|
In 1998, SFL responded to deadly earthquakes in Northern Afghanistan and went into the remote provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar to offer assistance. At this time, a civil war raged between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban. Despite the overwhelming hardships and personal dangers of working in the war zone, SFL staff enabled families to rebuild thousands of shelters and build and repair schools. Working in partnership with a number of other Christian agencies, SFL successfully developed a number of health and community development initiatives.
In 2004, SFL's program activity doubled in size as a result of funding received from USAID to build schools and clinics throughout the country. SFL is currently implementing the following projects in Afghanistan: Schools and Clinics Construction ProgramProject Completed in March 2006SFL has helped establish the foundation for community stability through the construction of thirty-two schools and twenty clinics in five provinces across Afghanistan. SFL subcontracted with numerous local Afghan construction firms in order to efficiently utilize resources and build the capacity of local companies. SFL hired all unskilled labor from the local community, providing onsite construction training and livelihood opportunities. USAID funded this $14,278,000 project which was finished in early 2006. Out of the total fifty-two sites, thirty-two sites are in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimroz, which are located in the southern portion of the country. These provinces harbor many extremist groups who oppose the work of humanitarian agencies and the Afghan Government; constructing schools and clinics in these provinces has been extremely challenging and dangerous. SFL also completely furnished the thirty-two schools under construction. In addition to building schools and clinics, SFL implemented a Community Assistance Program (CAP) where funds were provided to the village for a project they chose. SFL contractors assisted the residents free of charge to complete their community project. Some of the activities included:
Shelter and Community Infrastructure Improvement Projects in Takhar ProvinceIn February 2006, a new SFL project began in northern Afghanistan to improve substandard living conditions and community infrastructure by enabling beneficiaries to construct 145 durable starter homes. This eight-month project benefited 14,719 people. The US Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration approved funding in the amount of $399,973. SFL completed this project at the end of September 2006. In September 2006, the US Department of State provided additional funding for SFL to construct 435 starter homes and 435 latrines for Afghan returnee households in Takhar province. SFL is implementing this project through May of 2007. |
After the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, SFL was one of the few organizations who remained working in Afghanistan. SFL staff continued work in the north under the Northern Alliance as well as in Taliban-controlled areas like Herat. SFL oversaw the construction of 4,000 emergency shelters for drought victims in Central and Western Afghanistan. As a result of its key positioning after the liberation of Afghanistan, SFL expanded its program activities first in the north, but eventually throughout the country. In response to the devastating 2002 earthquake in Nahrin, SFL helped homeless families build 5,000 shelters in Northern Afghanistan. SFL has continued its work throughout the country, enabling communities to repair and build thousands of shelters, new schools, water systems, and community development projects which help to restore lives in Afghanistan.