AFGHAN WOMEN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (AWSDC)

DIRECTOR:

ADDRESS:

CONTACT PERSON:

EMAIL:

PHONE/FAX

NUMBER:

Mary Akrami

House#1267, Str.1, Near Mujahed Workshop, Parwan-e-3

Kabul-Afghanistan

Marya Akrami

awsdc_kabul@hotmail.com

0093- 070287587-079337460-070287613

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ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Afghan Women Skills Development Center (AWSDC) was established in 1999 by a group of committed Afghan women with the aim to reduce the suffering of Afghan women and children through promotion of peace and initiation of rehabilitation and development projects/programs.

As its name suggests, it is an organization for Afghan women with vocational skills and facilities for information provided through different workshops according to the needs of women and girls, reaching isolated women to enable them to become self-sufficient/reliant and improving their status within family and community.

AWSDC demonstrated the ability and outstanding performance to the needy people during the past of its services. Our sedulous nature and sincere interest prove our suitability for execution of any work we undertake. We ensure by striving our utmost to fulfill the requirements and seek a viable solution to the people’s problems and hardships.

Moreover, from the very beginning, AWSDC aimed to serve as a focal point for Afghan women from all walks of life. It is a recourse place for Afghan refugees residing in both rural and urban parts of the country.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

(INCLUDING WORK IN PROVINCES)

G.B.V & L .R Training in Ghazni Province by Afghan Women Skill Development Center (AWSDC)

The third round of Training workshop under the title “Violence Against Women and Legal Rights” was conducted in Ghazin,( Pashtoon Abad village ) Afghanistan from 4 / 5 /05 in which 21 participants from Government as well as NGOs took active participation. The training was implemented by AWSDC.

The training started at 9: 00 am. After introducing of the program, the training was formerly started by AWSDC trainers and supervised by AWN trainer. They provided a briefing about the violence against women and the ways to prevent it

The training content listed below:

• Civil Rights
• Human Rights
• Human Rights according Afghan Culture
• Human Rights according Istalm
• Family Rights
• Child Rights
• Engagement Rights, Marriage Rights, Divorce Rights
• Who is child
• What is Gender
• Gender History, Requirement of Gender
• Inequalities or discrimination between wife and husband
• Men’s right toward women and women’s right toward men according Islam
• What is violence
• Type of Violence
• Type of violence among family
• Solution
• Sex violence
• CEDAW

The result of the training was very productive, it was the first time that men and women sat together and took particpation with much keen and enthusiasm. Two of the participants named Ms. Abdul Fatah and Abdul Faried promised to cooperate for conducting such training in Ghazni.
A woman named Faida said I haven’t had good relation with my children and was not aware about its right so by having this training I understand and will change my behavior towards my children.
At the end participants suggested to have such training in other districts of Ghazni for educated women.

Shelter for Women at Risk

Location: Kabul-Afghanistan

Beginning date: 15 March 2003

Purpose: The purpose is enabling women to gain a better life, to become self-sufficient through improving their social rights in the society.

Short Description

AWSDC has profoundly felt that it is a necessary to work with and for those needy women and orphans (girls) who have no shelter to live, living under a violent and abuse environment, isolated from their families and near relatives, has lost their parents during the imposed and civil war. The project has been initiated to provide save heaven, educational facilities (literacy, computer skill, English knowledge and skills, proper vocation and job opportunities and other basic necessities for women and orphans (girls) without guardian family members. The Project will help them to rehabilitation their lost basic lives and will enable them to sustain themselves over time. By such parking, AWSDC will be physically, socially and economically supporting and creating a productive environment and better living conditions for the needy female population.

