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USAID cuts deprioritizes Women’s Health in Afghanistan

Women’s Health in Afghanistan The Trump Administration’s USAID cuts have affected many in Afghanistan, severely fracturing their already vulnerable health system. The U.S. previously provided more than 40% of foreign aid to Afghanistan, one of the poorest nations in the world, with a population of roughly 40 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that more than 200 clinics have been closed, deprioritizing women’s health in Afghanistan.

Clinics Closing

Midwives in Afghanistan claim that mother and infant deaths have increased since the health clinics in many remote villages have been permanently closed. Women have not been able to reach the leading hospitals in time to receive proper care from a midwife. Many European nations have also revoked their foreign aid, leaving Afghanistan in a grueling position. The WHO believes 200 more facilities will be permanently closed by June 2025, NPR reports. These foreign aid cuts affect the most vulnerable patients in this developing nation: women, children and low-income populations. There is no direct data on complications and deaths due to the 206 clinics that closed as of March 2025. Midwives from village to village are spreading awareness to each other about pregnancy and childbirth deaths. USAID cuts are deeply deprioritizing women’s health in Afghanistan.

Midwives Testimony

In the western provinces of Herat, a midwife, Faezeh, experienced her clinic closing due to aid cuts. Previously, the clinic had been active at all hours. Many health clinics in Afghanistan not only assist with maternal and newborn care but also provide for the most vulnerable patients, including malnourished children and the elderly, NPR reports. The clinics offer vaccination and nutrition. The clinic in Herat was not reopened despite the older generation’s efforts to negotiate with the public health officer. There is no donor funding available to establish a reopening. Faezeh believes that if the clinic had not closed, the women who recently experienced maternal and infant death would have been able to make it, according to NPR. Clinics that remain open are distantly spaced out, making it virtually inaccessible for Afghans to receive care.

Karima, a maternal care doctor at a regional hospital in Afghanistan, believes that maternal and infant death rates are increasing due to the cuts in prenatal and postpartum services, previously provided by foreign NGOs. The NGO cuts only further deprioritizes women’s health in Afghanistan. A woman in a rural area of Herat lost her baby due to a condition known as meconium aspiration syndrome. A condition in which the baby has been in the womb for too long. This condition only occurs in 5% to 10% of births, NPR reports. It is treatable, but not having professional care in her community prevented this mother from having a life with her child. Women already have strict travel regulations imposed on them by the Taliban. The closing of the clinics is imposing a higher risk on women who do seek to travel to a further village to receive maternal care.

Women for Afghan Women

Foreign aid cuts have affected many nations in the developing world. Women for Afghan Women is partnering with organizations in Afghanistan to expand its help. Like many organizations trying to establish aid and funding for Afghanistan, they have been limited in their pursuits due to government control of the nation. Afghan midwives are the hope for maternal care. Private funding is being sought, but grassroots support is limited. International financing is persistently in conversation in U.S. government relations settings. Support from congressional leaders for the International Affairs budget could bring resolution for the deprioritization of women’s health in Afghanistan and developing nations across the world.

– Mackenzie Inman

Mackenzie is based in Washington DC, US and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Afghanistan: Barriers and Economic Impact

Education Access in Afghanistan: Barriers and Economic ImpactAfghanistan continues to struggle with the challenges of rebuilding after decades of conflict and political instability. From the Soviet invasion of the 1980s to civil war, famine and 20 years of United States (U.S.) occupation, the Taliban now governs a nation in crisis following the withdrawal of American forces and the overthrow of the Afghan government in 2021.

Poverty is widespread and natural disasters have compounded economic hardships. Afghanistan’s GDP declined by 24.3% between 2021 and 2022, leaving millions in financial distress. An estimated 96% of Afghan households fell below the poverty line in 2020 and farmers faced one of the worst droughts in recent history. In October 2023, several 6.3-magnitude earthquakes struck Herat province, further devastating livelihoods and worsening economic conditions.

