphasis on supporting women. Today, Afghanaid works directly with 500,000 people to sustain long-term development in rural areas. In a country where one in five children dies before the age of 5, Afghanaid works in close collaboration with Afghan communities to help people build a healthier future.
Jesuit Refugee Service
CRS partners with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), an international Catholic organization whose mission is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. Working in more than 50 countries, JRS provides assistance in refugee camps, to people displaced within their own country, to asylum seekers in cities and those held in detention. The focus of their work is education, advocacy, emergency assistance, health and nutrition, income-generating activities, and social services.
Nearly 1,000 people carry out the work of the JRS, including 75 Jesuit priests, brothers and scholastics, 75 people religious from other congregations, and many volunteers. The ranks are swelled by refugees who are recruited to participate in the program as teachers and health workers.