Methodology:

The women with dependent children, orphans (girl), repatriated and refugee women after getting space in shelter will get course to be able to write and read, also they will be trained in different vocations as their interest to get proper job, to start new, hopeful and safe life, to become self-reliant and self-sufficient in the next year future. Young orphans (girls) will be able to attend school, continue their proper education and get English knowledge, computer skills to be able to get proper jobs in governmental as well as non-governmental organizations. They will be able to rehabilitate their lost lives and to take active part in the rehabilitation and development process of their destroyed country. Their legal cases will be also resolved with direct consultation and help of Legal Section of Ministry of Women Affairs and Medica Mondiale organization. There will also be development of sense of self-reliance and self dependency, the opportunity of raising the awareness and upgrading the level of understanding of a total number of (40) vulnerable women, young\orphans (girls), repatriated and refugee women.

Results:

A total number of (39) beneficiaries including (9) orphans, (girls), (13) widows and isolated women with (17) dependent children have been benefited from the project during the year 2003. It is to be mentioned that AWSDC, for the year 2004 has initiated getting joint funding for the project both from Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and United Nation High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR).

The outputs for the year 2004 is as follows:

(40) women with dependent children, young and orphans (girls) and repatriated and refugee women would get safe haven. The women will be trained on vocational and literacy classes. There will be provision of facilities for proper basic education to the young/orphans (girl), also there will be provision of English language and computer skills classes to them.

Name: Micro Credit Scheme

Location: Myana Guzar village, Jabalusseraj

District, Parwan Province

Beginning & End Date: 1^st January – 31^st December 2004

Purpose:

The purpose is to enable community including men and women to have a visible role in their family and community development through improving their socio-economic condition.

Short Description:

AWSDC has initiated micro credit scheme with generating activities, which is helpful for needy and those women who are crisis to resolve their financial problems. The people will encourage by having proper jobs and it will help them to become hopeful for the next future. It will increase the level of understanding of community members. Through this project there will be given an opportunity to the needy people to learn new concepts and issues regarding the problems they are in need. Earning money will ensure them to feel save themselves from any future financial problem. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has funded this project.

Methodology:

AWSDC has already encouraged formation of Women Council in the targeted area and the identified vulnerable women will received an amount as credit will be reimbursed to the mentioned women council), the members of the earlier discussed group will decide upon the eligibility of 28 deserving people and their projects whether it would be sustainable in the future or not.

It will ensure reimbursement of credit to the women council as well. In addition AWSDC will ensure the process of reimbursement of credit by endorsing related credit forms by Community Leaders/Village Malik and Official Responsible from the District Administration. The micro credits will be given to the deserving 28 women for their small business. The business/ project of each deserving person will be properly analyzed and monitored. Basically, 3 kind of projects are under considerations, which are poultry forms, carpet weaving and cow keeping for increasing dairy products in the targeted area.

The donating box will be used for the purpose to collect money and getting of some amount as services charges from those beneficiaries receive credit, they will put that money to the donating box and the collected money can be used for the emergencies and other public benefit services. It will also help the members of targeted community to bring them near/close to each other, feel ownership towards its initiatives. It will also help them to reduce and to eliminate their negative conflicts at all.

Results:

28 women will gain proper jobs through provision of micro credit and will get proper vocation through building their skills as well as 26 community members (men & women) and 4 AWSDC staff will be trained on peace building.

The project will enhance and increase the role of grass root level institution through building the capacity of targeted community so that they are able to manage all managerial issues independently without involvement of other outsiders in the next near future.

Name: Women Networking Center

Location: Shelter for Women at Risk, Kabul Afghanistan

Beginning & End Date: 1^st July – 31^st 2004

Purpose:

The long – term goal of the project is to promote the solidarity among Afghan women and empower them to improve quality of their lives to achieve their rights, to take active part in the process of meaningful and sustainable peace development of Afghanistan.

Short Description:

By the help of W4W Afghan, AWSDC has initiated implementation of a women networking center in Kabul, where the shelter beneficiaries and women from different NGOs and governmental organizations will be trained on Internet and networking.