Women’s Education Under Taliban Rule

Since regaining power, the Taliban has imposed strict regulations on women’s education, barring them from attending school past the sixth grade. These restrictions have affected an estimated 1.4 million girls, cutting off their access to formal learning. Women also face limitations on movement and employment, restricting opportunities for financial independence.

The Economic Impact of Education Restrictions

The exclusion of women from education has long-term economic consequences. Before 2021, women made up 22% of Afghanistan’s workforce, working in sectors such as health care, education and business. Restricting women from pursuing education reduces economic productivity and slows national recovery. Foreign aid previously accounted for 40% of the country’s GDP and with limited external support and half of the workforce excluded, the country’s economic outlook continues to decline.

Foreign Aid and Education Funding in Afghanistan

During the war, Afghanistan’s education system was a global priority. Between 2001 and 2024, the U.S. invested $1.4 billion in Afghan education, helping to establish schools and train teachers. However, since 2021, foreign aid has significantly declined, leaving many schools underfunded and understaffed. The country’s literacy rate remains one of the lowest in the world, at 34% overall and only 18% among women.

Efforts to Sustain Education Access in Afghanistan

Despite these ongoing challenges, organizations such as the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) continue to provide education for women and children in Afghanistan. AIL operates 44 learning centers across 11 provinces and has helped 500,830 students while training nearly 30,000 teachers over the past 25 years. These programs aim to equip students with literacy skills and critical thinking tools, offering hope for the country’s next generation. Community-based education initiatives have also emerged, allowing some girls to study in private homes or local centers. However, these informal programs do not offer official certification, which limits long-term opportunities for employment and higher education.

Looking Ahead

In Afghanistan, education could promote long-term stability and recovery. Ensuring access to learning opportunities for all Afghans—especially women—remains critical. Until broader reforms are implemented, organizations like AIL continue to bridge the gap by providing educational opportunities to those who need them most. The country’s future potentially depends on creating an inclusive education system that empowers all citizens to contribute to the country’s recovery and economic growth.

– Burke Bunyard

Burke is based in Austin, TX, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Senior Taliban Official Backs Afghan Women’s Right to Education

Afghan Women’s Right to EducationThe political deputy of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the education bans imposed on Afghan women and girls. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Afghan women’s and girls’ right to education, among other human rights, has been under attack. In a speech delivered on Jan. 18, 2025, the senior official Sher Abbas Stanikzai referred to the education ban as “an injustice against” half of Afghanistan’s population and pressed for the de facto government to “open the doors of education.” This is the second time Stanikzai has publicly advocated for gender equality in education.

What Is Life Like for Women and Girls in Afghanistan?

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a statement on the International Day of Education, Jan. 24, 2025, noting that it has been four years since Afghanistan became “the only country in the world that explicitly bars women and girls [above the age of 12] from all levels of education.” It is not only Afghan women’s and girls’ right to education that is being violated. A series of other gender discrimination laws have been passed targeting women’s rights. The laws include the right to work, appear on TV, recite poetry or sing in public, go to the park and travel without a male relative.

The situation worsened when the Ministry of Economy shared a letter on the social media platform X on Dec. 29, 2024, threatening to shut down the activities of all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with women employees. Data collected by UNAMA revealed that 64% of Afghan women surveyed felt unsafe going out alone. This anxiety largely stems from “targeted harassment, threats and violence” from the Taliban and the wider community.

Men have also expressed feeling safer going out alone than with a female relative in public. Accompanying a woman draws more attention from the authorities. UNAMA notes that this has led to increased conservatism and control within families as men risk being targeted for violating the limitations placed on women and girls. Many Afghan women and girls protested the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021.

However, the Taliban responded with violence, killings and arbitrary arrests. UNAMA’s report further highlights the barriers Afghan women face when communicating with local authorities. This disconnect further removes women’s voices from public life. It increases their reliance on men in their family and community to advocate for them.

Who Are the Taliban and Stanikzai?

