EWA Afghanistan: Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world

WECF supports the EWA partner in Afghanistan in reducing poverty

01.04.2014 | WICF Project

Countries:	Afghanistan
Donors:	Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
Issues:	Gender & Rights;
Duration:	01/2012 - 12/2015

Afghanistan lies in Central Asia bordering with Pakistan to the south and in the east, with Iran in the west, and to its north with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Since 2004, Afghanistan is known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

For more than 20 years, the Afghan people have suffered the effects of war, extreme poverty, and violations of international human rights. To reconstruct Afghanistan and redress the violations of Afghan women’s human rights are now crucial issues for the international community and the new government in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 33 million, remains among the poorest countries in the world. In 2011, about 42% of the population lived on less than 1USD per day. The average life expectancy is estimated to be around 60 years for both sexes (2011). In 2011, only 42 percent of rural-based Afghans had access to basic drinking water and 30% to basic sanitation. The country has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rate in the world.

Katachel: our partner in Afghanistan
WECF has only one partner in Afghanistan named Katachel (e.V), that is implementing a part of the WECF ELA project. Katachel is a very active NGO in Afghanistan operating and implementing projects for almost 15 years in the Kunduz region of Northern Afghanistan. Its projects include improving the infrastructure in villages such as building bridges, the construction and maintenance of schools, building drinking water wells and sanitation facilities (Ecosan), providing equipment for health care stations, or giving humanitarian support to widows and refugees.

Within the EWA project, the focus of Katachel is on the training of young and poor women so that they will become a certified dress-maker. Katachel identified sewing as a possibility for women to escape from their poverty and increase their self-confidence.

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