Methodology:

AWSDC will take the overall responsibility for implementation of the project including hiring trainers and other suitable staff, provision and purchasing necessary equipments, renting proper center, arrangements establishments and setup of Networking/Internet Center, develop system and schedule for the project beneficiaries (shelter beneficiaries), NGO workers and other female members from the different institutions (Governmental and Non-Governmental), design and develop curriculum for Internet Course, running training course, monitoring and evaluation of the project, preparing narrative and financial reports and its submission to the estimated donor at required times, keeping contract, coordination and cooperation with NGOs UN agencies, Governmental officials, etc, provide the opportunity of visit to donor delegations from the project location in proper and required times and so on.

Results:

Provision of Internet facility to 20 women and orphans (girls) from the shelter project and 36 members from 12 women NGOs and governmental organizations, 30 women will get networking workshop.

Name: Literacy Courses for Women

Location Myana Guzar village, Jabalussarj district,Parwan province

Beginning & End Date: 1^st July – 31^st December 2004

Purpose:

To improve the socio-economic conditions of targeted community/ women, to have visible role in their family and society and to take active part in the process of meaningful and sustainable development of Afghanistan. Also to enable the women to build up their capacities and to get awareness in regard to the issue affect their lives as well as regarding their basic rights, to perform their visible role in the family and society.

Short Description:

AWSDC has initiated implementation of adult literacy courses in Myana Guzar village, Jabalussaraj district, Parwan province where a total number of 120 women will get benefit and literate during the project period. It is to be mentioned that Canadian W4W Afghan has funded the project.

Methodology:

AWSDC will take the overall responsibility for implementation of the project including hiring project staff/ teachers, conducting separate meetings with targeted community (men and women) and local authorities identification of project, designing of curriculum, arrangements for establishment of training centers, develop of schedule/time table, running literacy courses, monitoring and evaluation of project, conducting joint meeting of teachers/trainers with other staff of AWSDC to reflect upon the plans, achievements, opportunities, failures or constraints, strengths and weakness to enhance the capacity of AWSDC staff systematically, prepare narrative and financial reports and submit to the esteemed donor on the required times, keeping contact, coordination and cooperation with NGOs, UN agencies, local authorities, etc, provide the opportunity of visit to the donor delegations from the project location in proper and required times and so on.

Result:

There will be conducted literacy courses to 120 female who are all related to a family of average of (7) individuals. They are the direct beneficiaries of the project. The indirect beneficiaries of the project area at least (550 families with total of 3850 population). Of course, by literate women the level of knowledge of direct beneficiaries will day by day increase and the project inputs will affect the overall attitude and behavior of targeted beneficiaries, their families and relatives as well.

Name: Vocational Training + Literacy Courses Project

Location: Ghazni Province Center, Ghazni

Beginning & End Date: 1^st August – 30^th October 2004

Purpose:

To enable the women to build up their capacities and to get awareness in regard to the business, marketing and income generation projects, to earn money, to perform their visible role in the family and society.

Short Description:

This project has been initialized by AWSDC in center of Ghazni province. The United Nation International Fund for Education of UNIFEM has funded the project.

Methodology:

AWSDC will take the overall responsibility for implementation of the project including hiring project staff/teachers, conducting separate meetings with the targeted community (men and women) and local authorities, identification of project beneficiaries, designing of curriculum, arrangements for establishment of training centers, develop of schedule/time table, running literacy and vocational training courses, monitoring and evaluation of project, conducting joint meeting of teachers/ trainers with other staff of AWSDC to reflect upon the plans, achievements, opportunities, failures or constrains, strengths and weakness to enhance the capacity of AWSDC staff systematically, prepare narrative and financial reports and submit to the esteemed donor on the required times, keeping contract, coordination and cooperation with NGOs, UN agencies, local authorities, etc, provide the opportunity of visit to the donor delegations from the project location in proper and required times and so on.

Results:

40 women will find means of income/get proper vocations and they will be able to write and read by the end of project period also the focused women groups will get ready and encourage establishing women council during the next involvement in the focused area.