The Taliban is a Sunni Islamist group founded in 1994 which previously ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, implementing similar gender discrimination laws as are enforced by its regime today. Many of its members are former Afghan Mujahideen – armed Islamist groups involved in the First Afghan Civil War (1989-1992).

The first Taliban government fell after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, but the group regained control in 2021 after U.S troops withdrew. With the rights of women and girls deteriorating rapidly, in 2022, the deputy foreign minister condemned the closure of schools for girls. During a gathering of Taliban officials in Kabul, the country’s capital, Stanikzai urged the regime that “Women must get an education; there is no Islamic prohibition for girls’ education.”

This time around, Stanikzai directly asked the Taliban leader to reconsider the regime’s policies. He argued that there was no reason to deny education to women and girls, “just as there was no justification for it in the past and there shouldn’t be one at all.” The Guardian reported that Stanikzai is allegedly facing arrest for his comments and has fled to Dubai, though the minister has said he left for “health reasons.”

The Past

Restrictions on women’s rights have not always been the norm. The country has experienced fluctuating periods of equality and gender disparities in the past century.

For example, women’s suffrage in Afghanistan was achieved in 1919, a year before women in the U.S. were granted the right to vote. During this same period, the Queen Consort of Afghanistan, Soraya Tarzi, advocated for Afghan women’s and girls’ right to education and facilitated the opening of the country’s first school for girls in 1921. Since then, various regimes have advanced or rolled back on women’s rights.

How Has the International Community Been Responding?

Despite having been the de facto authorities for four years, the Taliban has yet to receive international recognition. The growing exclusion of women and girls from the public space has led to the U.N. labeling the Taliban’s policies as “gender apartheid.” Similarly, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued applications for arrest warrants against two Taliban officials: the leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada and the Chief of Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani. They are charged “for the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.” The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, also announced that other senior Taliban officials will soon face similar consequences.

With the clampdown on NGOs in the country, courses for action on the ground are becoming increasingly limited. UNAMA has been collaborating with the United Nations Entity for Women and Gender Equality (U.N. Women) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) since August 2022 to reach out to Afghan women nationwide and gather insights about their living conditions. Their latest report revealed that 45% of women and 41% of men consulted in April 2024 believe the international community should facilitate communication between Afghan women and the Taliban. They believe centering women’s voices is crucial to advancing their rights.

– Nesreen Yousfi

Nesreen is based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Pashtun Poverty in Central Asia

Pashtun Poverty in Central AsiaThe Pashtun people are a nomadic ethnic group whose woes continue to escape global conversation. The group of around 60-70 million people continues to face impoverished conditions across Pakistan and Afghanistan, respectively. With a life expectancy of 46 years, these people’s problems cannot be ignored. Ethnic conflicts and the lack of stability in Afghanistan throughout the last decade have drastically reduced the quality of life for Pashtuns.

FATA

Pashtun poverty is directly tied to destabilization and ethnic violence in Central Asia. Previously called “the most dangerous place in the world,” the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) of Pakistan was home to 20% of the world’s Pashtuns. Although absorbed in 2018, FATA was home to blatant and widespread poverty, with 60% of people living below the poverty line.

This area was described as a “legal vacuum” because no neighboring country would assume administrative control. This led to a 33% literacy rate and plagued the area with intense ethnic and religious violence. In 2018, Pakistan merged the areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the hopes of improving conditions. Most terror attacks occurred in Pashtun areas in 2022, which points to continuing destabilization and a failure to address the conditions.

Drug Trafficking in Afghanistan

Over the border in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns have additionally dealt with decades of conflict and now Taliban rule. Although Pashtun’s relationship with the Taliban is complicated, the Taliban’s ban on narcotic production has disrupted a significant source of income for Pashtun communities. The U.N. estimated that it had affected the lives of nearly 7 million people who relied on growing opium for income.

Farmers were believed to have lost $1.3 billion in 2023 due to the halt in production, while landowners sold their stockpiles at a hiked price. While the production of narcotics is a complex issue, it is an industry upon which millions depend for their livelihoods. Its cessation has likely pushed many into poverty. Many farmers have continued to defy the ban as it’s their only way to avoid hunger and provide for their families.

