Project Results
The project had two main components (1) involving women in environmental protection and build their skills for improving their livelihoods (2) set a community based model plantation programme in Kabul green built programme to contribute to the Natural Resources Management Strategy and Action Plan developed by Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and livestock (MAIL).
The project was very successful in terms of raising public awareness on the harmful effect of plastic bags in the targeted areas. The use of plastic bags constitutes over 70 percent of the Kabul City pollution. The project involved 100 women and sewed thousands of cotton bags with environmental messages. The campaign involved youth and women groups to urge the shockers to avoid giving shopping materials in plastic bags. Still the problem is huge and there need for the strict action of government. NNWAA has the capacity to work in this area and upscale the initiative to the whole Kabul City.
Plantation in Kabul Green Built area was a huge success by implemented by NNWAA by involving the grassroot communities in Kochiabad, district 12 of Kabul City. This led to an interest in the community to do the plantation in the whole areas. The project has planted more than 5,000 plants with 100 percent survival rate. It is highly commended that such kind of projects upscaled and the local communities should be involved in Kabul to plant as much as possible as this is the only way that pollution in Kabul city can be reduced. War may kill thousands of civilians a year in Afghanistan, but air pollution in the capital Kabul is deadlier. The air pollution is a silent killer of large number of Afghan citizens and Kabul residents bear the brunt of the pollutions.
The grant award from the UNDP ? GEF Small Grants Programme was also very effective in terms of strengthening the institutional capacity of NNWAA. It was such great opportunity for learning and experience sharing. More than 800 people got a short terms work opportunities and their livelihoods improved. NNWAA requires more support from all the donor partners to upscale this initiative in Kabul city.
As a Women headed NGO, despite all the challenges faced by NNWAA in implementation, it could achieve the objectives. NNWAA has got two very strong letters of appreciation from National Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock after monitoring of NNWAA activities.