Education in Pakistan

Although the situation for Pashtuns seems quite dire, great strides have been made for the education of the next generation. The village of Khanozai, in Balochistan, has a successful education scheme with an estimated 98% literacy rate. Although many Pashtun families must face the dilemma between having their children work or attend school, this village has insisted on the education of the next generation.

The Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai is actually Pashtun. In 2012, she spoke out against the Taliban in favor of education for girls. This led to an attack on her life. She survived and has become a global face of the movement for the right for a girl to learn. She is the only Pashtun and youngest ever person to win a Nobel Prize laureate.

The Pashtun Trust

The Pashtun Trust is an England-based charity that works to support both the local community and those in Central Asia. The nonprofit’s Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Projects work to alleviate poverty and provide education to people in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 2019, the Trust managed to build 50 water wells throughout the region to tackle dehydration.

Pashtun poverty in Central Asia is an ongoing issue. However, nonprofit organizations like the Pashtun Trust are committed to improving the conditions of Pashtuns.

– Charley Dennis

Charley is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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UNICEF and Partners Address Water Crisis in Afghanistan

Water Crisis in AfghanistanAccess to safe water is vital for ensuring good hygiene practices and protection from disease. However, in Afghanistan, water is far from accessible. Afghanistan’s political climate has rendered access to vital resources, such as water, limited across many regions. After years of economic challenge, poor management and political instability, water crisis remains an urgent issue in Afghanistan.

This situation has only worsened with the Taliban’s power resurgence in 2021. However, as of 2024, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund (AHTF). This collaboration has reduced the water crisis in Afghanistan by supplying sustainable water systems.

Water Crisis in Afghanistan

Clean water is vital; it ensures children are less vulnerable to diseases like diarrhea, which exacerbate malnutrition. However, this resource is difficult to find in remote areas of Afghanistan with very little rainfall. Due to agricultural demands, an over-extraction of groundwater has significantly reduced the water supply from underground aquifers.

Furthermore, changing climatic conditions have depleted available water sources. Afghanistan has held record-breaking droughts for more than two decades. Consequently, only about 42% of Afghans can access safe drinking water.

UNICEF’s Work to Supply Sustainable Water Sources

UNICEF has been working to support Afghanistan for more than 70 years, with increased efforts directed toward water supply in the past few years. It is Afghanistan’s lead provider of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. By installing solar-powered pumps, UNICEF has ensured that the power to access clean water is returned to local communities.

One hundred percent of the facilities are small-scale and solar-powered, meaning the communities can run them. UNICEF has collaborated with 30,000 community-elected councils, ensuring management and decisions regarding the resource remain at the local level.

Partnership With the AHTF

UNICEF has partnered with the AHTF to complete the installation of “Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Water Supply Services in Remote Rural Communities.” This has given more than 30,000 people in 18 remote communities with sustainable water supply systems. The community-elected councils led the construction of these systems.

Community mobilizers supported by UNICEF worked to help the locals on essential parts of the water supply projects. Additionally, local mechanics have been equipped and trained to maintain these systems.

Real Life Application – Fauzia

Each day, 10-year-old Fauzia would walk half an hour to the water tap in the Charkh district, a remote part of the Logar province. She would push a wheelbarrow full of jerry cans to fetch water for her family and wait in a queue for more than an hour. The journey back would mean pushing a heavy wheelbarrow full of water. Only after this does she reach for her school backpack.

As a result of UNICEF’s collaboration with the AHTF, Fauzia doesn’t need to miss any more school time. Now, her family has a new water tap. Safe water is available right in their home from a piped system installed in their village. Fauzia states, “The engineers installed the tap in our house, so now we have water all the time. We can cook whenever we want and I am happy.”

In the coming year, the AFTH, in partnership with UNICEF, will set up water supply systems in 32 remote communities in Faryab, Helmand and Farah provinces. This will support more than 64,000 people, resulting in fewer and fewer people having to make the journey, like Fauzia.

– Amelia Short

Amelia is based in Bradford, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Charities Fighting Child Mortality in Afghanistan

Child Mortality in AfghanistanAfghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with 43 deaths per 1,000 live births. The child mortality rate in Afghanistan is even higher, with 97 out of every 1,000 children dying before they reach the age of 5. Child mortality has numerous causes, including malnutrition, sepsis, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), malaria, HIV/AIDS, preterm birth complications and diarrhea. External factors, such as the political climate, can also play a significant role.

Afghanistan’s limited medical facilities exacerbate the issue. The country’s fragile health care system leaves mothers and young children particularly vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases. With underdeveloped immune systems, children are especially susceptible to illnesses that claim the lives of thousands in Afghanistan each year. However, there are several charities fighting infant mortality in Afghanistan.

HealthProm

HealthProm, established in 1984, is a U.K.-based nonprofit organization focused on reducing child and maternal mortality. It started working in Afghanistan in 2008 and has significantly lowered the country’s high child mortality rate. The organization has achieved this by providing emergency transport for women in labor to health centers. It also encouraged the local communities to establish Women’s Safe Motherhoods Groups and Men’s Support Groups to create awareness of the risks associated with pregnancy and child birth.

Afghan Mother and Child Rescue

Afghan Mother and Child Rescue (AMCR) is another nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to supporting women and children in Afghanistan. The organization focuses on constructing and maintaining health clinics and medical facilities to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The charity spends approximately $37,000 toward building and maintaining these essential facilities, ensuring greater access to health care for vulnerable populations.

UNICEF

Working alongside Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facilitates the care of children, especially those in vulnerable regions. UNICEF supports Afghanistan’s children through initiatives focusing on health, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, all aimed at reducing child mortality. Nearly 1.2 million children younger than 12 months receive life-saving vaccines each year. These immunizations protect against nine diseases, significantly improving their chances of leading healthy lives.

Looking To the Future

Charities like HealthProm, AMCR and UNICEF are working to combat child mortality in regions with the highest rates. As child deaths in Afghanistan continue to decline, achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending preventable deaths among children younger than 5 by 2030 becomes increasingly attainable, thanks to the growing number of children surviving and thriving.

The efforts of these charities, alongside other projects, are making a difference in the child mortality rate in Afghanistan by improving access to medical care and providing appropriate life-saving treatments and vaccinations. Since 2020, the infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births has decreased by 5.4 deaths.

– Megan Hall

Megan is based in Suffolk and focuses on Global Health and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Radio Begum: A Lifeline for Afghan girls 

Radio BegumSilence is the most powerful instrument of oppression. After regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have silenced Afghan women and girls in almost every aspect of life: enforcing a systematic attack on women’s rights. This has made Afghanistan virtually unlivable for women and girls, with the situation representing the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis. Within this critical context, Afghan journalist Hamida Aman founded Radio Begum, which provides a lifeline of hope for Afghan women and girls.

The “Gender Apartheid” in Afghanistan

The Taliban are “methodically and intentionally‘” enforcing a system of gender-based segregation – which Afghan activists, like Dr Sima Samar, describe as a “gender apartheid.”

Dr Samar, who witnessed the collapse of the Taliban’s previous regime in 2001, never imagined seeing such extreme violations of women’s rights reoccur just two decades later. Yet, over the last three years, the Taliban have enacted numerous laws banning girls from going to secondary school, accessing employment, the justice system and even public spaces. Most recently, the oppression of women has reached a new extreme, with a ban prohibiting “women’s voices from being heard in public.”

A female teacher in Afghanistan said:  “In my province, we had girls that could be singers, professors, athletes and politicians. Now we have nothing left. All of those talents are in jail, left the country or now live in hiding. Families rush to marry their daughters because they are afraid the Taliban may take them for marriage. Most girls are forced to marry. This is a nightmare I never imagined to happen.”

The Power of Radio to Educate

Radio is a powerful tool in resisting the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls. It provides one of the main sources of information for Afghans, with 72% of the population having access to a radio, as of 2015. This widespread accessibility allows the radio to serve as an important educational platform for Afghan girls.

Recognizing this, Radio Begum emerged in 2021 to support, empower and educate Afghan women and girls. Its daily radio broadcasts currently provide remote schooling and educational support to 5.9 million Afghan girls.

However, Radio Begum is just one part of the wider mission led by its founder, Hamida Aman. Her NGO, The Begum Organization for Women (BOW), brings together a network of social activists, health professionals and journalists who produce broadcasts from Paris to more than 19 provinces in Afghanistan. With support from UNESCO, BOW even extends its support beyond education, producing content dedicated to women’s mental health, gender-specific healthcare and domestic violence, according to UNESCO.

Additionally, with funding from the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC),  BOW has further expanded its reach by integrating radio, satellite TV and internet broadcasting to ensure more girls across Afghanistan can access education for free. Whilst Radio Begum cannot put a stop to the oppression of women and girls, Hamida Aman emphasizes that “by keeping our radio on, by keeping our voices loud, we are resisting,” UNESCO reports.

The Need for International Support

Radio Begum offers a critical lifeline for Afghan women and girls. Despite significant obstacles, BOW’s work exemplifies Afghan women’s resilience and resistance to the Taliban, as they continue to develop innovative ways to support and empower Afghan girls. However, BOW must secure further international funding to ensure Radio Begum continues to provide Afghan women and girls with access to education, employment and leadership opportunities.

Yet, despite the severity of the situation, the international community has failed to take sufficient action. Indeed, Amnesty International and activists, like Sima Samar, continue to call for the establishment of an independent international accountability mechanism to hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes under international law.

– Georgia Wells

Georgia is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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UNDP Support Women in Afghanistan Working in Small Businesses 

Women in AfghanistanThe United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports international development sustainably and structurally, aiming to eradicate poverty and provide countries with knowledge and resources to foster development. The UNDP has focused its efforts on supporting women in Afghanistan through the current economic climate. The organization is supplying women with vocational skills and financial knowledge to boost female employment. Due to the Taliban Administration, the UNDP operates within areas where exceptions to the constraints on women apply or where locally informed solutions exist.

The Situation in Afghanistan

Since August 2021 the Afghan economy has been in decline. In 2022, the number of households not having income to meet basic necessities rose from 16% to 36%. Policies under the Taliban Administration have had an especially limiting impact on women in Afghanistan, with restrictions imposed on education and employment.

In response to the situation, the UNDP adapted its programs to an integrated local development effort – Area-Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives (ABADEI). To prevent further economic breakdown, this program applies solutions at a community-based level. Grants are provided to small businesses, with a focus on supporting female-run organizations. Maintaining these local economies supports keeping structure and purpose within Afghan communities. The funds are supplied from U.N. contributions, in combination with the “Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan.” This fund coordinates support from UNDP agencies and non-government organizations.

Supporting Women in Afghanistan

In their support of female-owned businesses, UNDP aims to reboot the Afghan economy by supporting job creation and basic social services. Applying a “women for women” approach, it supplies the financial and technical support to women required to create employment. The UNDP supported 8,728 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises through in-kind and cash support, 49.2% of these were female-led, according to its website.

An area whereby the ABADEI programme has successfully implemented its goal is expanding community kitchens. Partnered with Care Afghanistan, these kitchens feed families and provide a source of income for those who work there.

Tamana Akbari

As a single mother, before these kitchens, Tamana Akbari had no source of income. In joining she has developed new relationships aiding in growing her confidence and social skills. The benefits are not just social, Tamana now has also fostered new culinary skills and is earning a salary of her own. She now acts as the sole breadwinner for her family.

Across five provinces there are a total of 47 community kitchens, these kitchens have provided 153,000 hot meals, feeding over 86,870 people. Organizations like these, foster social cohesion whilst also providing empowerment for women like Tamana, who prepare the meals. Fifteen female-run kitchens have supplied food for thousands. In Herat, alongside three men, 147 women distributed 2,200 free meals a day.

Local communities have embraced this initiative, and supported by UNDP’s ABADEI program, women in Afghanistan are being inspired to start similar projects of their own.

– Amelia Short

Amelia is based in Bradford, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

Turquoise Mountain: Reviving Heritage and Empowering Communities

Turquoise MountainIn regions like Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Middle East, where conflict has ravaged communities, cultural heritage often faces destruction. The loss of historic sites and traditional crafts not only threatens the identity of these communities but also endangers their economic survival. Turquoise Mountain, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), works to counter this. The organization works to revive traditional crafts, restore architectural heritage and provide sustainable livelihoods.

The Origins of Turquoise Mountain

Rory Stewart, a former British politician and diplomat, founded Turquoise Mountain in 2006. His experience in international development, particularly in war-torn regions, shaped the NGO’s mission to protect cultural heritage and create economic opportunities for local artisans. Turquoise Mountain aimed to preserve history while offering a way out of poverty. Stewart frequently references his involvement with the NGO on the podcast “The Rest Is Politics,” where he discusses its ongoing impact in fragile regions.

Reviving Traditional Crafts

A key part of Turquoise Mountain’s mission involves reviving traditional crafts. The organization has trained thousands of artisans in woodworking, ceramics, calligraphy and jewelry-making in Afghanistan, once central to the region’s identity. Many of these artisans come from extreme poverty or displacement and the skills they develop through Turquoise Mountain allow them to support their families while keeping traditions alive. Through access to international markets, Turquoise Mountain creates sustainable job opportunities, helping communities thrive.

Restoring Architectural Heritage

Another major focus of Turquoise Mountain involves restoring historic buildings damaged or neglected due to conflict. The organization has restored more than 150 historic buildings in cities like Kabul, where war destroyed much of the architectural landscape. These buildings, symbols of the region’s rich history, now serve as hubs of community activity. The restoration projects provide jobs for local workers and create spaces for education, health care and cultural exchange.

One of Turquoise Mountain’s most notable achievements is the revival of Murad Khani, a historic district in Kabul. Once a bustling center of trade and craftsmanship, Murad Khani had deteriorated after years of war. Under Stewart’s leadership, Turquoise Mountain restored the district’s traditional mud-brick buildings and reestablished it as a thriving artisan community. Today, Murad Khani exemplifies how restoring cultural heritage can drive economic revitalization in conflict zones.

Rory Stewart’s Vision and Influence

Stewart’s leadership has shaped Turquoise Mountain’s approach. His experience as a diplomat and exposure to some of the world’s most dangerous regions gave him insight into how culture can aid in rebuilding societies. Stewart believes cultural preservation can drive economic growth and Turquoise Mountain’s success proves that.

Stewart often shares stories of the organization’s work and challenges on “The Rest Is Politics.” His public profile has brought attention to the importance of cultural preservation in development work, positioning him as a key figure in the global effort to protect cultural heritage.

The Connection to Poverty Alleviation

Cultural preservation may not seem like an obvious way to alleviate poverty, but Turquoise Mountain’s work proves otherwise. By training artisans, restoring historic sites and connecting communities to global markets, the organization has created sustainable economic opportunities where they are most needed.

Turquoise Mountain’s impact is clear in Afghanistan, Myanmar and the Middle East: it creates jobs, supports families and revitalizes communities. As these regions recover from conflict, Turquoise Mountain’s projects lay the foundation for long-term stability by ensuring cultural identity and economic resilience remain intact.

– Harriet Conway

Harriet is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Gardening in Conflict: Sowing seeds of hope in war zones

Gardening in ConflictGardening in conflict offers a vital antidote; the planting of seeds is analogous to the transformation of lives uprooted by destruction. Gardens offer both symbolic relief and tangible rewards for citizens as they grapple with the reality of environmental devastation and displacement. The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports found that gardening promotes reminiscence and a sense of self, endowing communities and individuals with purpose.

Gardening in Conflict

Communities across the globe exhibit gardening in conflict as they cultivate alternative land and futures in the aftermath of war. War correspondent Lalage Snow writes of the desensitization associated with conflict, noting the wantonness of destruction in her book War Gardens: A Journey Through Conflict in Search of Calm.

Yet such desensitization is being challenged by community projects in areas once defined by war. From Burkina Faso to Afghanistan, gardeners display a belief in tomorrow by planting seeds that will outlast human conflict. Three projects particularly exemplify this sentiment and demonstrate that gardens can provide not only a means of survival but also sanctuary against a backdrop of unrest.

The RECOSA Project in Burkina Faso

Around 1.9 million people are now seeking refuge in disparate parts of Burkina Faso as armed groups have claimed entire regions of the country. The closure of 6,000 schools and rising food insecurity come alongside a sense of disconnection from personal land and heritage.

Initiated by the Red Cross and Handicap International, the RECOSA garden project is addressing such issues by creating shared spaces for growing crops and flowers. In Sebba, social cohesion is growing through communal gardens. Cross-border populations are particularly vulnerable to social dislocation, inhabiting a place characterized by the transitory movement of people. Seventy-five Sebba households learned to create shared gardens which has been transformative for those experiencing food insecurity and isolated from their communities.

Chihilsitoon Garden in Kabul

The Chihilsitoon Garden, like much of Afghanistan, suffered the civil war of the 1990s. It lay in ruins, a remnant of looting and destruction, for 25 years. However, in 2015, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored the 12.5-hectare Chihilsitoon garden to its former glory. By planting 5,000 new trees and populating the park with native flowers from nearby hills, a space became a sanctuary for the citizens of Kabul.

This drastic landscaping has created multifaceted opportunities for those still recovering from the turmoil of war and occupation. Waterways and paths, long lost under the rubble of conflict, have been recovered to form trails that connect various spatial experiences. Picnic and an amphitheater are linked through paths lined with flowers now tended by a team of Afghan farmers.

The rehabilitated garden provides citizens a sanctuary to socialize and form new associations with a place once tainted by war. The preservation of green spaces is restoring Afghan culture and social history; the planting of native flowers supplants former devastation.

Since its restoration, the gardens have annually attracted more than 400,000 visitors. The transformation of a former warzone into a green sanctuary has provided newfound hope for Afghanis.

Gardening in the War Zone of Kharkiv

Alla Olkhovska lives 20 miles south of the Russian-Ukraine border in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Confronted with daily air raid sirens, a reminder of the battlefield surrounding her, she seeks solace in the flowers and trees in her garden. Lacking the means to escape the country after Russia’s invasion, she has sought refuge in clematis and wild flowers. Her remarkable work has garnered international attention, allowing her to make a documentary, Gardening in a War Zone.

The documentary shows her horticultural skills and the therapy she finds in tending to her plants. At one point she admires the seedlings in her hand and the ability to hold multiple lives and future lives in one hand. This sentiment offers relief against a backdrop of conflict which threatens to destroy a generation’s future.

Alla’s work has also spawned a book, Clematis, which covers how best to cultivate the flower. In a message to the reader Alla says that writing the book during the war was particularly taxing and, faced with ‘constant missile attacks’ and a volatile psychological state, writing conditions were far from ideal. Yet a passion for gardening drowned out the wail of sirens in the distance. It has provided her with a sense of purpose, helping it grow into hope for her nation.

Whilst the reality of war can not be ignored, she refuses to accept defeat when confronted with the life found in plants every day. Her story is a testament to the power of gardens in reminding us that new life will prevail despite imminent threats to it.

Gardening in Conflict: Final Thoughts

The cultivation of seeds produces more than just plants; each seedling spawns newfound hope and autonomy. Gardening in conflict offers social cohesion. Yet it also speaks of human fortitude, and a remarkable ability to see potential in spaces once threatened by war.

– Lucy Tappin

Lucy is based in the UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr